Animal Foster Care Coordinator

Foster Care Coordinator

Job Title: Foster Care Coordinator

Job Classification: Full-time; Non-Exempt position

Job Relationships: Reports to Director of Shelter Operations

Foster Care Coordinator: The Foster Care Coordinator plays an essential role within the Naperville Area Humane Society (NAHS), as volunteers and foster families represent the backbone of the organization. This position is responsible for recruiting, coordinating, training, and retaining the foster family core and collaborating with colleagues to ensure each foster family experience within NAHS is rewarding and that they have the information and tools they need to perform the foster caregiver duties. Under the general supervision of the Director of Shelter Operations the Foster Care Coordinator will support, coordinate, and manage the needs of animals and volunteer caregivers within the NAHS foster care system. This includes facilitating placement of animals in appropriate foster homes, aiding foster caregivers in foster animal adoption placement, and helping to expand the organization’s foster base for program growth. Additionally, the Foster Care Coordinator will work with departments across the organization to communicate and coordinate medical, behavioral needs. Ultimately, the Foster Care Coordinator will help ensure that foster families, foster animals, and the foster program are thriving.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities - Foster Care Coordinator

• Recruit, train, supervise, and motivate foster families to expand the Foster Program.
• Develop, update, enhance and edit foster care training and program materials as needed.
• Schedule and host regular foster volunteer training sessions and accommodate special individual training as needed.
• Communicate with foster caregivers in a proactive, timely, efficient, and thorough manner.
• Foster excellent communication and retention with a target of increasing our foster network by 25% within six months.
• Represent NAHS to foster families, ensuring they are appreciated on a regular basis, provide friendly and respectful guidance, feedback, and opportunities to contribute, and interact with them regularly.
• Promote a strong commitment to teamwork, customer service, consistent standards, and continuing development with the foster program.
• Keep foster families updated on program enhancements, challenges, policies, and protocols.
• Collaborate with other NAHS departments to plan, develop, implement, and oversee all activities related to the foster care program.
• Manage and maintain foster family contact information, training records, schedules, and participation.
• Produce timely foster program reports and data.

Naperville Area Humane Society - Foster Care Coordinator

• Administer vaccines and other preventatives/medication to foster animals.
• Assure that animals in foster placement receive the proper veterinary care needed.
• Maintain inventory of foster supplies and materials.
• Escalate urgent foster needs to NAHS leadership to determine best course of action.
• Be conversant in shelter policies pertaining to adoptions, surrenders, behavior evaluations, treatment policies, and animal care.
• Update shelter CRM system and records with medical, and behavioral information, as needed. Ensure that foster families are updating the animal’s memos as instructed.
• Take, and provide photos, videos, and stories to the Marketing & Development team to better promote public interest in fostering and adopting animals from NAHS.
• Read, understand, edit and create SOPs related to the Foster Care Program.
• Be available to assist current fosters with medical emergencies outside of normal working hours, including nights and weekends.

Other Duties/Responsibilities - Foster Care Coordinator:

• Uphold Naperville Area Humane Society’s Culture Agreement, builds trust, respects & values others, communicates effectively, drives execution, fosters innovation, focuses on the client, collaborates with others, solves problems creatively and demonstrates high integrity.
• Represent Naperville Area Humane Society in public speaking/presentations, volunteer management and fundraising events.
• Create and implement process improvements in all areas of responsibility.
• Participate in professional development meetings and seminars, serve on assigned organizational committees and attend meetings as required.
• Actively participate in required staff meetings, board meetings, and workshops.
• Update knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, maintaining networks, and participating in professional organizations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications- Foster Care Coordinator:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent certifications and/or work experience in animal sciences, animal behaviors, animal training, animal sheltering, communications, education, marketing, or public relations.
• Minimum of two years experience coordinating an organization’s foster program is required.
• Experience in animal handling, vaccinations, medication administration, and basic first aid.
• Minimum of two years customer service experience required.
• Proven program management, public speaking, training and planning experience required.
• Experience using shelter CRM software, or comparable database management software, highly preferred.
• Direct experience with all varieties of social media platforms is helpful.
• Experience working with a variety of age groups is preferred.
• Experience presenting and speaking in a public setting is a plus.
• Photography and videography skills are desired.
• Ability to set priorities, develop routines and manage large workloads, multiple duties and tasks.
• Ability to work independently as well as with others in a wide variety of circumstances and with a diverse group of individuals.
• Ability to use sound judgment when addressing donors, supporters, volunteers, clients, animal-related concerns and confidential information.
• Must have emotional intelligence, work ethics and integrity skills.
• Knowledge of animal breeds, behaviors, infectious disease and safe handling.
• Strong communications skills and an ability to communicate in a polite and professional manner even in stressful situations.
• Skilled and committed to building and maintaining professional relationships at all levels.
• Commitment to demonstrating NAHS’ values, mission, culture agreement is necessary.
• Excellent customer service, listening, and decision making skills.
• Familiarity with Illinois State animal laws.
• Animal welfare experience and knowledge of humane education preferred.
• Willingness to become certified in human/pet CPR & first aid training required.

Physical Requirements - Foster Care Coordinator:

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 25-50% of the time.
• The person in this position needs to occasionally move and traverse about inside the office, and throughout the shelter and its grounds.
• Must be able to operate, activate, use animal handling and office equipment.
• Must be able to prepare, inspect, place, detect, and position the body in order to care for and restrain and/or handle animals routinely.
• Must be able to communicate, detect, converse with, discern, convey, and exchange information routinely.
• Must be able to detect, determine, perceive, identify, recognize, judge, observe, inspect, estimate, and assess animals routinely.
• Must be able to move, transport, position, put, install, and remove up to 50 lb without assistance.
• Must be able to be exposed, and work around loud noises and conditions where zoonotic disease may be present.

Work Environment - Foster Care Coordinator:

Most work is performed in the shelter setting; with potential for exposure to diseases; fractious or dangerous animals; high noise frequency, and a potential for animal-related injuries such as scratches or bites.

Schedule - Foster Care Coordinator:

The employee determines own work sequence within the limits of established policy, practices, and procedures of a 40-hour work week. The employee determines own work methods and solves problems utilizing technical/specialized knowledge and/or experience resulting in minimal supervision while work is in progress. The supervisor may intercede and provide direction for new or unusual issues which involve deviations from normal policies, procedures and work methods.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.00 - $22.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person

Salary : $20 - $22