Adoptions Manager

Adoptions Manager

Salary: $50,000–$55,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Schedule: Tuesday–Saturday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM

Benefits: Health and dental insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid time off, access to low-cost veterinary care and an employee pet food program

Cape Ann Animal Aid (CAAA) is seeking an experienced, organized, and compassionate Adoptions Manager to lead our Adoption Department and help create positive outcomes for animals, adopters, and the community.

Position Overview:

As one of the primary points of contact between CAAA and the public, the Adoption Department plays an important role in creating welcoming, informative, and supportive experiences for adopters, pet owners, and visitors. The Adoptions Manager is responsible for maintaining a high standard of customer service while helping staff navigate the complex decisions and emotionally challenging situations that are part of animal sheltering.

Reporting to the Shelter Manager, the Adoptions Manager directly oversees department operations, staff development, scheduling, adoption placement, customer service, and consistent implementation of CAAA policies and standards. This position directly supervises Lead Adoption Counselors and Adoption Counselors.

Lead Adoption Counselors provide day-to-day shift leadership, while the Adoptions Manager establishes department priorities, develops and supports staff, monitors performance, and promotes consistency and accountability across the team.

The ideal candidate is a confident and collaborative people manager who can balance thoughtful decision-making, compassionate customer service, animal welfare, and the practical demands of a busy shelter environment. They will set clear expectations, recognize good work, address challenges constructively, and help employees grow both individually and as a team.

Why Join CAAA?

This is a chance to do work that makes a real difference—not only for animals, but also for the people who care for and adopt them. You’ll support a compassionate team of animal-loving people who work together to give each cat and dog the individual care, attention, and encouragement they need on the way to a new home.

The work can be busy and sometimes challenging, but it is also deeply rewarding. You’ll have the opportunity to help employees grow, recognize the difference they make, and see the impact and joy every time an animal heads home with a new family.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Operations

• Supervise, coach, and develop Lead Adoption Counselors and Adoption Counselors through clear expectations, regular feedback, effective delegation, and consistent accountability.
• Foster a positive, respectful, collaborative, and solution-focused team environment.
• Recognize individual and team contributions, including successful placements, excellent customer service, professional growth, and effective collaboration.
• Encourage open communication, shared problem-solving, and cooperation among team members.
• Manage scheduling, coverage, time-off requests, and staffing needs.
• Establish and maintain effective department workflows, communication systems, policies, and procedures.
• Support Lead Adoption Counselors in managing daily operations while maintaining consistent department standards.
• Identify training, performance, and operational needs and implement practical solutions.
• Manage department projects and follow-through, handling routine matters independently and escalating significant concerns appropriately.

Adoptions & Animal Placement

• Oversee the adoption process from inquiry through placement, ensuring thoughtful matches and consistent application of CAAA policies.
• Guide staff through application review, adoption counseling, and complex placement decisions.
• Monitor shelter population, adoption activity, and length of stay to identify trends, barriers, and opportunities for positive outcomes.
• Ensure accurate, complete, and timely adoption documentation.
• Identify animals needing additional placement support and coordinate with Behavior & Training, Shelter Medicine, Foster, Transport, and other teams.
• Oversee post-adoption support and follow-up to promote successful placements and pet retention.
• Share successful placements, positive customer feedback, and other department accomplishments with the team.

Animal Care & Cross-Department Coordination

• Ensure the Adoption Department meets CAAA standards for humane care, enrichment, sanitation, safety, and disease prevention.
• Coordinate with Behavior & Training, Foster and Shelter Medicine regarding individual animal care, behavior, enrichment, and medical needs.
• Support effective working relationships across departments and promote clear, respectful communication.
• Ensure staff understand and consistently follow animal-specific care, handling, behavior, enrichment and safety plans.
• Oversee coordination of approved owner surrenders and stray intakes according to CAAA protocols.
• Oversee and provide pre-surrender counseling and connect owners with appropriate community resources when possible.
• Ensure required intake, medical, behavioral, and adoption information is accurately documented and communicated.
• Participate in animal care and shelter operations as needed.

Customer Service & Community Support

• Ensure adopters, pet owners, volunteers, donors, and members of the public receive compassionate, knowledgeable, and professional service.
• Model excellent customer service and coach staff in active listening, clear communication, conflict resolution, and navigating difficult or emotionally charged conversations.
• Respond to escalated customer concerns calmly, professionally, and consistently while balancing individual circumstances with CAAA policies and animal welfare considerations.
• Review customer feedback and identify opportunities for staff coaching, service improvements, and recognition of strong performance.
• Educate community members about adoption, responsible pet ownership, behavior, training, medical needs, and available resources.
• Support adoption promotion, photography, video, educational materials, and other public-facing projects.
• Provide hands-on support with phones, visitors, donations, animal care, and other shelter operations as needed.

Qualifications-

Required

• Minimum 2 years of supervisory or people-management experience required.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, and interpersonal skills to motivate and develop employees, recognize strong performance, build team cohesion, and maintain accountability.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, prioritization, and follow-through skills.
• Strong problem-solving, compassionate and professional customer service, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to remain calm and solution-focused in a busy and emotionally challenging environment.
• Proficiency with computers and ability to learn web-based shelter management systems.
• Valid Massachusetts driver’s license in good standing.
• Ability to safely perform shelter and animal care tasks, including extended periods of standing or walking, bending, kneeling, and squatting; safely handling cats and dogs of varying sizes and temperaments; and lifting or moving up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work the regular Tuesday–Saturday schedule and occasional evenings, holidays, or additional weekend hours as operational needs require.

Preferred

• Experience in an animal shelter, animal welfare organization, veterinary practice, animal care setting, or related field.
• Experience making or overseeing animal placement, adoption, intake, or customer service decisions.
• Experience developing staff training, procedures, or department workflows.
• Familiarity with PetPoint and Google Suites

This is an active, hands-on shelter position. The position regularly involves exposure to animal waste, cleaning products, noise, allergens, unpredictable animal behavior, and emotionally challenging situations associated with animal sheltering.

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to [email protected].

Pay: $50,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Bereavement leave
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person