Adoption Advisor and Volunteer Coordinator

General Summary:

The Adoption Advisor & Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for both facilitating successful pet adoptions and overseeing the shelter’s volunteer program. This role involves matching animals with potential adopters, providing guidance and education on responsible pet ownership, and ensuring volunteers are effectively integrated into shelter operations to support animal care, events, and community outreach through training, events, and engagement. The ideal candidate will be energetic, outgoing, have excellent customer service and public speaking skills, relationship-building skills, and possess strong organizational abilities, helping the Society meet its mission: “Serving Animals. Serving Community.”

Essential Duties and Functions:

Adoption & People Services:

• Assist potential adopters in selecting the right pet based on lifestyle, home environment, and experience. Adoptable pets at the Humane Society often include dogs, cats, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and the occasional livestock.
• Through the Society’s processes, conduct adoption counseling to ensure responsible and informed pet ownership.
• Maintain accurate adoption records and process adoption paperwork. Inform adopters of pets’ backgrounds and medical histories, best preparing for successful placement of animals in new homes.
• Educate adopters on pets pet care post-adoption, necessary pet training, and transition periods of an animal going from shelter-life to home-life.
• Interpret evaluation/assessments of dogs and cats to facilitate the best match of client and animal.
• Monitor post-adoption follow-ups and provide necessary support or resources.
• Participate in regular company training to improve personal skillset, keeping up-to-date on best pet adoption practices
• Model and encourage the humane treatment of animals.

Volunteer Coordination:

• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers to support shelter operations, events, and programs. Training includes teaching volunteers best-practices for interacting and caring for shelter pets.
• Develop and implement volunteer orientation and training programs. Host multiple new-volunteer orientations each month.
• Schedule and oversee volunteer activities and events, ensuring a positive and productive experience. Work with Manager of Community Relations and Outreach to schedule volunteers for organization outings and events.
• Foster relationships with volunteers, recognizing their contributions and addressing concerns.
• Track volunteer hours and maintain accurate records.
• Work to consistently update orientation content to reflect shelter operations.
• Create, manage, and update the Volunteer Handbook when necessary.
• Share volunteer feedback with supervisors regularly.
• Work with all teams to build and institute strong volunteer retention efforts

Record Keeping:

• Complete all necessary forms and data entry to process adoptions.
• Complete timely and accurate computer data entry; ensure data integrity using both paper and computer based filing systems.
• Maintain materials related to adoptions, education and programs, and volunteer data.

General Shelter Support:

• Work collaboratively with shelter staff to improve animal welfare initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with shelter policies and animal welfare regulations.
• Follow established disease control protocols to clean, disinfect, and maintain shelter and general areas.
• Ensure work stations are kept clean, orderly and maintained daily
• Follow protocol to report pet health and behavior abnormalities to medical and supervisory personnel.
• Provide support in other shelter-related tasks as-needed.

Safety

• Ensure a safe work environment, following all safety guidelines, including utilizing PPE and modeling safe work practice.
• Take immediate action to address any safety concerns that could put a staff member, volunteer, client, animal, or the organization at risk.
• Participate in annual, all-team safety training

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a kennel/shelter setting.
• Frequent bending, reaching, kneeling, and sitting at a computer workstation 4-8 hours per day.
• Exposure to disinfectant solutions when in the kennel area.
• Subject to animal bites and scratches while handling animals.
• Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds with reasonable accommodations.
• Consistently exposed to animals and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternatives available.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Degree, certification, or relevant experience in communications, animal science/training, or related fields preferred.
• Knowledge of animal breeds and behavior preferred
• Customer service experience required.
• Available to work weekends, holidays, and overtime as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to the mission, values, goals, and success of the Humane Society of the Black Hills.
• Highly motivated, outgoing, and professional manner.
• Team player, able to work in a fast-paced, emotional environment and multi-tasker
• Compassion for animals, comfortable working in the shelter environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and database management.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

To Apply:

• Please submit your resume, cover letter, and two references/letters of recommendation here or to Human Resources at HR@hsbh.org.
• Those selected for an initial interview will be contacted by our Human Resources team!
• HSBH is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
• Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $15.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Bereavement leave
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Every weekend

Work Location: In person

Salary : $15