Summary:
The Senior Director, Shelter Medicine works within the Shelter Medicine Service (SMS) team to provide shelter medicine expertise within the ASPCA and externally to veterinarians, shelters & rescues, and other stakeholders. The Senior Director leverages shelter medicine knowledge and experience; excellent writing, public speaking, and communication skills; and a strong desire to improve the health and well-being of animals, shelters, and communities. This person provides mentorship and training and engages in extensive collaboration with different subject matter experts across programs and organizations. Success hinges on their ability to work with a variety of constituents and facilitate relationship-building.
Application Deadline: We are accepting applications through Monday, October 26, 2026, 7:00pm ET.
Who We Are
The SMS team improves the health and welfare of animals in shelters and communities by strategically applying expertise both internally at the ASPCA and externally with key stakeholders. The team supports the animal welfare field through direct consultation and training, development of educational resources, applied research, and strategic positions and partnerships. SMS is primarily comprised of veterinarians ABVP board-certified in Shelter Medicine Practice and is the home department of the Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency, which is based in New York City. Most team members are remote with significant travel to ASPCA programs, external sheltering organizations, and training events at conferences and veterinary schools.
Members of SMS each have a portfolio of ongoing work, focused projects, and areas of emphasis. Through close collaboration, SMS members work to provide consistency and continuity in messaging and recommendations regarding shelter medicine practices, balanced with the nuances of implementation in varied contexts. Collectively, members also subscribe to a workplace culture of life-long learning, relentless collaboration, and a willingness to dive into work that needs to be done.
What You’ll Do
The Senior Director, Shelter Medicine supports sheltering organizations by providing training, educational resources, and direct consultative work. They provide subject matter expertise on a variety of shelter medicine topics both within the ASPCA and with external organizations to support the integration and alignment of key shelter medicine principles and high-quality animal care. Much of the shelter and community facing work is collaborative with other departments at the ASPCA.
They play a critical role as a mentor for shelter medicine residents and practitioners and contribute to continued growth of the field by serving in leadership positions in strategic veterinary medical and animal welfare organizations.
To succeed in this role, the Senior Director, Shelter Medicine must have both breadth and depth of shelter medicine clinical expertise in both individual and population-level practice. They must have outstanding interpersonal, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills and an enthusiasm for training shelter professionals. Success also hinges on their ability to identify and leverage a breadth and depth of past experience to provide a high-quality, collaborative, nuanced approach to implementation of individual and population health principles. Deep relationship building across teams is essential for establishing clinical working relationships and understanding of the work.
The Senior Director, Shelter Medicine reports directly to the VP, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs and has no direct reports.
Where and When You’ll Work
- This remote-based position requires the ability and willingness to travel up to 30% and is open to all eligible candidates based within the United States who live within an hour of a major airport.
- Working hours are generally Monday through Friday but vary due to events or travel. The Senior Director, Shelter Medicine must also have infrequent availability for ad-hoc weekend and evening consultation coverage with both internal and external programs on a rotating basis with other members of the SMS team.
What You’ll Get
Compensation
The target hiring range is based on where the employee works, which for remote roles is the employee’s primary location of residence, and its respective cost of labor. You can view which zone applies to you based on your location (aspca.app.box.com/v/aspcazonetable). For questions regarding locations not on the list, please send an email to Careers@aspca.orgmailto:Careers@aspca.org for more information.
Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary ranges for this role are set forth below and may be modified in the future.
Veterinarians with Shelter Medicine Board Certification
- Zone 1: $145,500 - $154,000 annually
- Zone 2: $160,000 - $169,000 annually
- Zone 3: $176,000 - $186,000 annually
Veterinarians working towards Shelter Medicine Board Certification
- Zone 1: $140,000 - $148,500 annually
- Zone 2: $154,000 - $163,000 annually
- Zone 3: $169,500 - $179,500 annually
Benefits
At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage.
- Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.
- Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.
- Robust professional development opportunities, including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field and so much more
For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.
Responsibilities:
Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance. They include, but are not limited to:
Provide Shelter Medicine Expertise
- Elevate shelter medicine and community animal health across ASPCA programs and external partners by providing expertise focused on shelter and community animal health and operations
- Collaborate with and support sheltering programs to facilitate the consistent application of shelter medicine guidelines, principles, and best practices to ensure high quality and humane animal care, and to facilitate the most efficient pathways to placement or other outcomes
- Build capacity in veterinarians and other staff to apply shelter medicine principles and best practices across a wide variety of situations
- Develop and support the implementation of efficient and effective protocols for high-quality, practical, and cost-efficient veterinary care in accordance with shelter medicine principles
- Coach and trouble-shoot the development, implementation, and continued refinement of key shelter medicine practices (e.g. capacity for care, daily rounds, and pathway planning)
- Model continual commitment to improving animal care to advance the principle that animals have positive welfare in animal shelters and communities
- Lead remote and onsite shelter consultations both to provide expertise to sheltering organizations but also to support residents and practitioners in developing their own consultative skills and expertise
- Consult with animal welfare organizations, focusing on shelter health and operations, regarding the clinical management of individuals and populations
- Generate and utilize shelter-level data reports to drive decision-making and recommendations
- Produce reports and support materials to assist organizations in implementing recommendations
- Serve in strategic roles in veterinary medical, educational, and animal welfare organizations on a regional or national level to promote shelter medicine and community animal health
- Participate in the development of industry standards and guidelines
- Ensure adherence to regulatory requirements as they pertain to shelter medicine programs and community animal health initiatives
- Serve as a champion in times of change management and proactively assist in identifying ways to improve people, policies, and medical protocols.
- Work with the SVP, Veterinary Medicine, and VP, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs to advise and educate on issues pertaining to shelter medicine, animal health, and animal welfare.
- Maintain proactive communication with the VP, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs as to any critical situations or issues that may arise in work with internal and external stakeholders
- Provide a safe and compassionate environment for animals in our care, our staff, and clients by using trauma-informed communication and low-stress handling techniques.
Develop and Deliver Shelter Medicine Resources
- Improve animal health and strengthen shelter medicine programs through development and delivery of high-quality resources
- Develop and deliver programs, presentations, audio-visual content, website content, and written materials on shelter medicine, community animal health, and animal welfare
- Identify and develop opportunities to promote, expand, and improve training for the care of shelter, homeless, and at-risk animals in communities
- Develop and coordinate new and continuing education for professional veterinary and shelter personnel and deliver training on shelter medicine and animal welfare topics at varied venues
- Engage with, and other ASPCA departments (e.g. Learning and Development, the Veterinary Training Initiative, Veterinary Scholars, internal and external communications) to create and deliver resources to a broad audience
- Learn and utilize new technology to more effectively present and deliver educational materials
- Provide support for data-tracking and evaluation of shelter medicine programming and training
- Collaborate on relevant research on a wide variety of topics related to shelter medicine
Qualifications:
- High level of knowledge and experience in shelter medicine practice and companion animal population health required
- Current veterinary license in one of more states required
- Strong organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills: able to identify key metrics, communicate persuasively to stakeholders, translate information into resources that inform decision making, and present materials to others
- Skillful and diplomatic communicator, possessing confidence and composure required to effectively communicate with staff and management at a variety of levels
- Innovative, creative and solution-minded problem-solver with a positive, proactive attitude in the face of complex challenges
- Demonstrated ability to influence and lead teams, even without formal authority, by demonstrating flexibility, resiliency, and commitment
- Proven coach and mentor who inspires, guides, and supports other individuals to successfully reach complex, long-term goals
- Strong sense of integrity: able to maintain high professional standards while innovating and adjusting recommendations and approaches to meet programmatic needs in a way that is productive and well-received by stakeholders
- Must be able to identify opportunities and assist in the development of new projects and partnerships
- Able to work well under pressure, adapt to changing circumstances, and shift priorities based on animal and organizational needs
- Able to work in a home office with minimal supervision
- Ability to exemplify ASPCA’s core values and behavioral competencies
Education and Experience:
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited veterinary college required
- Minimum of five years of veterinary experience required
- Minimum of three years of shelter medicine experience, including working directly in or closely with a variety of sheltering organizations on both individual animal and population level practice required
- Board certification in Shelter Medicine Practice preferred; if not currently certified, ability to demonstrate active progress toward specialty certification required
- Fear Free Shelter and Fear Free Veterinary certification required within 60 days of hire
Language:
English (Required)
Education and Work Experience:
Doctorate: Veterinary Medicine (Required)
