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About the Role

Foster Program Coordinators are responsible for the daily functions and growth of the foster program, including recruitment and retention of foster volunteers and animal placement and population management. Coordinators act with urgency to accomplish important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. While this role includes responsibilities primarily in foster program duties, coordinators may receive assignments in any outcome-focused programs, based on organizational needs.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and conduct day-to-day foster program activities with a focus on decreasing overall animal length of stay and increasing onsite capacity to care for animals at risk in shelters.
Identify foster animal placement needs within onsite population and coordinate with foster program volunteers for animal matchmaking and placements.
Provide medical and behavioral support for animals in foster care and offer outcomes-focused training and guidance to increase adoptions through foster volunteers.
Oversee foster volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention opportunities to help expand Best Friends' lifesaving capacity.
Introduce, recruit, and engage with local organizations, individuals, and stakeholders to develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships.
Oversee recruitment and retention of foster program volunteers through exemplary customer service practices and dedication to organization’s guiding principles.
Ensure foster program is aligned with organizational goals for constituent journey development and ongoing engagement with Best Friends’ mission.
Assist or oversee the creation of engaging content for social media platforms, including written, video, and photo content.
Work collaboratively with other departments and marketing teams to identify engagement opportunities with social media and PR to support lifesaving outcomes and programmatic needs.
Represent Best Friends in media relations when requested and ensure to maintain Best Friends’ voice across all communications.
Develop a detailed knowledge of Best Friends’ programs to speak knowledgeably and best match animal and client needs.
Lead by example in providing superior customer service.
Assist other teams in providing basic care such as feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals.
Follow all policies and local standard operating procedures to ensure health and safety standards are upheld.
Work collaboratively with and assist Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to develop, evolve, and implement efficient processes to achieve lifesaving goals.
Maintain a safe workplace, valuing and modeling safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating about unsafe practices and conditions.
Perform daily strenuous activity including lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.
Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods including typing, sitting, walking, and arm and hand motion.
Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions.
Monitor a designated phone line for urgent foster care or volunteer-related issues on a rotating schedule or as needed.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED or 1-2 years’ experience in customer service, volunteer coordination, animal related programs or similar.
Experience leading teams and implementing programs preferred but not required.
Strong communications skills.
Bilingual or multi-lingual skills preferred but not required.
Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues.
Familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process.
Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns.
Basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.
Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; initiative to assist in any area or process.
Problem solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically.
Flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
Familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.
Routinely lift 40 pounds.
Valid driver’s license, meeting Best Friends Animal Society’s driver qualification standards.
Ability to travel, including overnight stays, when needed.
Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.
After-hours flexibility to monitor a designated phone line for urgent foster care or volunteer-related issues.
Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.

Skills

Customer service
Volunteer coordination
Animal related programs
Team leadership
Program implementation
Strong communications skills
Bilingual or multi-lingual skills
Customer-centric approach
Conversational adoption process
Animal handling
Medical and behavioral characteristics identification
Interpersonal skills
Team player
Professionalism
Handling sensitive and confidential situations
Organization skills
Problem solving
Flexibility
Microsoft Office proficiency
Shelter software/animal management software familiarity

Location

307 W Broadway, New York, NY 11206
232 Varet Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206

Work Type

Permanent
Full-time

Experience Level

1-2 years experience
Experience leading teams and implementing programs preferred

Education Level

High School Diploma or GED

Salary/Compensations

$24.00 to $26.00 per hour

Benefits

Great benefits

About the Company

We value attitude over aptitude, and we treat Kindness as a discipline because it is paramount in our culture along with our other Guiding Principles. Culture is how we talk to and treat ourselves and one another, it’s how we generate and respond to change, it’s how we plan and make decisions, it’s how we do what we do.
Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer.

Equal Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.