Puppy Education Specialist

The Puppy⠀Education⠀Specialist⠀will be⠀responsible⠀for the⠀evaluation⠀and⠀education⠀of⠀puppies.⠀Ensuring⠀daily⠀education,⠀socialization⠀and⠀assessments⠀of all⠀puppies is⠀done⠀effectively⠀and in a⠀stress-free⠀manner.⠀Ensures⠀all⠀volunteers,⠀staff,⠀donors,⠀and campus⠀guests⠀have⠀exceptional⠀experiences⠀while in⠀Puppy⠀Academy.⠀Collaborates⠀with⠀director⠀and G&R⠀manager on⠀how⠀breeders⠀are⠀producing⠀via puppy⠀temperament⠀and the⠀Behavior⠀Checklist.⠀Responsible⠀for⠀training⠀new staff⠀and⠀volunteers⠀and⠀ensuring⠀continuing⠀education⠀for all⠀team⠀members⠀for puppy⠀education⠀and⠀assessments.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Maintain⠀daily⠀organization⠀of all⠀puppy⠀education⠀activities⠀occurring⠀in Puppy⠀Academy.
• Ensures⠀puppy⠀education⠀and⠀enrichment⠀curriculum⠀is⠀designed,⠀consistently⠀implemented,⠀and⠀measured⠀to achieve⠀optimal⠀learning⠀for our⠀puppies.
• Be⠀point of⠀contact⠀for the⠀Marketing⠀team for⠀photo⠀shoot/video⠀shoot⠀needs⠀(PupPal,⠀calendar,⠀outsourced⠀media,⠀internal⠀media).
• Be⠀point of⠀contact⠀for VIP⠀Philanthropy⠀tours.
• Collaboration⠀with Puppy⠀Raising⠀Services⠀and⠀Training⠀Department⠀as it⠀relates to⠀puppy⠀goals in⠀the field,⠀to align⠀campus⠀curriculum⠀accordingly.
• Lead⠀for⠀monitoring⠀behavior⠀trends in⠀puppies up⠀to 12⠀weeks.
• Oversees⠀puppies’⠀development⠀and⠀socialization⠀from birth⠀through⠀Puppy⠀Academy⠀graduation⠀and⠀creates⠀Individual⠀Education⠀Plans⠀(IEPs)⠀when⠀needed.
• Supports⠀effective⠀puppy⠀education⠀in⠀collaboration⠀with⠀Medical,⠀Puppy⠀Raising⠀and⠀Training⠀departments⠀to give⠀feedback⠀to the⠀Genetics⠀team and⠀other⠀staff on⠀behavioral⠀trends.
• Completes⠀behavior⠀assessments⠀of⠀puppies’⠀performance⠀by scoring⠀puppy and⠀adult⠀assessments⠀and⠀collating⠀data for⠀feedback⠀to the⠀Genetics⠀department.
• Assigns⠀internal⠀ratings to⠀puppies⠀from all⠀behavioral⠀data and⠀shares⠀with⠀appropriate⠀parties.
• Decisions⠀on puppy⠀test⠀transfers⠀based on⠀production⠀needs from⠀G&R.
• Oversee⠀Puppy⠀Education⠀protocols⠀from birth⠀to 12⠀weeks of⠀age.
• Oversee⠀staff and⠀volunteer's⠀training⠀in Puppy⠀Education.
• Oversee⠀the puppy⠀education⠀curriculum⠀and⠀implement⠀systems to⠀monitor⠀successful⠀execution⠀of these⠀protocols⠀from birth⠀to twelve⠀weeks of⠀age.
• As⠀needed,⠀adjust⠀curriculum,⠀incorporating⠀insights⠀from⠀internal⠀data⠀analyses⠀and⠀current⠀research⠀to⠀optimize⠀the⠀benefits⠀of puppy⠀education⠀and⠀training.⠀The⠀curriculum⠀research⠀will be⠀ongoing to⠀ensure the⠀most⠀up-to-date⠀procedures.
• Participate⠀In-For-Training⠀Assessments⠀(Freshman⠀Orientation)⠀as a⠀handler or⠀BCL⠀scorer.
• Creates⠀list of⠀dogs to⠀see in⠀training⠀and⠀summarizes⠀litters,⠀makes⠀recommendations⠀to⠀Director⠀and⠀Genetics⠀Manager on⠀traits⠀observed⠀on⠀siblings⠀to breeder⠀evaluate⠀dogs.
• Participate⠀with⠀director⠀to⠀represent⠀Southeastern⠀Guide Dogs⠀in⠀communication⠀with other⠀assistance⠀dog⠀schools⠀regarding⠀puppy⠀exchanges.
• Maintain⠀and⠀improve as⠀needed the⠀data⠀measures⠀of puppy⠀assessments⠀on each⠀breeder’s⠀behavior⠀production.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• 4-year⠀degree in⠀science⠀field⠀preferred;⠀Animal⠀Science,⠀Psychology,⠀Animal⠀Behavior⠀OR at⠀least 3-4⠀years’⠀experience⠀in working⠀in animal⠀behavior⠀and⠀husbandry.
• Expert⠀Behavior⠀Checklist⠀(BCL)⠀scorer.
• Understanding⠀of⠀breeding⠀colony and⠀trends,⠀genetics⠀department⠀objectives⠀for⠀genetic⠀improvement,⠀behavior⠀trends in⠀litters⠀and⠀individuals.
• Exceptional⠀customer⠀service⠀skills.
• Working⠀knowledge⠀of excel⠀and⠀databases.
• Effective⠀instructor⠀in group⠀settings⠀as well as⠀individually.
• High⠀initiative⠀and⠀prioritizes⠀effectively.
• CPDT-KA⠀Highly⠀preferred.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

• The⠀organization⠀pays 100%⠀of the⠀premium on⠀the base⠀dental and⠀vision⠀insurance,⠀low rates⠀on medical⠀coverage,⠀covers⠀$15,000 in⠀life⠀insurance,⠀and offers⠀a 5%⠀retirement⠀plan match⠀for all⠀benefit-eligible⠀employees.
• Fitness⠀Center/Gym⠀available⠀for FREE⠀to all⠀employees
• Generous⠀Paid Time⠀Off⠀policies⠀(12 - 20⠀days per⠀year⠀depending⠀on⠀tenure),⠀plus a⠀variety of⠀opportunities⠀to earn⠀additional⠀PTO
• 11⠀paid⠀holidays⠀per year -⠀even your⠀birthday⠀is a⠀holiday!
• Chef-prepared⠀lunch⠀available⠀for FREE⠀on campus⠀(Monday -⠀Friday)
• Local⠀candidates:⠀opportunity⠀to bring⠀your⠀well-behaved,⠀pre-screened⠀dog to⠀work