page_title

tags.new

***Application Deadline: 12/05/2025 5:00pm EST***

Job Description:

Director, Environment, Rescue & Transport

Watkins Glen, NY

Summary: The Director, Environment & Transport oversees sanctuary grounds, environmental caregiving, and all rescue and transport operations, ensuring practices and built environments fully support resident-centered care. Partnering closely with the Director of Wellness and other onsite leaders, this role co-leads the caregiving ecosystem across locations and strengthens coordination among Environment, Wellness, Rescue, and Site Operations. The Director leads infrastructure development, team and manager supervision, compliance, and training systems, while serving as a strategic partner in rescue planning, capacity assessment, and transport safety. This position also helps represent Farm Sanctuary’s standards and practices within the broader sanctuary and animal protection movement.

Rescue & Placement is tentatively aligned under this department, with long-term structure to be evaluated as part of ongoing organizational design conversations.

Responsibilities:

Co-develop and operationalize a comprehensive animal care philosophy in partnership with the Staff Veterinarian, Director Wellness, and other relevant departments (site operations, research, etc.), integrating diverse ways of knowing, aligning care with evolving sanctuary values and clear communication channels for onsite teams
Collaborate with Animal Care leadership to co-develop and manage annual strategic plans and budgets aligned with organizational goals and grounded in resident-centered care philosophy.
Develop and maintain internal infrastructure for the Environment Department, including SOPs, training materials, and care protocols that reflect Farm Sanctuary’s caregiving philosophy. Ensure tools are accessible, regularly updated, and integrated into daily operations and staff onboarding and in legal compliance
Collaborate with the Director of Wellness and other onsite leaders to align environmental projects with animal safety goals and ensure clear cross-team communication and coordination
Ensure sanctuary grounds are maintained to high standards of safety, cleanliness, and resident-centered design
Ensure the team is fully staffed, well-trained, and equipped to meet evolving organizational and resident needs
Co-lead with Director of Site Operations and Director, Wellness, Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accreditation and quality assurance processes, maintaining excellence in sanctuary standards, practices and documentation
Serve as a strategic partner to the Rescue & Placement team on rescue planning, capacity assessment, low-stress handling, and transportation logistics that prioritize staff and animal safety.
Oversee the full transport and rescue lifecycle, including pre-rescue training (driver certification, handling protocols, DOT compliance, and equipment loading), on-the-ground execution of animal rescue and transport, and post-rescue debriefs and process improvements to ensure safety, efficiency, and animal well-being at every stage
Strengthen partnerships and collaborations with other sanctuaries, adopters, and rescue partners by sharing tools, templates, and expertise in facility setup, safety, and transport preparedness.
Support cross-departmental engagement and communications efforts involving animal residents, including donor experiences, media visits, and sanctuary events; provide training to ensure accurate, empathetic storytelling rooted in animal history and agency
On call for after-hours animal emergencies, if necessary

Preferred Qualifications:

Minimum of 6 years of experience in a shelter or sanctuary setting, or equivalent experience. Minimum 4 years managing multi-person and multi-site team with empahsizs on strategy and operations.
Deep understanding of animal environments and willingness to explore alternative procedures, as needed.
Some weekend, evening, and holiday hours required
Must be able to perform strenuous physical labor and lifting (up to 60 lbs occasionally; team-lift heavier amounts occasionally)
Must be able to bend, lift, push, stoop, stretch, climb, and crawl and other strenuous physical activities
Team-first approach to leadership, collaboration, and motivation
Valid driver's license with clean driving record required; experience with transport trailers, preferred
Commitment to Farm Sanctuary’s values of compassion, understanding, integrity, transformation, and freedom.
Commitment to the practice of equity and social justice, and the principles embedded in Farm Sanctuary’s mission.

We embrace candidates from a range of backgrounds and experiences, regardless of whether they satisfy all the specified requirements. We encourage you to apply, even if you have an unconventional or non-traditional background

Job Specifications:

Terms of employment: Regular, full-time position, exempt
Salary: $90,000-$110,000
Reports to: President
Direct reports: Manager, Environment (WG), Sr. Manager, Environment (Acton), Specialist, Rescue and Placement
Location: Watkins Glen, NY
Travel: Travel required, both regionally and nationally.
Benefits: Competitive benefits package, including 13 paid holidays; generous paid time off; health, dental, vision, and life insurance; 403(b) plan; flexible spending accounts; long-term disability insurance; free access to the CALM meditation app; and access to the Nivati wellness platform

Our Interview Process

Application Review
People and Culture Interview
Panel Virtual Interview (60 minutes)
Virtual Interview (60 minutes) - President

Farm Sanctuary is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, or age.

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Any photos or videos taken in the scope of employment and/or related to Farm Sanctuary are considered work product and intellectual property of Farm Sanctuary.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Farm Sanctuary? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

First Name

Last Name

Country

Phone

Location (City)

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Gender Pronouns:

Select...

Are you at least 18 years old?

Select...

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States, and do you currently reside in the United States?

Select...

Please note that, because we are unable to sponsor visas at this time, we are only able to consider candidates who are legally authorized to work in the United States and currently reside in the United States.

How did you hear about this position?

Select...

Have you worked for or interned at Farm Sanctuary in the past?

Select...

What motivates you to work at Farm Sanctuary and how does our mission align with your personal values?

If you were to explain the importance of animal rights to someone unfamiliar with the concept, how would you go about it?

How do you handle the emotional challenges of working in activism, particularly when faced with resistance or setbacks?

Describe a time you faced a challenge related to diversity and inclusion. How did you handle it, and what did you learn?

How do you envision yourself upholding Farm Sanctuary's values of compassion, understanding, integrity, transformation, and freedom in this role?

I certify that I have not knowingly withheld any information that might adversely affect my chances for employment and that the answers given by me are true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that omission or misstatement of material fact on this application may be grounds for rejection of this application or for immediate discharge if I am employed, regardless of the time elapsed before discovery. I hereby authorize Farm Sanctuary to thoroughly investigate my references, work record, education and other matters related to my suitability for employment (unless otherwise noted on application) and authorize the references I have listed to disclose to Farm Sanctuary any information related to my work records without giving me prior notice of this disclosure. I release Farm Sanctuary from any claims, demands, or liabilities arising out of or related to this disclosure. I understand that, if offered employment by Farm Sanctuary, my employment will be at-will, meaning either Farm Sanctuary or I can terminate that employment with or without good cause and with or without advance notice and agree that nothing conveyed to me during the application process by Farm Sanctuary has altered this at-will employment relationship. I understand that nothing contained in this application or conveyed in any interview is intended to create an employment contract between me and Farm Sanctuary.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Farm Sanctuary’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Gender

Select...

Are you Hispanic/Latino?

Select...

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran Status

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number 1250-0005

Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Disability Status

Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Director, Environment and Transport (Watkins Glen, NY)

Apply for this job

Voluntary Self-Identification

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability