Regional Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Tired of training in the cold and the rain? Come live in the sunshine! Guide Dogs of Texas (USA) wants you to be a regional Guide Dog Mobility Instructor! This position is responsible for Houston and the beautiful Eastern Coastal areas of Texas. As the first GDMI in the area, a successful Instructor will enjoy the freedom, flexibility and challenge of problem solving and developing the program. Choose whether to live in lively metropolitan Houston, in the suburbs, or in a small town on the coast. GDTX is a small school that is committed to individual attention for clients, specialized training of each dog for each client before class (quality over quantity), and lifetime assistance to our graduated teams. This position is responsible for:
• Training a small team of dogs, matching these dogs and offering domiciliary training for clients in Houston and the surrounding areas each year.
• Planning, scheduling and executing aftercare visits for graduated teams in Houston and surrounding towns.
• Assessing new applicants in the area for their readiness to start guide dog mobility training.
• Travelling to our guide dog center in San Antonio for major events and to coordinate training activities, including intakes of dogs into advanced training from our well-supervised puppy program.
• Attending and participating in conferences to further education in the field.
• Assisting with Fund-raising and Public Relations events.
• Training Apprentice Instructors and assistive staff.
• Recruiting and coordinating volunteers in Houston (including families to house dogs-in-training).
• Managing a budget for the regional program.
The successful candidate will have excellent independent problem-solving, communication and organization skills. The GDMI must be certified through an IGDF member school and have at least 2 years of post-certification experience. This is a permanent, full-time position with a competitive salary and a generous benefit package. Should you choose to accept this mission, you will immediately receive a large cowboy hat, a brand-new training van, an endless supply of dogs, the ability to say ‘y’all’ in conversation, and the support of all the kind-hearted folks at our center in San Antonio.
Please send a cover letter and resume to Sandy Merrill, Director of Training, Guide Dogs of Texas, 1503 Allena Dr, San Antonio, TX 78213.
