About the Oregon Humane Society
Founded in 1868, Oregon Humane Society is the Northwest's oldest and largest animal welfare organization with one of the highest adoption rates in the nation. We are working toward our vision of a world where all animals are treated with compassion, kindness, and respect. With campuses in Portland and Salem, OHS (Oregon Humane Society) is an Oregon-based nonprofit that relies on donor support for its adoption, education, medical and humane law enforcement programs. Visit oregonhumane.org to learn more about how we are creating a More Humane Society.
The Team
In partnership with leaders across the organization, the People & Culture team supports the development of an environment where team members feel respected and included, resulting in staff who are more creative, innovative, and successful. As an organization, we are at the beginning of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey and we are investing in and remain steadfast in our commitment to moving our organization and sector forward in creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive industry.
The Position
As the Program Manager, Safety & Emergency Response, you will play a pivotal leadership role in building a culture of safety and emergency readiness across the Oregon Humane Society (OHS). Your work will ensure the well-being of OHS employees, volunteers, clients, and animals by fostering a proactive, informed, and resilient approach to safety and emergency response.
You will lead the strategy, implementation, and continuous improvement of our Emergency Animal Sheltering (EAS) program and support our Volunteer Technical Animal Rescue Team (OHSTAR). You will serve as a visible ambassador for OHS' safety and emergency response efforts—deepening external partnerships, supporting mutual aid networks, and positioning OHS as a national leader in animal welfare emergency response.
Working closely with OHS leadership, your vision and execution will strengthen our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while cultivating a workplace safety culture that is proactive, data-driven, and deeply embedded into our organizational DNA.
This role is based in Portland or Salem (with weekly travel to our Portland Campus).
Essential Responsibilities
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
Maintains high ethical standards, including exhibiting behaviors and actions that embrace and align to our organization and customer service values, while treating all people with respect and dignity.
Demonstrates an awareness of your individual personal strengths and development needs, modeling non-defensive behavior and openness to feedback; builds a culture of feedback and learning.
LEARNING
Contributes to regular dialogue and accountability with the leadership team and across the organization to review progress and course correct if necessary.
Utilizes data and insights to identify, understand and articulate the key inputs and metrics that tell the story of the organization/team strategy and its progress.
Builds appropriate feedback loops to measure if we are meeting key milestones and if the impact planned is being felt across the organization.
Establish team goals and objectives, creating awareness of common objectives across the organization and provide clarity and inspiration to individuals and teams in understanding how their work contributes to the objectives and mission of OHS.
Understand and embrace the organization's strategic vision, identifying and managing the changes needed to facilitate the vision within your focus area.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
Communicate effectively to executive and other stakeholder groups to ensure they are informed and able to actively engage.
Liaise with and maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, including other departments, and donors; build mutually rewarding professional relationships inside OHS at all levels.
Leverage our best practices externally and grow OHS’ reputation as a leader in the animal welfare space.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Safety Culture & Operational Leadership
Lead and continuously improve campus-wide (Portland and Salem) safety programs, including audits, training, communication campaigns, and regulatory compliance.
Chair the OHS Safety Committee, driving strategic projects and collaborative safety initiatives.
Conduct risk assessments, develop mitigation strategies, and implement safety protocols across departments and campuses.
Develop and deliver a suite of engaging, timely safety trainings for staff and volunteers (e.g., CPR, First Aid, safe lifting, workplace violence prevention), including education and support around ergonomics to promote long-term health and injury prevention in the workplace.
Maintain and report on key safety metrics; develop regular dashboards or reports to inform decision-making and demonstrate impact.
Analyzes available safety data and reports on accidents, trends, statistics, results and other safety issues. Makes recommendations and provides expertise and guidance to employees and management regarding safety matters.
Presents safety-related information to all levels of the organization at a variety of meetings and events, such as all-staff or leadership meetings, new hire orientation, etc. May on occasion be called upon to present to external partners and other animal welfare organizations.
Emergency & Safety Preparedness
In partnership with the Chief People & Culture Officer, lead strategic development of a comprehensive safety and emergency response framework.
Partner with department leadership to respond to requests for assistance from outside organizations and agencies where animals are in need due to emergency situations that include (but are not limited to) natural and human-caused disasters, cruelty, and neglect.
Manage the EAS program, ensuring OHS is equipped to respond effectively to emergencies and disasters through volunteer engagement, deployment readiness, and rigorous training programs.
Serve as the primary liaison for OHSTAR and respond to calls for mutual aid from partner agencies, both in-state and nationally.
Build and maintain strong volunteer relationships; serve as a primary point of contact for EAS-certified staff and volunteers.
Organizational Integration & Support
Ensure safety communications are well-branded, timely, and effective, in partnership with the Communications team.
Advise departments on security compliance and crime prevention, ensuring OHS maintains high standards of safety and security.
Provide technical guidance and support on safety matters across departments.
Develop and manage budgets and grants related to safety and emergency response programs.
Other Duties
Perform other responsibilities or special projects as assigned in alignment with organizational priorities.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Reports Directly To: Chief People and Culture Officer
Often Engages Directly With: Internal and external stakeholders and team members from across the organization, and external partners.
Supervisory Responsibility: None
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
We are interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We welcome applicants who bring a diversity of identity, culture, experience, perspective and thought. We encourage you to apply, even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications described. You are also encouraged to address how your professional and lived experience, scholarship, mentorship and/or service will contribute to the Oregon Humane Society.
Leadership through influence and rapport building. Ability to collaborate with others, listen to and recognize different perspectives.
Independent thinking and confidence in decision-making. Agile decision making and the ability to change quickly when needed and solve problems in a high stress environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, respectful, and professional manner.
Able to exercise sound judgment and maintain a professional demeanor during all interactions with the public, partner agencies, donors, staff, and volunteers.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Must be available On-Call.
Strong understanding of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines with the ability to interpret and apply.
Familiarity with Incident Command Systems (ICS).
OHS experience (e.g., animal care, safety).
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
Work Environment Conditions & Physical Requirements
This position interacts and collaborates will all levels of the organization, including OHS staff, executive team members, donors, general-public, external vendors, volunteers, and supporters. Contact and communication is carried out through face-to-face, telephone and digital interactions. Excellent customer service skills are essential to success. Communication must be clear, understandable, professional, and respectful in all circumstances.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is primarily performed in an office and medical center/animal shelter environment.
Weekend, evening, and holiday work may be required.
Out-of-state deployment is possible but not regular or required now.
Animal contact and related injuries may occur.
Noise exposure varies and sometimes includes uncontrolled barking and other animal vocalizations.
The pace of work is active and demanding, requiring a high degree of multitasking and ability to adapt to changing priorities while managing concurrent projects/tasks to completion.
Contact with angry or emotional people may occur.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Occasional use of hands and arms at or above shoulder level.
Prolonged standing, sitting and/or stooping may occur.
Must be able to remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and address and overcome complex challenges and barriers. We strive for a culture of integrity, respect, and compassion where every member of our community contributes their perspectives and authentic selves and where everyone reaches their potential as individuals and teams. We recognize that striving for diversity, equity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Oregon Humane Society is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group.
At-Will Employment
This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.