What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cat Placement Specialist (Full-Time) position at Austin Pets Alive!?
Cat Placement Specialist (Full-Time)
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no-kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non-traditional community-based animal rescue work.
BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:
As a Cat Placement Specialist, you play a pivotal role in matching clients with the perfect feline companion for their home. Beyond mere matchmaking, you serve as a dedicated advocate for shelter cats, particularly those often overlooked in the shelter environment. Leveraging your expertise in cat behavior, medical care, and rescue practices, you spearhead innovative initiatives to streamline the foster and adoption process and connect cats with the right people. Your primary objective is to reduce the length of stay for all cats, with a special focus on our lifesaving programs. In this dynamic role, you will continuously refine and develop methods and practices to achieve this goal. This full-time, non-exempt position reports directly to the Cat Placement Manager, offering an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of shelter cats and their future fosters and adopters.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no-kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non-traditional community-based animal rescue work.
BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:
As a Cat Placement Specialist, you play a pivotal role in matching clients with the perfect feline companion for their home. Beyond mere matchmaking, you serve as a dedicated advocate for shelter cats, particularly those often overlooked in the shelter environment. Leveraging your expertise in cat behavior, medical care, and rescue practices, you spearhead innovative initiatives to streamline the foster and adoption process and connect cats with the right people. Your primary objective is to reduce the length of stay for all cats, with a special focus on our lifesaving programs. In this dynamic role, you will continuously refine and develop methods and practices to achieve this goal. This full-time, non-exempt position reports directly to the Cat Placement Manager, offering an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of shelter cats and their future fosters and adopters.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Greet customers to ensure that every client has a welcoming and guided experience.
- Maintain active customer service throughout the entire shift both in person and via communications over text, email, and phone call
- Stays current on cats both on site and in foster - update appropriate documents
- Provide guidance to clients in selecting the right cat for their home
- Stay up to date on relevant behavioral and health information of cats onsite and in foster
- Be comfortable discussing complex medical needs with clients in a vernacular that can be easily understood
- Ensure all required paperwork for adopters and fosters is completed accurately
- Educates adopters and fosters in order to be as successful as possible bringing home their new cat; this could include slow and safe introductions and medical needs
- Maintain an open mindset and continually think of how to remove barriers to cats leaving the shelter
- Update internal notes for all cats when new information is available and ensure information is accurate on online profiles
- Monitor physical conditions of animals and advise veterinarians or applicable staff as needed
- Receive, medicate, handle and kennel cats and kittens, including those of unknown temperament, sick and injured animals, and those with zoonotic illness
- Communicate within the Foster and Adoption Success department and with other departments to ensure efficiency in assisting clients
- Respond to email inquiries from clients interested in onsite cats or Matchmaking services in a professional and timely manner
- Ensure safe and productive interactions when introducing cats to clients.
- Willingness to learn, and adherence to, APA’s methods of cat handling, under the guidance and training of APA Cat Care Team members
- Exhibit confidence and proficiency in discussing and demonstrating handling and medicating methods to clients, ensuring clarity and reassurance throughout the process.
- Develop, implement, and sustain placement initiatives aimed at boosting the adoption and fostering rates of specialty population cats, ensuring their successful transition into loving homes.
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships with staff and volunteers to increase retention on the team
- Recruit and train new Cat Placement volunteers
- Meet with advocates and Cat Program volunteers to discuss notes for marketing cats
- Participate in proactive outreach to potential adopters and fosters
- Assist with daily tracking of appointments and initiatives
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
- Assist with basic care, feeding, medicating, and cleaning animal areas as needed, adhering to strict sanitation protocols
- Attend and participate in essential trainings covering fundamental cat husbandry practices and techniques for administering medications
- Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
- Able to demonstrate time management to complete job responsibilities
- Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
- Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
- Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS:
- Must be open and adaptable to new procedures and ways of working
- Must have experience working with cats, and be able to handle cats safely
- Customer service experience is required
- Ability to recognize, understand, and address various animal behaviors and illnesses
- Ability to handle cats safely and with kindness at all times, without exception
- Must be proficient with email, word processing, and spreadsheets
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills necessary
- Must be available weekends and holidays
- Must embody APA!’s Core Values of Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness and Inclusion
- Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
- Willing and committed to working well with volunteers and staff in all roles
- Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred
PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to be on your feet for long periods of time and work outdoors in all types of weather
- Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds
- Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions
- Must be able to walk around the shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers
- Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away
- Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away
- If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Work is normally performed onsite at APA!, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
- Uses own transportation to travel and transport
- Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs
- Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise
- When onsite, potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
TIME COMMITMENT:
- This is a full-time, nonexempt position with an average of 40 hours per week.
- Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change
- Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
LOCATIONS:
- APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703
- APA! Tarrytown Cat Adoption Center 3108 Windsor Road Austin, TX 78703
- May travel to offsite locations as needed
BENEFITS:
Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including up to 95% subsidy on employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, subsidized pet insurance, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life-saving work.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT
Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.
Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.
