Kennel Manager

Humane Society for Hamilton County Reports To: Director of Operations Starting Salary: $42,000 – $45,000

Lead with compassion. Manage with excellence. Change lives every day.

At the Humane Society for Hamilton County, caring for animals isn’t just a job—it’s our passion. Every day, our team helps create life-changing outcomes for animals and the people who love them.

We are seeking a Kennel Manager who is an experienced, hands-on leader with strong animal care knowledge, team management skills, and a deep commitment to creating a safe, healthy, and compassionate shelter environment. If you thrive in a fast-paced setting, lead by example, and want your work to truly matter, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

In this role, you will oversee the daily operations of the Kennel Department, ensure exceptional care for animals in our facility, support and train staff, and help drive the consistency and excellence that powers our mission.

Why This Role Matters

The Kennel Manager plays a key leadership role in the shelter by ensuring:

• Animals receive the highest level of care and compassion every day
• Staff are trained, supported, and held accountable to high standards
• Cleaning, disease prevention, and safety protocols are consistently followed
• The kennel team delivers positive experiences for adopters, volunteers, and coworkers
• Daily operations run smoothly, including opening/closing responsibilities and cross-department coordination

This position is ideal for someone who can balance animal welfare, team leadership, operational excellence, and public-facing professionalism.

Key Responsibilities

The Kennel Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the Kennel Department and supporting shelter operations, including (but not limited to):

• Overseeing daily cleaning, feeding, and direct dog care duties to ensure timely and effective completion
• Supervising team interactions with the public while animals are being shown for adoption
• Ensuring kennel staff follow all SOPs related to animal handling and public interactions
• Promoting positive, professional team dynamics across staff, departments, and volunteers
• Identifying volunteer support opportunities and partnering with the Volunteer Department to ensure effective training and use of volunteers
• Communicating regularly with the Director of Operations and other managers regarding animal care concerns
• Coordinating staffing schedules and resolving scheduling conflicts related to time off, terminations, and new hires
• Partnering with HR to ensure new hires complete required training for kennel positions
• Supervising staff performance, delegation, coaching, disciplinary action, and problem-solving in a timely manner
• Leading and motivating teams to meet shelter goals and responsibilities
• Continuously identifying process improvement opportunities within the Kennel Department and across shelter operations
• Managing animal supply inventory, ordering, and budget (e.g., food and related supplies)
• Communicating weekly with the Facility Manager regarding items for the Amazon Wish List
• Ensuring accurate animal data entry and recordkeeping in PetPoint
• Updating and recording dog locations in PetPoint for accurate location reporting
• Managing animal intakes, behavior/adoption counseling, and behavior approval processes
• Educating owners/adopters on potential issues and solutions to support successful adoptions
• Creating schedules that support kennel operations and shelter opening/closing coverage
• Coordinating with the surgery department to ensure timely surgeries for dogs in HSHC care
• Communicating building, grounds, equipment, and maintenance concerns immediately to the Facility Manager
• Participating in the after-hours emergency phone rotation with the management team
• Managing relationships with local offsite partners housing HSHC adoptable animals
• Supporting the cattery and other departments as needed
• Performing additional duties as assigned

Schedule: 5 days per week, including some weekends and special events.

Qualifications

Applicants must:

• Embrace our No-Kill Philosophy
• Have previous experience working in a similar capacity in an animal shelter or animal care services facility (vet hospital/clinic, boarding facility, daycare facility, etc.)
• Understand the critical nature of disease prevention and/or disease intervention as it pertains to cleaning processes/protocols in an animal shelter or similar facility
• Have advanced animal handling experience with both dogs and cats and a comfort level working with dogs/cats that may be potentially dangerous due to fear, abuse, etc.
• Have an excellent understanding of animal behavior, including experience implementing behavior modification and training
• Demonstrated success managing a team including schedules, performance reviews, disciplinary action, training, and daily supervision to keep a team motivated, focused, and positive
• Demonstrated success navigating employee conflict/relations in both a diplomatic and effective manner
• Take great pride in keeping the animal housing areas of our building clean and healthy
• Enjoy interacting with the public and volunteers
• Be an excellent communicator—both written and verbal
• Be proficient using a computer including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Gmail, Google Docs, and PetPoint
• Thrive in a fast paced—high pressure environment
• Be customer service focused

Because the Humane Society for Hamilton County is committed to the success and overall well-being of our team, we are proud to offer our full-time employees the following comprehensive benefits package:

• Medical Insurance:  HSHC pays a flat amount toward each, full-time employee’s individual medical premium to make this benefit affordable. FT Employees are eligible for coverage on the first day of the month after their hire date. Multiple medical plans provided through Anthem BC/BS from which you can choose the best plan/deductible to meet your needs and budget.
• Dental & Vision Insurance: FT Employees are eligible for coverage on the first day of the month after their hire date. Our dental and vision plans are both comprehensive and affordable. These premiums are not covered by HSHC.
• Life Insurance: Each employee receives complimentary life insurance.
• Generous Paid Time Off starts accruing on your first day of employment.
• 401(K) Matching
• Employees Paid Weekly
• Professional Development & Career Planning

Additional benefits available to full-time employees include:

• Long/Short Term Disability
• FSA/HSA
• Employee Assistance Program
• Identity Theft Protection
• Mental Health Services
• Retirement Planning
• Annual Vaccines
• Monthly Preventatives
• Diagnostic Testing
• Prescription food and medications with a current DVM prescription (some exceptions apply)
• FREE X-Rays when staff time permits and no sedation is required (does not include cost to read results, some exceptions may apply)
• FREE Pet Supplies when available

All employee owned pets are eligible for significantly discounted products and services including:

Ready to Apply? — https://www.hamiltonhumane.com/ About Careers