Operations Manager Position

A COVER LETTER would really help us get to know you well beyond your resume so applicants must send.

Please read this entire job post before applying. Applicants must understand the expectations and we are only seeking serious inquiries.

• We are a non-profit (very different from a for-profit business).
• We are open 365 days a year.
• Experience IS required. Please do not apply if you have absolutely no experience for this position.
• Emergent calls and emails come in every day, even on the holidays and the operations manager needs to assist the public in a timely manner. This will mean taking the work phone home with you after each work day. There are not often late-night emergencies but they do happen.
• If your scheduled work days fall on a holiday, you are scheduled to work unless you use a PTO day for the holiday (we have volunteers and staff every single day of the year since our farm animal rescues do not know it is a holiday).
• Please note that this position is full time and also requires at least one weekend day per week.
• We need a candidate who is reliable, shows up for work every day and does not call out. If you call out, your job must still be done and will have to be turned over to another staff person who already has a full-time job, and they will end up working several more hours in order to cover for you, so the staff must be able to rely on your attendance.
• You must be willing to talk on the phone. This is mandatory.
• We are not at a point where we currently offer health insurance or a retirement plan but we are working toward adding this in late 2025/early 2026 so there will be a period of time before these are able to be offered.
• If you are called for an interview and you ask us to "remind you what the position is" because you did not read/retain this information, we will not move forward with your application. Attention to detail is first and foremost here, and our initial contact with you is of the utmost importance and part of our interview process.
• If you are offered the position and need to leave your role with us, we request at least one-month's notice AND full training of your successor.
  
  

If you've made it this far and have continued interest, we can assure you it will be one of the most interesting, challenging and enjoyable jobs you have ever had!

Overall Goal

The Operations Manager is responsible for supervising daily operations at West Place Animal Sanctuary, primarily managing all tasks associated with the volunteer program, feed/supply/medical ordering, inventories and organization, providing support to the animal care manager, and community outreach. The Operations Manager plays a key role in ensuring that the organization’s standards of excellence are met.

Responsibilities

Volunteer Management:

• Maintain and grow volunteer base through outreach to individuals, community-based organizations and groups, colleges/universities, and corporations as needed
• Work closely with all program and department managers to periodically assess needs for volunteer expertise and level of volunteer staffing
• Work even more closely to assure that volunteers are retained, through proper training
• Maintain process to review applications, check references and interview potential individual volunteers/interns, assess interests/skills of volunteers/interns and match with appropriate activities
• Onboard all new volunteers/interns, collecting correct documentation based on department
• Identify training opportunities for volunteers and staff; assign and track completion of assigned volunteer training
• Maintain daily volunteer/intern scheduling
• Communicate with volunteers/interns to assure attendance during holidays, bad weather, etc.
• Maintain volunteer/intern database
• Provide accurate and timely volunteer/intern data
• Engage with existing volunteers/interns daily and provide feedback and additional guidance as needed
• Maintain ongoing communications with volunteers/interns
• Maintain volunteer/intern recognition program and collaborate with leaders of other departments as needed, and plan and execute volunteer/intern appreciation and training activities
• Identify high profile volunteers and make connections with the appropriate stakeholders within the organization to promote these volunteers to volunteer supervisors
• Monitor, encourage, and manage electronic messaging communications to/from volunteers, including the internal application
  
  

Intern Program Management

• Recruit high school, college, and graduate level interns.
• Respond to internship requests; assess interests/skills of interns and match with appropriate staff or projects.
• Develop and manage comprehensive orientation process for new interns.
• Engage in ongoing feedback and complete school evaluations as required in conjunction with the animal care manager.
• Update training information as necessary.
• Communicate trainings, fun facts or educational questions to interns as part of their learning process.
  
  

Property And Building Management Oversight

• Learn and Understand the roles that our Greenthumbs and Handypeople perform so that you can maintain and delegate a list of things to do for those volunteers each day
• Assist in overseeing that all buildings are maintained, cleaned, repaired as necessary, delegating to Sanctuary Generalist, Volunteer Handypeople, and Animal Care manager as needed
• Monitor electric and heat usage in all buildings and be responsible for conserving
• Manage the day-to-day working of organization and cleanliness of the property
  
  

Administration

• Training the Sanctuary Generalist to perform your job duties during your days off or PTO days, to a high level of professionalism
• Responsible for staying stocked on all supplies, food, medicine, tools, etc.
• Responding correctly and promptly to emails
• Managing our main phone number and voicemails, with knowledge and professionalism
• Assisting the public in answering incoming questions
• Update SOP’s, manuals, training tools, and resources related to volunteers, animal care and operations
• Manage all processes related to volunteer/animal care/visitor incident reporting
• Assist other employees, visitors, donors, and volunteers in a cheerful and respectful manner as a representative of West Place Animal Sanctuary
• Prepare all current and necessary updates to the Operations Training Manual and the Animal Care Training Manual on a daily basis
• Responsible for maintaining our databases, including feed, medical supplies, inventory, volunteers
• Maintain monthly calendar for shots, deworming, hoof care, etc. for the Animal Care Manager
• Assist Director level staff with administrative tasks regularly
  
  

Events And Community Outreach

• Act as a Tour Guide for three Visitor Weekends each year, and for private tours
• Booking private tours, and giving tours as well as understanding the gift shop and the systems to check out our guests
• Booking group volunteering, plan out projects (training provided) and manage the groups
• Booking small weddings on property (training provided)
• Assisting in content for building our Virtual Tour platform
• Booking Corporate Retreats (training provided)
• Gather social media content for Communications Director
  
  

Animal Care Management: (only if animal care managers are both on PTO and unavailable) - you will not normally act as the animal care manager, but will need to know how if both of your daily managers become unavailable

• Knowing how to act as animal care manager for a period of time if need be
• Oversee volunteers performing feeding, cleaning and maintenance of resident living areas
• Oversee cleaning, maintenance, and proper storage of sanctuary equipment
• Assist with the check-in of new animals and inspection
• Follow proper safety measures and procedures when volunteers are using chemicals and cleaning supplies
• Overseeing cleanliness, maintenance and daily care of kennel, office and gift shop building
• Daily health checks on all animals
• Providing supplements, medications, injections, etc. as needed
• Inform Executive Director of any health issues with the animals
  
  

Other Skills And Physical Requirements

• Organization, organization, organization
• Need to be able to run and oversee the day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month and year-to-year, as the right candidate in this position could be the successor to the executive director (who knows everything about everything in the organization). The ED can perform the job of each and every other staff member, plus handles accounting, public speaking, all education of staff members, works with the board of directors, and much, much more
• Extreme Cleanliness of office and workspace, sloppiness is not tolerated
• Enthusiasm and outgoing, helpful personality
• Volunteer Management experience
• Operational Management experience
• Very Strong communication skills
• Very Strong organizational skills
• Critical Thinking skills
• Mindfulness
• Very strong time management skills
• Ability to multi-task on a daily basis
• Database management
• Proficiency using Word, Excel, Internet, GSuite for non-profits, certain programs and apps such as Discord and AirTable
• Commitment to a team approach of working with staff members, volunteers and guests
• Strong listening, speaking and writing skills
• Able to manage in-person requests and phone/emails
• Must be able to be around/handle large animals when necessary
• Ability to stand for long periods of time (tours, inventories)
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs. a plus
• Preferred experience with repairs
• Preferred experience with
  
  

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $42,500.00 to start per year based on experience regarding all the above. Yearly reviews and increases, and potential to move up within the organization.

Benefits

• 50% Employee discount in our gift shop
• Paid time off - 10 days PTO
  
  

Schedule

• 8 hour shift (8.5 with break)
• Day shift (9-5:30)
• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (off Friday/Saturday)
• Holidays necessary if they fall on the above workdays (PTO can be used for holidays as long as your animal care manager and sanctuary generalist are working and have enough coverage)
  
  

Ability To Commute/relocate

• Tiverton, RI 02878: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
  
  

Experience

• Operations Management: more than 2 years (Required)
• Public Relations: experience preferred
• Farm Animal Care: 1 year or more preferred or willingness to learn
• Administration: required
• Repair experience preferred so you understand how to manage handypeople
• Landscape experience preferred so you can understand how to manage greenthumbs
  
  

Work Location: In person