Foster Coordinator

Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition (BBAWC) is a women-run, volunteer-driven, nonprofit animal welfare organization that has been working to address the root causes of cat homelessness and overpopulation in New York City since 2007. With over 500,000 homeless cats living on the streets of NYC at any given time, our mission is both critical and timely.

Our adoption and foster programs are a critical component of our rescue mission. Placing cats in foster homes prior to adoption increases our ability to intake as well as provides a healthier and better experience for the cats awaiting adoption. Adopting cats into safe and dependable homes is also essential to our work to reduce cat homelessness. Without the tireless work of this department our rescue work would come to a standstill.

The Foster Coordinator will oversee the growth and maintenance of the foster program, primarily, working with the rescue and care/clinic teams to provide the best standard of care for all foster cats while facilitating a positive experience for foster families, supporting them while they are caring for our rescued animals and helping them to find their adoptive homes. This essential job requires a combination of administrative skills, compassion for animals, and excellent interpersonal abilities. The adoption and foster coordinators work closely together and with the Shelter team to ensure a smooth rescue journey for our animals and positive experiences for our adopters and fosters. Many responsibilities can be moved between all coordinator positions as needed.

As the Foster coordinator your goals are to ensure animals are placed appropriately and are making progress towards adoption, oversee the health and medical care of animals in foster homes and ensure appropriate documentation and records for animals, fosters and adopters.

While significant aspects of the foster coordinator’s remit will be remote, specific “office hours” at the cafe will be required to facilitate foster pickups and drop offs. .

Job Responsibilities

• Oversee care for foster animals: Monitor health and behavior (including vaccinations and dewormer) of animals in foster care and report findings to appropriate staff to take necessary next steps. Work with clinics as needed to prepare and dispense medications to go home; and ensure accurate, timely documentation concerning foster caregiver and animal records.
• Work with the Adoption Coordinator for fosters as backup for Aspca and help with coordination of tasks.
• Keep animals moving through journey: Facilitate transfer of animals to and from foster care, including timely visits for medical appointments.
• Identify cats suitable for the Cafe and coordinate their preparation and arrival.
• Manage relationships with foster families: provide support and positive experiences throughout foster journeys including recruitment, onboarding, training, placement of foster animals, movements, and adoptions.
• Screen foster applications thoroughly;Employ compassion, curiosity, patience, and attention to detail during conversations with applicants;Share resources and information relevant to each home and experience level;make appropriate matches between applicants and the population of available animals.
• Provide information, guidance, and support for foster parents as they navigate foster procedures, get their foster pets ready for adoption, resolve or manage medical issues, and work through behavior concerns.
• Communication: Monitor and respond to foster-related inquiries and emails in a polite and timely manner. Provide information (written, video, and spoken) about program and foster animals to volunteers, colleagues, and general public
• Provide information for website, social media and adoption/foster promotions as needed.
• Update manuals and other material to inform and educate foster caregivers.
• Manage the private foster social media groups and foster website. Match incoming animals with appropriate foster caregivers.

Qualifications:

• Computer proficient in Microsoft office and Google/G-Suite products, and proficiency or comfort with learning the internet-based software used by the organization (ShelterLuv, Airtable, Mailchimp)
• Working knowledge of basic animal health and behavior
• Excellent customer service skills
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Flexibility, maturity, and ability to manage multiple tasks and accommodate varied work assignments and schedules
• Ability to communicate effectively with a culturally diverse staff, volunteers, and community in a professional, pleasant, respectful, courteous, and tactful manner at all times
• The ability to remain pleasant and calm even in stressful situations, and to turn people down, firmly when necessary, without becoming aggressive or unpleasant

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Brooklyn, NY 11201

Salary : $19 - $21