Volunteer Coordinator

SUMMARY: The Volunteer Coordinator plays an essential role supporting the Animal Shelter Assistance Program’s (ASAP Cats) mission of saving cats by recruiting and providing ongoing engagement, training, and recognition for volunteers in the shelter. Serving as the shelter’s liaison for members of the community interested in becoming involved with ASAP Cats, this position connects people with volunteer opportunities and provides outreach, education, and coordination for ASAP Cats volunteers. This position will also provide support to other ASAP Cats programs, including promoting cats via social media, supporting Working Cats, TNR programs, foster programs, and the Wellness program, and provides support for certain events. This role also fosters an organizational environment in which volunteers are valued, supported, and recognized for their contribution. This position works closely with the entire organization to ensure a positive volunteer experience and promote our life-saving work in the community.

REPORTSTO: Shelter Operations Supervisor

PROVIDES GENERAL DIRECTION AND SUPERVISION TO: Specifically, to ASAP Shelter Volunteers, and as directed to foster volunteers

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

● Establish and maintain clear, responsive, timely, and effective communication processes between shelter volunteers, volunteer leadership, and staff.

● Work with volunteer leadership and staff to educate the broader community about ASAP Cats programs and volunteer opportunities and to identify/develop community resources for various program areas.

● Manage incoming calls to the Shelter and to the program’s individual cell phone, voicemails, and messages in a timely fashion, and with a responsive and professional demeanor.

● Skillfully direct inquiries to the relevant staff or program directors, ensuring timely and accurate resolutions.

● Provide prompt and informative assistance to the public and to volunteers regarding a wide range of topics, including adoptions, fostering, stray intakes, owner surrenders, and community cat issues.

● Collaborate seamlessly with volunteers, both directing and stepping in hands-on to maintain kennels' cleanliness when necessary, ensuring the comfort and well-being of our animals.

● Proactively develop, maintain and strive to continuously improve all facets of the volunteer program including volunteer recruitment, placement, supervision, orientation and training, and recognition.

● Responsible for ensuring adequate volunteer coverage to meet shelter operational needs and for other events.

● Ongoing collaboration with the foster program leadership along with review, evaluation, and reporting to the Shelter Operations Supervisor on the status of volunteer retention and engagement both for the shelter and for the foster program

● Communicate with prospective volunteers via email and phone, conduct orientation classes and training on a regularly scheduled basis, and manage/update curriculum and forms.

● Collaborate with the Marketing Team to meet recruiting needs.

● Provide support and recognition for Volunteer Leads and Mentors. Working with the Shelter Operations Supervisor, identify, develop, and provide opportunities for volunteers to grow into leadership positions.

● Develop training materials for volunteer programs and collaborate on collateral materials.

● Work with the Shelter Operations Supervisor to recruit and train a Disaster Response Team of volunteers and be prepared to swiftly communicate about emergency activations.

● Coordinate annual Volunteer Appreciation Event, Volunteer Week celebration, and monthly volunteer recognition.

● Support events, fundraising, television requests, and other media spots as directed by the Executive Director and/or Shelter Operations Supervisor. Provide shelter tours for guests, as directed.

● Leads by example and is open to, seeks, other’s perspectives and input. Helps to build and actively supports an inclusive, safe, and harmonious workplace culture.

VOLUNTEER Management Duties INCLUDE:

● Manage and perform the hiring, on-boarding, training, and scheduling of volunteers; manage performance, feedback, and evaluation.

● Assist and support wellness foster staff to ensure the foster program maintains a robust group of foster volunteers to provide short and long term homes and care for ASAP Cats and help to ensure prompt and smooth placements of cats/kittens with fosters including healthy adult (short term), medical or behavior, senior/hospice, kitten and or neo-nates, queens with litters, etc.

● Regularly communicate, following processes as developed by Wellness foster staff, with the Shelter Operations Supervisor, Wellness staff, Behavior, Retention, Marketing Team and other key volunteers to identify and promote cats that would benefit from temporary placement and to gain familiarity with their individual needs and readiness for adoption.

● Working in collaboration with Wellness foster staff, retention, behavior, and other program directors to obtain photos and personality profiles from fosters of cats and kittens ready for/pending adoption ensuring matchmaking/adoptions teams have needed information to update on-line profiles and to find adopters who are a good fit, and for use in communicating updates and outcomes.

● Respond in a timely and appropriate manner to volunteer needs and requests.

● Develop procedures to provide feedback and to report and document incidents with volunteers, in conjunction with the Executive Director, Shelter Operations Supervisor, and Human Resources Manager.

● Maintain positive relationships with all volunteers; provide guidance and coaching, encouragement, support, and recognition. Be available to hear volunteer concerns as they arise.

● Manage volunteer schedule for the ASAP Cat Shelter, promoting strategic coverage across all volunteer shifts. Track volunteer attendance, following up with no-shows, address any immediate volunteer related concerns, and manually enter volunteer hours as needed.

● Foster teamwork, creativity, and innovation within the department and cross-functionally to meet ASAP Cats goals.

● Train staff on best practices of volunteer management including effective partnerships with volunteers, communication with, and retention of volunteers.

● Regularly communicate, establishing a process to do so if needed, with the Operations Supervisor, Wellness staff, Behavior, Retention, Marketing Team and other key volunteers to identify and promote cats that would benefit from temporary placement and to gain familiarity with their individual needs and readiness for adoption.

● In collaboration with the Wellness Team, develop and ensure implementation and ongoing consistent use of protocols for cats being sent from the shelter to other placements that can be utilized by shelter volunteers in preparation for moving a cat offsite.

● Assist with tracking and communicating shelter inventory needs to the inventory volunteer, including food, enrichment supplies for cats in shelter, and items for sample bags for adopters.

Community Outreach:

● Collaborate with staff and volunteer leadership to promote ASAP’s programs and opportunities in the community to promote volunteerism with ASAP Cats, working to develop relationships, broaden ASAP Cats’ audience, and knowledge of its programs, increasing support for ASAP Cats and strengthening program impacts.

● Collaborate with ASAP Marketing staff, Outside Partners, the Executive Director, the Shelter Operations Supervisor, and volunteer leadership to create an adoption event calendar. Work with volunteer leadership and key ASAP staff to manage event needs, (ensuring adequate event support, including site set-up and break-down, matchmakers, and adoption counselors), promote and coordinate events, and track and report event outcomes.

● Assist on other events as assigned.

Administrative:

· Oversee the Volgistics database and related volunteer records and schedules, ensuring data is current and accurate.

· Track volunteer hours and attendance; analyze and use data to inform program adjustments and strategies.

· Maintain and report statistics, data and outcome information consistent with ASAP’s strategic plan.

· Produce monthly volunteer newsletter through Constant Contact, communicating relevant, timely and important information to volunteers.

Other Responsibilities:

● Be a role model for ASAP Cats Organizational Culture Agreement. Establish consistently positive, meaningful relationships with all staff and volunteers, both in the shelter and off-site, encouraging respect, collaboration, and continued connection and commitment to ASAP.

● Willing to be trained to perform basic medical procedures on cats, including providing vaccinations, medications, injections, etc., and to train volunteers on such procedures.

● Provide real time triage, problem solving, and conflict resolution as needed.

● Assist in the ongoing assessment, development and implementation to support utilizing technology to support program needs, transitioning program services into efficient on-line processes.

● Maintain professionalism, a positive attitude with a focus on solutions, and a high-level focus on customer service in all interactions.

● Possess a self-motivated, autonomous, work ethic that promotes continual growth of knowledge, programs, and process improvement.

● Project management, including timely development, and delivery of, set goals and outcomes.

● Must love cats and people.

● Perform other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

● Work environment includes constant exposure to felines and other animal allergens.

● Lift and move objects and animals weighing up to 25 pounds for short distances and able to humanely restrain animals when necessary.

● Push/pull moderately heavy objects up to 50 pounds.

● Drive a vehicle.

● This is an on-site, non-remote located position.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Two year college degree is required, four-year college degree preferred. Qualifying work experience will be considered as an alternative.

Bilingual Spanish preferred, but not required.

_ EXPERIENCE, ABILITIES AND QUALITIES REQUIRED_:

● Minimum of one, preferably 2 plus or more years of volunteer and/or foster management experience

● One or more years of humane animal handling experience in an animal shelter or veterinary setting.

● Knowledge of feline care including health, behavior, and handling; and a passion to learn more.

● Project development and some management experience preferred.

● Problem solving, troubleshooting, and dispute resolution skills and experience.

● A genuine enjoyment of engaging, interacting with, and educating people.

● Ability to exercise tact and independent judgement; experience in assessing people’s strengths and weaknesses.

● Attention to detail, strong work ethic, and the ability to thrive in a busy work environment.

● Works well independently and enjoys working collaboratively, as a member of a team.

● Familiar with Shelter Luv, Gmail, OneDrive, Microsoft Office applications, Google Drive and Sheets, Volgistics, Maddie’s Pet Assistant, PetFinder, and Accuity.

HOURS: FLSA STATUS: NON-EXEMPT POSITION, 40 hours per week. Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule. May include weekends, evenings, and holidays. Regular predictable attendance is required.

Salary and Benefits: Range: $21 -$25.00 per hour, DOE, plus benefits. Benefits include an employer-sponsored health plan, dental, vision, and life insurance, a SIMPLE retirement plan match, Paid-Time-Off; and paid holidays.

To apply: A cover letter and resume are required to be submitted for consideration for this position. Please apply via email to: employment@asapcats.org

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $21.00 - $25.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person