[Hiring] Director, Applied Behavior Research @ASPCA

Role Description

For more than 150 years, the ASPCA has been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect the lives of millions of animals. The Behavioral Sciences Team (BST) plays an integral role in the ASPCA's commitment to champion good animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty. We are looking for a Director, Applied Animal Research to work on innovative internal companion animal applied behavior and welfare research projects.

Working under the supervision of the Senior Director of Applied Behavior Research, the Director of Applied Behavior Research leads the design and development of internal applied behavior and welfare research projects focused on both the ASPCA’s unique cruelty case populations and generalizable behavior interventions and welfare assessments for shelter-housed dogs and cats.

• Strong research and analytical skills
• Collaborative work style
• Project management experience
• Ability to lead committees and project teams in a matrix structure
• Passion for translating research findings into practical applications
• Strong data visualization and science communication skills
• Support behavior colleagues across multiple teams as a subject matter expert
• Oversee the creation and delivery of new learning opportunities
• Collaborative committee work to support internal initiatives
• Travel for conferences, research studies, and to support forensic behavior and field operations

Qualifications

• PhD in animal behavior field (such as applied ethology, behavioral ecology, animal welfare science) required
• Minimum of 6 years of professional research experience (post-PhD) required
• Experience writing peer-reviewed scientific publications required
• Leadership experience required, such as managing, mentoring, coaching and/or training others
• Applied companion animal behavior experience preferred
• Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) or ability to become certified within one year of hire
• Dr. Sophia Yin’s Low Stress Handling ™ certification required or obtained within 6 months of hire

Requirements

• Ability to apply discipline-specific tools and knowledge to novel questions in animal welfare required
• Ability to translate research to applied audiences, e.g. shelter staff, executive leadership, required
• Ability to guide teams, without direct reporting authority, to drive outcomes and achieve shared objectives
• Knowledge of various forms of research required
• Knowledge of various experimental designs and threats to validity (internal and external) addressed by each required
• Demonstrated ability to identify data sources for research and to assess the quality of these data sources required
• Strong statistical analysis skills, including generalized linear mixed models, required
• Proficiency with statistical software (R, Python, SPSS, Stata, etc.) and Excel required
• Data summary and visualization skills required
• Strong project oversight and management abilities required
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication (verbal, written, and typing) skills
• Self-guided, creative, highly organized, and motivated individual requiring minimal supervision
• Strong ability to rapidly assimilate new information
• Ability to quickly, calmly, and efficiently adjust to changes in programmatic, strategic, and/or research direction
• Nimble and able to rapidly re-prioritize own work
• Ability to work confidently and independently in a remote office
• Ability to adhere strictly to protocols and maintain confidentiality of sensitive information is required
• Capable of standing for 8 or more hours on concrete floors and bending, crouching, kneeling and moving freely to perform responsibilities that include handling animals, and/or carrying and lifting research equipment
• Ability to exemplify ASPCA’s core values and behavioral competencies

Benefits

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage
• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays
• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions
• Robust professional development opportunities, including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship