Operations Manager

We are looking for a passionate Operations Manager to join the Tenth Life Cat Rescue Team beginning May 1st, 2026\.

Purpose of Position: The Operations Manager is responsible for the daily operations of the Tenth Life facility as well as all integrated administrative, operational, and reporting systems. The Operations Manager provides leadership, oversight, and long\-range planning to ensure that all areas are operating at the highest standard possible. Assures adherence to and implementation of mandated procedures. Supervises and shares support for the majority of the organization’s staff and volunteers. As a member of the management team, the Operations Manager will work collaboratively on strategies to recruit, retain, and integrate volunteers and improve operational efficiency.

Mission: At Tenth Life, we believe that every cat, regardless of emotional or physical limitations, deserves the chance at a fulfilling and happy life. We provide veterinary care, foster homes, and adoptive placement to stray cats and kittens, prioritizing those with special needs. We also work to end unnecessary euthanasia and cat homelessness through educational outreach, community programs, and collaborative partnerships.

Position Statement: Tenth Life’s volunteer team and staff thrive on bestowing all patrons with impeccable customer service; all animals with the best possible care available within our resources; to perform daily in an effective and efficient manner, and to provide a pleasurable work environment rich in practical learning, collaboration, and teamwork. This position accomplishes its objectives through a calm, respectful, inclusive, constructive, and energetic style, guided by the mission and vision of Tenth Life Cat Rescue. Tenth Life is one of Saint Louis’ most highly respected and well\-loved nonprofits. While Tenth Life is distinguished by the resourcefulness of its grassroots, community\-based rescue efforts, we also have a reputation for excellent care, ingenuity, and a positive and inclusive organizational culture.

Schedule: Typically Monday\-Friday 9am \- 5pm with at least one Saturday per month. Some nights and weekends with additional flexibility, especially surrounding after\-hour veterinary needs and major fundraising events, will be required.

Working Environment: Much of the work is performed in an animal shelter environment. The potential for exposure to environmental factors such as zoonotic diseases, animal waste, hazardous chemicals, and/or chemical materials requiring OSHA Material Safety Data Sheets, sharp objects, and potential hostile persons and/or dangerous and fractious animals may exist.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to remain sitting, standing, or active during the entire shift, as needed.
• Ability to lift and carry objects and animals of moderate weight; to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, push, and perform other strenuous activities.
• Physical ability to engage in repetitive motions of legs, arms, and hands, to hear, and to see.
• Ability to work around any potential feline allergens and to handle cats compassionately and with care.

Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills \& Abilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Adoption Lounge

Supervise the daily operations and management of the adoption lounge, which includes but is not limited to the following:

• Provide quality animal care to the feline residents, including feeding, cleaning, performing daily health checks; monitor behavior, bodily functions, and eating patterns; observe and report any health concerns; provide individualized care, medication, and behavior modification, as needed
• Establish and enforce protocols for the general care and medical treatment of cats in accordance with veterinary standards
• Perform and/or oversee daily cleaning of facility, grounds, and public areas, including floors, kennels, walls, windows, laundry, equipment, etc, following proper disease\-control protocol to ensure a safe, sterile environment for humans and cats; oversee general maintenance of facility
• Coordinate routine, emergency, and needs\-based veterinary care with appropriate leadership, volunteers, and staff
• Engage in the development, updating, and enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOP)
• Manage files in compliance with SOP and legislative, organizational, and professional standards
• Establish and enforce adherence to sanitation protocols for general operations and for containment and prevention of contagion, including cleaning of the facility, laundry, and general maintenance of the facility
• Supervise a separate quarantine ward for highly infectious cats
• Process, document, and coordinate intake with appropriate leadership, volunteers, and staff in compliance with all relevant legislative, organizational, and professional standards
• Maintain manual and computer\-based records and databases on Tenth Life operations; compile and submit routine, recurring, and special reports.
• Manage inventory, ordering, and distribution of supplies
• Conduct meetings with leadership, volunteers, and staff to review procedures, discuss workplace issues, and share ideas to improve animal care, the customer service experience, and the organization’s success in general
• Provide leadership to foster parents; be aware of the whereabouts of all cats and kittens in foster care; there can be 100\+ cats and kittens in foster at any time; maintain all administrative records for kittens and cats in foster; mentor fosters and foster team members
• Monitor safety compliance for staff and volunteers, ensuring program activities and volunteers operate within organizational policies and procedures and are in compliance with all relevant legislative and professional standards
• Respond to written and phone inquiries from shelters and rescue groups as well as the general public regarding intake, behavior, and general inquiries (email, social media, etc.)
• Build and support a team of caretakers, primarily volunteers, to be in the lounge 20\+ hours per week to provide excellent care; monitor team effectiveness, engagement with policy, and morale
• Hire and/or recruit, supervise, coach, and train adoption lounge assistants and other volunteers, providing regular, ongoing feedback and timely evaluations
• Evaluate employee/volunteer performance; make recommendations on hiring, termination, and related personnel actions, and initiate progressive discipline processes

Effective Team Leadership

• Set a positive tone that welcomes, engages, and appreciates volunteers.
• Support Program Directors, Leadership, and Coordinators in the daily functions of the organization using a holistic approach to ensure a cohesive and healthy organizational culture
• Create, cultivate, support, and supervise integrated teams, including but not limited to: Foster, Fundraising, Volunteer Recruitment and Training, and Community Outreach
• Implement the human resources policies, procedures, and practices of the organization
• Develop, maintain, and update key elements of Tenth Life’s programs, including volunteer job descriptions, checklists, standard procedures for all aspects of volunteer jobs, an effective record\-keeping system for tracking hours, etc.
• Oversee and work side by side with leadership to ensure the highest of standards are upheld
• Participate in the planning and successful execution of major and minor events and campaigns.
• Ensure all program volunteers and staff receive appropriate orientation, onboarding, and continuing education of the organization and related programs
• Proactively leverage and engage volunteers in identified volunteer opportunities.
• Lead development of program evaluations to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each program, to identify areas for improvement, with the assistance of Program Leads
• Increase Lead and Coordinator satisfaction and retention through appreciation efforts, reducing workload, increasing volunteer/life balance, and improving communication (among other actions)
• Regularly engage in needs\-assessment to identify gaps in personnel and volunteer opportunities
• Develop goals, objectives, policies, and procedures, and establish short\- and long\-term program performance plans subject to management review.
• Address volunteer problems and grievances.
• Fill any vacant Lead position until a replacement is found or a solution is implemented
• Public speaking, as needed, to engender interest in and support for all programs
• Meet regularly with the Executive Director to develop long\-range programs and regularly review policies and procedures.
• Oversee intakes and assist with on\-site and off\-site adoption processes, and ensure that the public receives accurate information and excellent customer service. When necessary, assist staff with tense situations involving the public.
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills \& Abilities

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual with team and/or project management experience to grow and further develop successful nonprofit programs. The best candidate will be a collaborative leader and an exceptional communicator with both internal and external audiences.

Qualifications \& Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Management, Human Resources, Non\-Profit Organization preferred

Management or related field preferred

• 3\+ years of leadership experience in human resources, volunteer management, project management, or related preferred
• Experience working or volunteering in animal welfare or in veterinary care is preferred
• Exceptional collaboration skills and ability to positively influence others to achieve results
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of the animal welfare industry is preferred
• Experience with successful mediation and conflict resolution
• Ability to work independently and multitask in a fast\-paced environment.
• Ability to work well under pressure in a dynamic, team environment
• Strong knowledge of and Google Suite (Google Docs/Sheets/Drive/Calendars), simple accounting, databases, spreadsheets, email, and high technological proficiency
• Valid Driver’s license

Professional Skills \& Qualifications

• Forward thinking with the ability to work proactively rather than reactively
• Eagerness and proclivity toward continued education and improvement
• Ability and willingness to work with animals of unknown disposition and those who may exhibit medical, behavioral, and other problems (some zoonotic), including aggressive tendencies.
• Ability to read, write, and understand English.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability and initiative, working with minimal supervision and direction.
• Flexibility, ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to set goals, work efficiently, follow through, and meet deadlines.
• High level of accuracy with data entry and strong computer skills.
• The ability to command respect while remaining pleasant and calm, even in stressful situations

Required Soft Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills. The ideal person for this job would be personable, outgoing, patient, professional, and able to get along well with a wide variety of people.
• Demonstrated compassion for people and animals while enthusiastically supporting our mission
• Maturity, excellent judgment, and a professional disposition and appearance.
• The ability to ask appropriate questions to gather information, combined with the ability to feel and show empathy and concern for others.
• The ability to turn people down, firmly when necessary, without becoming aggressive or unpleasant, and instead showing compassion
• The ability to remain pleasant and calm even in stressful situations.
• The ability to work smartly and calmly under stress and the willingness to provide hands\-on support in all aspects of our day\-to\-day operations are a must.

Personal characteristics

The Operations Manager should demonstrate competence in some or all of the following:

* Behave Ethically: Understand ethical behavior and business practices, and ensure that one’s own behavior and the behavior of others aligns with the values of the organization

* Build Relationships: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization.

* Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough, and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.

* Creativity/Innovation: Develop new and unique ways to improve the operations of the organization and to create and implement new opportunities.

* Focus on Supporter Needs: Anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of internal and external supporters to meet or exceed their expectations within the organizational parameters.

* Foster Teamwork: Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.

* Lead: Positively influence others to achieve results that are in the best interest of the organization.

* Forward Thinking: Anticipate possible outcomes to encourage proactive problem\-solving.

* Make Decisions: Assess situations to determine the importance, urgency, and risks, and make clear, thoughtful decisions that are timely and in the best interests of the organization.

* Organize: Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details, data, information, and activities.

* Plan: Determine strategies to move the organization forward, set goals, create and implement action plans, and evaluate the process and results.

* Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.

* Embrace Change: Believe that change is good. Seek to understand the big picture and the why

• behind the changes.

Job Type: Full\-time

Pay: $45,000\.00 \- $50,000\.00 per year

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Animal handling: 1 year (Required)
• management: 1 year (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• St. Louis, MO 63118 (Required)

Work Location: In person