Further Information

Job Title: Head of Professional Development in Canine Behaviour

Reporting to: Director of Canine Behaviour and Research

Location: London Head Office

Revised: March 2017

Summary

The Head of Professional Development in Canine Behaviour is a senior role responsible for proposing, gaining agreement for and implementing a degree-level qualification in canine behaviour and welfare relevant to the work of Dogs Trust which will be delivered by a UK university.  The Head of Professional Development in Canine Behaviour will work with the university academic staff to agree quality standards and develop appropriate evaluation and reporting procedures to keep the relevant colleagues within Dogs Trust informed of progress and impact.

The postholder will also take a lead on identifying opportunities in canine behaviour education, and work with the Learning and Development Manager in HR and staff involved in devising and delivering internal training in dog behaviour and/or mentoring colleagues in clinical behaviour to support appropriate professional accreditation.

The role requires a high degree of cross functional, collaborative working principally with colleagues in Dog School, Operations, Training and Behaviour and Human Resources to ensure that training needs related to canine behaviour and welfare are met in the most appropriate and cost-effective way

Duties

• Keep up to date with the latest thinking on canine behaviour and training, including the influence of physiological changes on behaviour, the principles of learning, and the relationship between behavioural signs, disease states and welfare.
• Be able to read and interpret new information in a critical manner and to help convey these to a range of professional and lay audiences.
• Devise and develop the content of a Level 6 higher education programme in conjunction with a University partner. Undertake the necessary documentation, activities and processes to ensure that this academic course is at an appropriate academic standard as determined by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and the partner organisation.
• Manage and support Clinical Animal Behaviourist(s) providing mentoring to staff within rehoming centres and Dog Schools
• Oversee the development and provision of short courses, staff training events and national and regional conferences in dog training and behaviour.
• Work closely with the Learning and Development Manager and Employee Engagement Manager in the identification and delivery of training needs in dog behaviour across different areas of Dogs Trust activity.
• Work closely with the Head of Dog School and Training and Behaviour Manager to identify and record individual development needs within staff teams in training and behaviour to ensure a consistent approach for access into canine behaviour training across the organisation
• Work with the Research Manager to integrate research into programmes of teaching in canine behaviour, and enable the supervision of university students undertaking research projects
• Work with other department leads and managers, including in Canine Behaviour, Operations, Veterinary and HR, to oversee the development and delivery of staff training in canine behaviour meets the needs of the organisation, and that the requirement and availability of education programmes are communicated effectively across relevant staff teams.
• Develop contacts within academic institutions in order to identify the best approaches for provision and delivery of higher education courses.
• Identify the optimal methods for course accreditation with both academic and professional bodies, and take the necessary steps to achieve appropriate levels of course accreditation.
• Develop a programme of online training in dog behaviour and training suitable for staff at a range of different levels of knowledge and experience.
• Contribute to the development of the Training and Behaviour website.
• Provide mentoring for the professional development of staff towards national standards of accreditation in clinical behaviour.
• Agree KPIs, standards, staffing and development plans for programmes of staff education, together with an annual budget, with the Director of Canine Behaviour and Research.  Provide details to the Learning and Development Manager in HR at the earliest opportunity so that they can adjust the central training budget accordingly.
• Monitor progress against the plans, including budgets.  To analyse the information gathered and to produce regular and ad hoc reports as required.  To identify trends and variance, to report on these to the Director of Canine Behaviour and Research recommending appropriate changes to improve performance, and to implement the agreed approaches.
• To manage a team of staff engaged in staff development, ensuring that all staff are appraised annually in accordance with Dogs Trust policy
• To maintain an up to date understanding at all times of the issues facing the Directorate of Canine Behaviour and Research in general, and Professional Development in particular, in order to be able to interpret data accurately and to plan ahead
• Oversee the provision of staff training in dog behaviour through workshops, clinical case reviews and conferences.
• Be thoroughly familiar with Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) and policies of Dogs Trust.
• Promote the work of Dogs Trust through the media as required whilst always protecting the image of Dogs Trust.
• Ensure that all Health and Safety procedures, as deemed necessary after assessment of risk are implemented and followed.
• Carry out other duties as directed by the Director of Canine Behaviour and Research.

Person Specification

The Head of Professional Development in Canine Behaviour will:

• Have a thorough, in depth knowledge of dog behaviour, training and welfare.  An animal behaviour or welfare qualification at postgraduate level is essential.
• Have experience in handling dogs with a range of problem behaviours, and be familiar with a range of different techniques for training and rehabilitation
• Be passionate about enhancing the welfare of dogs and their owners through the use of appropriate management, behaviour modification and rehabilitation programmes. 
• Have demonstrable proficiency in conducting behaviour consultations for a range of problem behaviours.
• Have excellent written skills, with the ability to write, interpret and analyse comprehensive behavioural reports and record basic (descriptive) statistics where required.
• Be a good listener, empathic and able to mentor and develop Dogs Trust staff in clinical skills.
• Have good verbal communication skills, and be able to discuss the implementation of training and education programmes with a range of stakeholders, including Dog School staff, rehoming centre managers, TBAs and senior TBAs.
• Be experienced at dealing with the general public, prepared to present at conferences or other national events and teach small or large groups of students.
• Have demonstrable prior experience in teaching in a range of different styles, including large group teaching and mentoring clinical skills.
• Have experience in developing undergraduate and / or postgraduate education programmes in the higher education sector.
• Ideally have experience of successfully achieving academic and / or professional accreditation for one or more education programmes.
• Ideally be accredited as a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist with ASAB, or have qualifications and clinical experience of an equivalent standard.
• Have knowledge of statistical packages for data analysis, and a good knowledge of MSWord and Powerpoint for writing reports and presentations.
• Be able to explain complex information to lay audiences
• Be passionate about education and able to engage new audiences in canine behaviour
• Ideally have a professional higher education teaching qualification
• Be able to produce clear written reports in an accessible language for a range of end users
• Be empathetic and personable, able to discuss educational requirements and potential implementation problems with a range of different staff members with full consideration of their concerns and reservations
• Be well organised with demonstrable experience of successfully implementing and accrediting new courses.
• Have good interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a team
• Be passionate about animal welfare and the aims of Dogs Trust
• Be able to work independently, be organised and able to develop and prioritise own workload.
• Be willing to travel to rehoming centres or other sites if required.
• Ideally have a full manual driving license