Location: Remote 

Hiring Range: This position’s hiring range is anticipated to be $78,000 to $96,000 annually, depending on experience, plus great benefits! 

Interviews will occur weekly until the position is filled. 

Summary: 

The Senior Strategist – Executive Leadership Focus, Learning Advancement is a key role within the Best Friends, Programs Division. The Senior Strategist works closely with the Learning Advancement Director, Senior Manager, and team to help analyze, set, and execute the programmatic learning strategies for the advancement of Best Friends’ goal to achieve a no-kill nation by 2025. The Senior Strategist – Executive Leadership Focus serves as the subject matter expert on modern shelter operations, community-based field services, change management, executive coaching, and development of political acumen.  This role will serve as a key contributor and mentor within the Conference in Action framework. This program is specifically designed to work with key shelter leaders, and their managers, through the delivery of relevant management tools and strategies. This role will support the creation and revision of courses and certifications with a priority on empowering shelter executive-level leaders to broaden their skills, increase, and sustain their shelters’ lifesaving outcomes by applying the offered learnings to achieve No Kill 2025. The Senior Strategist – Executive Leadership Focus will be responsible for working closely with the Learning Advancement and other teams on content, revisions, student performance management, and ongoing support for shelter leaders to successfully implement lifesaving programs. The Senior Strategist – Executive Leadership Focus will contribute to the planning and implementation of program strategies across the division to build a no-kill movement throughout the country through collaboration and alignment internally and externally.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Treat people around you as our most valuable resource by leading with Kindness and Compassion in all your actions, build trust by demonstrating authenticity and following through on your commitments, encourage self-care and work-life balance through your own example, and work to build strong relationships with your team by creating communication loops to share and receive honest feedback. You are responsible and accountable for the culture you add to your team dynamic.  

• Work closely with students and graduates to develop plans for timely lifesaving improvements.  

• Support Director and Senior Manager with shelters participating in the Conference in Action program through ongoing support and accountability to successfully implement needed lifesaving improvements that contribute to 90% save rate conversion as identified in action plans.  

• Create and implement ongoing engagement strategies with assigned students to align with B2B messaging, meet needs of graduates, and be responsive to emerging issues.  

• Facilitate educational courses and participate in retreats, etc. in support of Best Friends strategic programming on the road No Kill 2025.  

• Ensure that course content is contemporary reflecting appropriate language and practices.  

• Work closely with the Learning Advancement Instructional Designers on routine review of materials and modules.  

• Work collaboratively with team members on benchmarks and goals.  

• Contribute to content development for courses as an animal services subject matter expert.  

• Work with regional leadership identifying areas for course improvement.   

• Work with Best Friends subject matter experts on course content and revisions.  

• Work collaboratively with other division team members such as other Lifesaving Programs departments, regional teams, network team, and other support teams for strategic resources needed.  

• Work consultatively on cross divisional collaboration with Advocacy, BF Sanctuary, Experience, IT, Development and Marketing & Communications.   

• Ensure data is shared and used to guide the decision making across the organization including program strategies, staff priorities, development strategies, and communication/marketing strategies.  

Skills and Experience: 

• Bachelor's or master's degree preferred 

• Verifiable experience of at least 5 years in lifesaving animal services leadership role (animal control and/or animal sheltering), with a focus on executive leadership development, municipal government, and non-profit systems.   

• Experience with consultation for lifesaving improvements.  

• Ability to analyze data for program improvement.  

• Experience communicating successfully with elected and appointed officials.  

• Change management experience to help bring about successful solutions.  

• Demonstrated experience with resourceful, curious problem solving.  

• Comfortable with presenting/teaching virtually and in person.  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  

• Understanding of adult learning theory preferred.  

Physical Requirements: 

• Able to work at a computer for extended periods of time with repetitive typing, arm and hand motion.   

• Ability to travel as required; not expected to exceed 30% but could increase as priorities or strategies shift.  

• Ability to stand for prolonged periods, lift 40 lbs., bend, and squat when traveling