Description

General

The Adoption Specialist position represents Animal Friends Alliance in a professional and courteous manner and provides quality client service. This position requires learning a wide range of policies and procedures and the ability to enter complete and accurate data into our computer system.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conducts cat and dog adoption counseling, has a good understanding of the adoption questionnaire, adoption contract, medical history and any other paperwork that needs to be covered with clients.
• Completes adoptions, ensuring all transaction paperwork and computer records are complete and accurate.
• Provides quality in-person, online and telephone adoption support.
• Educates clients on responsible animal guardianship, animal care and local ordinances.
• Ensures that the morning/closing checklists are done accurately and completed as assigned.
• Cleans and performs related housekeeping duties.
• Takes appropriate photos and videos of adoptable animals, and creates biographies for adoptable animals.
• Solicits adoptions online, in person and through other applicable means.
• Works at adoption locations including off-site adoption partners, mobile adoptions, cattery adoptions and at the shelter of Animal Friends Alliance. 

Other Duties:

• Completes appropriate cleaning for disease control in public areas daily, and ongoing throughout the day.
• Encourages donations from clients, and assists with any donations being made whether monetary or in-kind.
• Performs liaison duties as needed. 

Organization Wide Duties:

• Treats animals humanely, with compassion and concern, both on and off the job, and conveys these values to others, in word and action.
• Represents Animal Friends Alliance in a professional and courteous manner at all times.
• Provides quality service to customers, volunteers, and staff, recognizing their individual contributions to Animal Friends Alliance. Monitors, supports, motivates and champions volunteers and their work.
• Solicits monetary and in-kind donations by raising awareness of the organization's work, goals, and financial needs.
• Follows all safety rules to ensure a safe work environment at all times. Takes immediate action to address any safety concerns or noncompliance issues that could put an animal, employee, volunteer, visitor, or the organization at risk.
• Learns basic duties of other departments, and supports other departments and staff.
• Monitors, supports, motivates and accredits volunteers and their work.
• Understands and operates by Animal Friends Alliance’s core values.
• Regular and timely presence onsite.

Work Environment:

• Work performed in an animal shelter setting
• Potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases and cleaning chemicals.
• Potential for exposure to dangerous and fractious animals.
• Potential exposure to high noise levels when in the kennel area.
• Potential for animal bites and scratches while handling animals.

Unusual Demands:

• Work is subject to frequent interruptions.
• Employee is subject to work weekends, holidays and beyond the normal scheduled hours of work.

Requirements

Education/Experience:

Education

• Required: High school diploma or equivalent.
• Preferred: Associates or Bachelors degree from an accredited university.

Experience:

• Required: Two years customer service experience.
• Preferred: Two years customer service experience, and experience working in a shelter setting.

Miscellaneous

• Valid Driver’s License: Required
• Sincere interest in Animal Friends Alliance’s mission & vision

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of cat and dog breed, behavior, and handling.
• Knowledge of Google Suite including Gmail & Docs.

Skills:

• Effective verbal communication skills for in person and telephone contact.
• Excellent customer service skills, particularly with a variety of client situations.
• Basic computer skills.
• Detail oriented. 

Abilities:

• Able to prioritize duties and perform multiple tasks.
• Able to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment.
• Able to learn, retain and communicate a wide variety of information.
• Able to work with animals.
• Able to work with disinfectants and cleaning supplies. 
• Able to perform physical work including scrubbing, mopping, lifting, walking, and bending.

Physical, Sensory and Mental Requirements

Physical

Frequent

• Sit, Stand, Walk, Bend, Squat, Kneel, Crawl, Reach above head, Push/Pull objects & reaching above head.
• Lift & carry up to 50 pounds unassisted, over 50 pounds with assistance.
• Exposure to hazards: Biologic, Chemical, Noise, Sharp instruments.
• Exposure to marked changes in temperature .

Occasional

• Write legibly.
• Use of microwave.
• Climb.
• Operate standard pedals in a company vehicle.

Sensory Requirements: 

Required

• Can hear normal tones
• Can hear soft tones
• Eyesight - Normal/corrected to 20/40
• Eyesight - Close eye work
• Eyesight - Color recognition

Important

• Can distinguish smells
• Can distinguish temperatures by touch/proximity

Not applicable

• Can distinguish tastes

Mental Requirements:

Required

• Ability to read, speak and write English
• Ability to control emotions
• Ability to cultivate and project a positive attitude in the work setting, and when representing Animal Friends Alliance in public.
• Ability to work with controlled substances
• Ability to handle stress

Note: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job.