The Senior Director, Prevention Services is the primary business leader responsible for the comprehensive operational, financial, and performance management of Chicago’s largest high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter clinic, serving over 25,000 pets annually with spay/neuter, vaccinations, and community medicine services. Affordable and accessible spay/neuter is the cornerstone of eliminating pet overpopulation and euthanasia in shelters. As Senior Director, you will drive the Clinic as a frontline business operation to prevent pet homelessness and advance a No Kill Chicago, emphasizing business proficiency in data-driven decision-making, financial oversight, marketing evaluation to ensure mission- and resource-optimization, reporting to ensure mission alignment, target population service, and quality of care. This role demands leadership experience in managing the day-to-day operations of a complicated retail medical business and P&L, executing all aspects of the Clinic's business while collaborating with PAWS Chicago’s executive leadership and subject-matter experts to ensure organizational and mission alignment.
Duties and Responsibilities
Business Operations & Strategic Execution
- Lead the entire high-volume clinic operation, overseeing all non-clinical and business functions to ensure efficient, scalable service delivery for over 25,000 pets annually.
- Manage data analytics to track performance, ensure service to target populations (e.g., underserved communities), and maintain high standards of quality care.
- Evaluate and optimize marketing strategies, finance operations, and reporting needs to drive mission impact, financial outcomes, and operational excellence.
- Serve as the key frontline execution point and manager on site, handling day-to-day business decisions while collaborating on mission and strategic matters with senior executive leadership.
- Monitor mission trends, business trends, implement process improvements, and align operations with organizational goals for sustainability and growth.
- Ensure foundational business operations documentation exists for all processes, people and systems
- Be the subject-matter-expert for expanding clinic operations to Hawthorn Woods and a future second clinic, taking responsibility for operational, budget and staff planning for all new service locations and operational expansions.
Financial, Inventory, & Reporting Oversight
- Direct financial management, including budgeting, revenue tracking, end-of-day reconciliation, cash/credit reporting, and cost control to balance budget and mission funding.
- Oversee inventory systems, ordering processes, and supply chain coordination in partnership with clinical leadership.
- Prepare and analyze operational reports on appointments, vaccines, microchips, rabies certificates, volume utilization, and revenue; leverage data to inform business strategy and ensure target population outreach.
- Ensure accurate administrative documentation, recordkeeping, and compliance with financial standards.
Customer Service & Client Experience
- Champion excellent customer service across all clinic touchpoints, integrating compassionate, efficient processes informed by social work principles.
- Oversee front-of-house operations, including reception, check-in, discharge, and vaccine clinic flow, to deliver a consistent, client-centered experience.
- Ensure effective voucher program implementation so that services are tailored on a need basis.
- Develop and maintain client education materials and communication tools in collaboration with Marketing & Communications to provide important resources to help the quality of life for pets.
- Ensure seamless scheduling process for clients, where mission prioritized surgeries are optimized and clinic days are full.
- Manage and monitor show rates and build a client services communications plan around the most mission-important surgeries.
- Operationalize all Clinic services through the front-desk, ensuring clients are handled efficiently and effectively while maintaining high-volume output.
Social Work Program & Community Outreach Oversight
- Provide strategic oversight of the social work program, ensuring integration with clinic services to support holistic client and pet care.
- Lead community outreach efforts, collaborating with teams to meet spay/neuter needs, issue vouchers for mission-critical surgeries, and expand access in target areas.
- Evaluate program effectiveness through data and reporting, adjusting strategies to enhance impact on pet homelessness prevention.
People Leadership & Supervision
- Provide independent leadership, coaching, and accountability for clinic staff, including supervisors, client service associates, technicians, social workers, and outreach coordinators.
- Handle recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, payroll, PTO, employee relations, attendance, and performance management (excluding veterinarians).
- Foster a positive, professional, and engaged culture aligned with PAWS Chicago values.
Clinical Operations & Administrative Support
- Oversee day-to-day non-clinical operations, including scheduling structures, appointment templates, vaccine clinic alignment, and veterinarian availability.
- Ensure clinic readiness through staffing coverage, supplies, and facility coordination; escalate workflow concerns to leadership.
- Support implementation of new business processes and administrative workflows.
Cross-Department & Organizational Collaboration
- Act as the primary business liaison between the clinic and other PAWS Chicago departments, coordinating with Shelter Medicine, Internals, Community Outreach, Facilities, IT, HR, Marketing, and Finance.
- Optimize surgical scheduling, animal flow, and volunteer integration, enhancing business operations.
- Lead planning and execution of special initiatives and high-volume clinic days in collaboration with the Prevention Services team.
- Proven business proficiency in managing high-volume medical operations, preferably in healthcare or veterinary settings, with a track record of financial acumen, data-driven decision-making, and strategic execution.
- 5+ years of leadership experience in business operations, including oversight of business performance, human resources, marketing, finance, reporting, customer service, and community programs.
- Experience managing data analytics to drive business performance and operational improvement.
- Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills; ability to operate independently in a fast-paced setting while reporting strategically to executives.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, electronic medical records (EMR), and data/reporting tools.
- Agile leader capable of managing organizational change within fast-paced environments.
- On-site presence five days/week, including two Sundays/month.
- Climbing stairs, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, lifting and grasping.
- Walking and moving about to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
- Able to lift 25lbs occasionally, 10lbs frequently and a negligible amount constantly.
- MBA Strongly Preferred
- Bilingual or strong Spanish comprehension preferred.
- Familiarity with high-volume environments and social work/community outreach integration.
Work Environment: This position is based at the Medical Center, which houses both the Clinic and Shelter Medicine departments. The role requires hands-on business oversight in dynamic settings, with flexibility for occasional nights/weekends for events and to meet operational deadlines.
Why Join Us? By joining our team, you will independently lead a critical business operation that shapes the future of animal welfare in Chicago, empowering teams to deliver exceptional results while advancing lifesaving goals. If you’re a business-savvy leader passionate about strategic impact, data-driven excellence, and preventing pet homelessness, we encourage you to apply.
Benefits:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, including ancillary options and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Blue Cross Blue Shield
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- Paid time off, including vacation, sick days, and holidays
