We’re Hiring!

Northern Range Operations Senior Manager

Location of Position: Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California 

Reports to: Director, Field Operations & Response

Position Classification & Expected Hours of Work, and Travel:

• This is a full-time position.
• Regular onsite work is required.
• Days and hours of work may vary according to the needs of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Evening, weekend, and holiday work is required as job duties demand.
• Occasional travel to satellite facilities and/or fieldwork within California is expected for this position.

Compensation Range: $81,120 - $93,600 annual

Benefits:  

• Holidays
• Sick Time
• Vacation
• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program

Job Summary:

The Northern Range Operations (NRO) Senior Manager provides direction and oversight for The Marine Mammal Center’s northernmost response region in California. This includes the Center’s rescue hotline, all regional response and release operations, and response-related partner and community engagement in the region. They lead a large team of staff and volunteers, fostering development, operational excellence, and strong internal communications, while ensuring adherence to policies, permits, and programmatic standards. This role is also part of the Field Operations & Response (FOR) leadership team, shaping response strategy and ensuring consistent and efficient operations across the full California range. They facilitate cross-functional collaboration, represent the Center with internal teams, NOAA, and other external partners, and serve as a subject matter expert contributing to departmental and organization-wide initiatives aligned with the Center’s mission and strategic priorities.

Essential Functions:

Program Management: 60%

• Lead the overall day-to-day operations of the Northern Range response region, including the response, release, and dispatch functions, in alignment with the objectives and strategic priorities of the Field Operations and Response department.
• Support staff and volunteers by providing rescue hotline coverage, response support, and other hands-on work according to team scheduling needs, capacity, and seasonal increases in team workload.
• Develop, implement, and oversee response operations policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with permits, regulatory guidance, and organizational standards.
• Collaborate with management across the California range and other departments to optimize resource deployment, operational readiness, and integration of NRO with broader organizational initiatives.
• Oversee the accurate completion of administrative and programmatic tasks, data entry and management, and operational metrics to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of Dispatch operations.
• Ensure team adherence to all permits and guidance from permitting agencies.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of field response capabilities among staff and volunteers to support pinniped rescue teams and other operational needs.
• Lead team’s communications and collaboration with NOAA and other external partners as appropriate.
• Facilitate the cooperative integration of dispatch operations with other response efforts, represent NRO in inter- and intra-departmental meetings, and ensure the ability of the team to aid relevant operations of the Center requiring logistical support.
• Partner with the Learning & Development team as a subject matter expert to support the creation and updating of training courses.

Leadership & People Management: 20%

• Hire, train, mentor, and manage staff, ensuring individual and team development, alignment with goals, and adherence to policies and protocols.
• Provide coaching to strengthen internal communications within the team and across departments, creating a positive, supportive, and team-oriented work environment.
• Meet with staff to identify and resolve problems; perform personnel actions such as approving timesheets and evaluating performance.
• Lead volunteer community building, engagement, and recognition efforts for NRO.
• Provide leadership, training, and coaching to volunteers, including identifying and resolving problems as needed when escalated from staff.
• Ensure volunteer staffing levels accommodate response, release, and dispatch activities, including leading recruitment, selection, and onboarding of new volunteers.
• Oversee scheduling of volunteers to ensure adequate coverage for all response activities on various technology platforms.

Budget Management & Fundraising: 10%

• Support the department’s budget development; track results to ensure alignment with key financial targets for expenses and/or revenue in collaboration with management; approve and monitor team expenditures.
• Represent and promote the Center to donors, prospects, and partners as opportunities arise.
• Occasionally support the cultivation of individual donors, grants, family foundations, and corporate sponsors in both written and verbal formats.

Organizational Impact: 5%

• Represent NRO and the Response Operations (Dispatch) team on cross-functional initiatives and serve as a subject matter resource for staff and leadership.
• May actively serve on an organizational wide committee(s).
• Support and prioritize the Center’s DEI objectives and integrate as opportunities arise.

Other Duties as Assigned: 5%

• Perform special projects and research as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility:

1 – Northern Range Operations Manager

4 – Response Operations Coordinator

2 – Rescue & Response Associate

15 – Volunteer Dispatchers

40 – Release Volunteers

200+ - Response Volunteers

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong commitment to the mission of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Knowledge of and skills in current marine mammal rescue and care techniques, or other wildlife rescue and care experience.
• Excellent written, verbal, active listening, presentation, and facilitation communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct self in a calm and professional manner while handling calls and in person circumstances involving stressful situations with sick and injured marine mammals, including making life-or-death decisions about animal care, while training staff and volunteers, and providing support to concerned members of the public.
• Ability to maintain adaptability, empathy, and optimism under pressure.
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain open communication in a team environment.
• Ability to work independently to manage projects, priorities, fulfill commitments, and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills including attention to detail, problem-solving, multi-tasking, follow-up, and time-management skills.
• Ability to solve complex problems efficiently, effectively, and timely making determinations and sound judgment calls while prioritizing work activities.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work, take initiative, resolve conflicts, and follow through.
• Adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback; demonstrates flexibility in approaches to work; helps others adapt to new tasks and processes.
• Skills using Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and videoconference technology (Slack, Teams, Zoom).
• Skills using database systems, or the ability to learn custom-build legacy database systems.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, which may include staff, volunteers, training participants, and members of the public.
• Ability to practice self-awareness and respect while engaging with staff, volunteers, training participants, and members of the public.
• Willingness to support and participate in The Marine Mammal Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Qualifications and Experience:

This position requires a combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in business administration, marine biology, human psychology, or a related field; and 5 years of experience with supervision of staff and coordination of logistical support or remote support of field staff, or another related field or equivalent experience.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• This position operates in a professional office, laboratory, and hospital environment both indoors and outdoors with access to various parts of the facilities via outdoor pathways.
• Working in outdoor weather conditions and elements is expected.
• Routinely uses standard office equipment requiring repetitive motion in tasks.
• Ability to work at a desk for extended periods using a computer.
• Ability to work in an open-cubicle office space environment with many distractions.
• Ability to operate equipment safely and competently to carry out duties.
• Ability to drive/operate a vehicle for extensive periods of time, this includes operating large trucks to assist with transporting animals between sites.
• Ability to safely walk on beaches of varying terrain to assist with animal rescues in various locations across California.
• Ability to walk up to 2 miles during a shift on a frequent basis.
• Ability to spend extended periods on your feet, walking, standing, crouching, and climbing stairs (potentially in inclement weather conditions).
• Ability to perform physical work which requires manual dexterity, agility, strength, and coordination, including the ability to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. (This includes the ability to restrain large marine mammals and walking on varying terrain while carrying large animal carriers.)
• Risks associated with animal handling such as animal bites or scratches.
• Exposure to allergens and zoonotic diseases.
• Involves strong smells associated with dead animals (carcasses) and the care of live animals.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable and supportive work environment.  We strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint.

OUR MISSION

The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education.

ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

The Marine Mammal Center is leading the field in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary medicine, science, and education. 

For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at www.marinemammalcenter.org