Senior Director of Shelter Medicine

Summary:Launched in 2014, the ASPCA Los Angeles Initiative layers policy work, inter-agency partnerships, and direct service programs to drive change for animals and the community. The Los Angeles Initiative is comprised of 80 people from more than a dozen departments. In addition to policy work, current direct services include kitten intake diversion, foster and adoption; animal relocation; and veterinary services (spay/neuter and primary pet care). The ASPCA’s Los Angeles work is crucially dependent on seamless collaboration and alignment both within the team and with our community partners, which include municipal shelters, non-profits, and policy makers.The Senior Director of Shelter Medicine, Los Angeles (Senior Director, SMLA) supports the ASPCA’s partnership work with Los Angeles City Animal Services (LAAS) as part of a team of two on-site ASPCA staff members with shelter operations and shelter medicine expertise embedded with LAAS shelter personnel. The focus of this work is the implementation of a joint 3-year plan for LAAS shelters, led by LAAS, and resourced and directly supported by the ASPCA and Best Friends. This work aims to achieve the following goals at LAAS shelters:community engagement intake, including efforts to support community cats;pathway planning to ensure animals receive timely, coordinated care and support, and that the shelters are operating within capacity for humane care; andpositive outcomes for animals by increasing adoptions, transfers, and other lifesaving placements.We are requesting that applications be submitted by Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 9pm PT.Who We AreThe Senior Director, SMLA is part of the Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) team. The SMS team is comprised of ABVP board-certified shelter medicine specialists and the ASPCA’s NYC-based Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency.  SMS provides leadership, consultation, and support to improve the health and welfare of animals in shelters and communities both internally at the ASPCA and externally across the US. Members of SMS each have assigned projects and areas of emphasis but collectively 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 DoThe Senior Director, SMLA reports directly to the Vice President, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs and with a dotted line reporting relationship to the Senior Director, Los Angeles Initiative. The Senior Director, SMLA supports the ASPCA’s partnership with LAAS, providing strategic perspective, thought leadership, project planning skills, and tactical guidance relevant to implementation of the 3-year plan. They work with the ASPCA’s Senior Director of the Los Angeles Initiative; the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Shelter Operations, Los Angeles; the LAAS General Manager; and cross-agency leadership to develop and implement shelter medicine protocols and practices for both population lev...