Animal Services General Manager

City of Los Angeles • Full-time • Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, US • $205.54k - $364.34k / year • 3w ago

Please pay special attention to how to submit your resume. See below.

Lead with Purpose. Serve with Impact. Be a Change Agent.

The City of Los Angeles is seeking a transformative, strategic, and mission-driven leader to serve as its next Animal Services Department General Manager. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a complex and high-impact department that performs a critical function for the City of Los Angeles, protecting public safety and health while safeguarding the health and well-being of the animals in the shelter’s care and driving domestic animal initiatives that support the City’s diverse needs.

This position is not about maintaining the status quo—it’s about driving meaningful change.

We are looking for a bold and principled innovator—someone unafraid to rethink legacy systems and outdated structures to achieve visible results within the first year. The successful candidate will be experienced in partnering with a unionized workforce, balancing strategic reform with hands-on operational leadership, all while fostering collaboration with volunteers and external partners in a highly visible and dynamic environment. While welcome, previous experience in animal services is not required.

About the Role

The Animal Services Department General Manager will be responsible for the leadership, strategic direction, and overall performance of the department. This role has high public visibility, and effective communication, community trust and public support are vital to the department’s success.

The successful candidate will:

Lead innovative changes while fostering trust and morale within the department and with an active cadre of volunteers—with a focus on building near-term wins into long-term transformation.
Represent the department with integrity in interactions across a range of stakeholders, including, City leadership, elected officials, employees, volunteers, community leaders and the public—even when views differ or tensions run high.
Engage employees and frontline staff in building a culture of customer service, innovation, accountability, and results-oriented solutions.
Balance public expectations with operational realities, and build solutions that are data-informed, transparent, and sustainable.
Navigate budget constraints creatively and explore partnerships and innovative revenue strategies.

The Challenge—and the Opportunity

The next Animal Services Department General Manager will enter at a time of both challenge and opportunity. Despite being one of the highest-intake shelter systems in the country, the department has achieved high life-saving rates for dogs (over 90% for 2024, and year-to-date for 2025). Both local and national animal welfare organizations have come together to offer support, ready to be channeled into change. Still, the department faces heightened public expectations, increased demand for services, and a workforce seeking renewed direction and alignment. Political and public scrutiny are part of the landscape—and so is the opportunity to rebuild trust, improve outcomes, recruit additional resources, and lead meaningful change.

We are honest about the complexity of this role because we are equally passionate about its potential.

We’re not looking for a caretaker—we’re looking for a change-maker. Someone who can roll up their sleeves, ask the hard questions, and make smart, strategic decisions with confidence and integrity.

This is your opportunity to lead with courage, compassion, and clarity—and to leave a lasting legacy in one of the most dynamic cities in the nation.

The Ideal Candidate

We are seeking candidates who demonstrate:

Proven executive or senior-level management experience in a large, diverse, and complex organization.
A track record of delivering operational results and leading organizational change.
The ability to lead through complexity and uncertainty with transparency and strength, while also building trust and accountability.
Experience navigating political landscapes and managing sensitive stakeholder relationships.
A collaborative, inclusive leadership style that builds trust and accountability.
The courage to question norms and the skill to build consensus while doing it.
Political acumen and emotional intelligence in navigating high-stakes relationships.
A passion for public service and commitment to advancing the mission of the department.

Qualifying Education and Experience

Education – Graduation from a recognized and accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the position.

Experience – Ten years of full-time, paid, professional managerial experience in a public agency, private sector firm, or a nonprofit agency. Previous experience in animal services is welcome, but not required.

Compensation & Benefits

The current salary range for the General Manager of Los Angeles Animal Services is $205,542 - $364,335 per year.

A highly competitive benefits package includes an independent retirement plan to which both the employee and the City contribute; a multi-option deferred compensation plan; generous vacation and sick leave; 13 paid holidays per year; a flexible benefits plan including multi-option health, dental, and vision coverage; and family and domestic partner leave. Reimbursement of relocation expenses may be considered.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply by emailing a comprehensive resume, cover letter of interest summarizing how your training, education, and experience have prepared you for this role, and three work-related references with contact information to per.execsearch@lacity.org. References will not be contacted until mutual interest is established. All completed submissions will be acknowledged via email.

Note: When emailing your application material, the subject line should be “Animal Services General Manager.”

Submissions from interested candidates will be accepted until Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Selection Process

Submissions will be screened against the criteria listed in this brochure.

The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a formal interview process with the City of Los Angeles. Questions and confidential inquiries may be referred to per.execsearch@lacity.org.

The position of General Manager of Los Angeles Animal Services is an exempt, at-will management position. The incumbent will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights or due process rights. The General Manager is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the Mayor. Such removal would not be reviewable or appealable.