Job Title: Strategic Municipal Consultant

Location: Crete, Greece
Position Type: Full-time / 5 - year Fixed Term Contract 

Start Date: April 2026
Reports To: Country Director, part of Crete’s leadership team  

About Zero Stray Pawject, Inc. 
Zero Stray Pawject is an innovative non-profit organization dedicated to advocacy, public health, education, and animal welfare. Our mission is to solve the root causes of stray dog and cat populations and prevent animals from ever ending up stray, homeless, or on the streets.

We design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based programs led by an international team of experts in public health, law, veterinary medicine, animal welfare, business management, and economics.

We work hand-in-hand with municipalities, mayors, law enforcement, the judiciary, commercial veterinarians, animal welfare organizations, and schools to deliver sustainable prevention programs that reduce stray populations and create lasting societal change. Every initiative is guided by clear KPIs to ensure measurable impact.

 

Building on our successful proof-of-concept in Aegina, we launched a pioneering pilot program in Crete to systematically reduce stray dog and cat populations. Working closely with municipalities, law enforcement, and local communities, we provide free or subsidized neutering, microchipping, and DNA services to pet owners from vulnerable groups (low income, unemployed, and more), agricultural farmers, and hunters, ensuring all companion animals are responsibly cared for and registered according to the companion animal welfare legislation 4830/2021.

To address gaps in veterinary access in rural areas, we offer free veterinary care, supporting pet owners to maintain companion animal health responsibly. 

Our team also partners with Greece’s first Animal Police Department and leads island-wide responsible pet ownership campaigns via TV, radio, outdoor media, influencers, and social media. Weekly field clinics in municipal buildings have received strong community engagement, and we plan to expand to more communities across Crete from 2026 to 2030. 

 

About the Role 
The Strategic Municipal Consultant will design and implement projects to advance Zero Stray Pawject’s mission of achieving zero stray dogs and cats in active municipalities. This role is a leadership role in Crete and translates strategic priorities into actionable plans, ensures proper execution, and measures outcomes effectively. The role will shape policy and implement systematic and sustainable change. 

 

Location: This role requires relocation to Crete, Greece. 

Language: Greek and English are mandatory.

 

Key Responsibilities  

  • Serve as the primary strategic advisor to mayors and municipal leadership, providing guidance on strategic and operational planning and resource allocation, as well as municipal budgets.

  • Develop and implement multi-year strategic roadmaps and annual operational plans aligned with municipal obligations and local priorities. 

  • Support municipalities in identifying and implementing programs in prevention (e.g., mass neutering clinics, commercial vet training), awareness campaigns, enforcement (in collaboration with police), and stray companion animal management (TNVR, shelters, welfare networks). 

  • Conduct SWOT analyses and other assessments to prioritize initiatives and optimize municipal impact. 

  • Monitor and measure program success against established milestones and KPIs, adjusting strategies as needed. 

  • Build institutional understanding of Dog Population Management (DPM) system scale and scope, helping municipalities plan realistically for resources, timelines, and outcomes. 

  • Engage with key local stakeholders including police, veterinarians, school principals, animal welfare organizations, and other community groups. 

  • Ensure measurable impact and long-term sustainability of programs. 

  • This role is ideal for professionals with an entrepreneurial mindset who are passionate about community engagement, animal welfare, and strategic project implementation at the municipal level. 

 

University degree, 10+ years of work experience in business management, ideally management consulting and strategy consulting. Advocacy background of advantage.  

  • Strong understanding of Dog Population Management (DPM) principles and municipal governance. 

  • Demonstrated experience in project management, or municipal advisory roles. 

  • Entrepreneurial mindset. 

  • Excellent financial acumen: ability to map budgets, calculate resource needs, and advise on phased implementation. 

  • Strong analytical skills to evaluate municipal operations and program effectiveness. 

  • Exceptional persuasion, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills; able to advise mayors and senior officials. 

  • Results-oriented and at the same time diplomatic to get tasks accomplished. 

  • Ability to develop actionable, measurable plans and ensure follow-through on implementation. 

  • Self-starter and self-motivated and able to work remotely without being constantly supervised to deliver on goals. 

  • Goal orientation even under most difficult conditions. 

  • Curious by nature and seeking to learn. Not afraid of failures. 

  • Truly passionate about making a difference to stray animals. 

  • Trustworthy and reliable. 

  • Highly proficient in PowerPoint, Word, and Excel 

  • Greek national, or fluent in written and verbal Greek. English is a must. 

  • Mobility and ability to travel and willingness to spend time on the ground in the municipalities where ZSP is active – driving license required. 

  • He/she must comply to our credo: http://www.zerostraypawject.org/credo 

  • This is a full-time position, and you will be expected to work according to its requirements and needs, which might involve out-of-business hours work or weekend commitments.  

  • Travel will be required (50%), and you will be expected to spend time on the ground with the municipalities where we are active to ensure the projects are executed well. There will be accountability to the senior management, which is based in New York. The Strategic Municipal Consultant will be required to provide frequent updates on the progress of the work and deliver on KPIs to proof success. 

  • Must have EU work permit. 

 

 

What We Offer 

  • A pivotal advisory role with direct influence on municipal strategy, policy design, and long-term stray-population reduction across Greece and municipal politics. 

  • A dynamic, mission-driven environment with opportunities to shape large-scale systemic change and contribute to national-level dog population management reform. 

  • Professional growth through close collaboration with municipal leadership, law enforcement, veterinarians, and multidisciplinary teams across Europe and the U.S. 

  • Competitive remuneration, structured performance feedback, and the opportunity to lead high-impact projects with measurable social, public-health, and animal-welfare outcomes. 

  • Be part of systematic and sustainable development in Greece.

 

 

How to Apply   

Please send your CV and a brief cover letter in English outlining your motivation for applying to  info@zerostraypawject.org.