Job description
P.A.S.S. Program Coordinator
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. The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services project, a collaborative movement of more than 4,600 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,500 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters
Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (P.A.S.S.) is APA!’s intake diversion program, helping keep pets in the home with their families by providing owners with information about and access to community resources, including low-cost medical options, behavioral resources, help with food, and more. Under the supervision of the PASS Program Manager, the program coordinator will work closely with pet owners, other members of the public, and representatives from a variety of organizations to find the best possible outcomes for pet owners seeking assistance, always with the goal of shelter surrender being the last reasonable resort.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Triage and respond to emails and phone calls from members of the public who are seeking assistance with resources or rehoming for their pets, including urgent/emergency veterinary care, boarding options, food, pet deposits, etc.
- Under manager supervision, build and manage community boarding program for temporary placement of family pets
- In cooperation with program manager and volunteers, help manage and moderate PASS Facebook group; be a visible and trusted leader for the PASS community through consistent and professional engagement and support
- Work diplomatically and with discretion to help the public dealing with neglect, cruelty, and abuse situations; handle sensitive and crisis situations professionally and with caution (may involve communication with police, sheriff, animal control, case workers, and other social services)
- Under manager supervision, help coordinate emergency care for animals with critical medical needs via our Thrive/Pathway partnership
- Coordinate with APA! intake teams to determine good candidates for APA!’s programs when all other options are exhausted; collect relevant information from owners to help teams with intake decision-making
- Assist with developing and managing data-collection/case management system to track progress and support offered through program
- Assist in keeping track of up-to-date information regarding community resources that are available for pet owners in Austin, Travis County, and other frequently-needed areas
- Other duties may be assigned
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
- Complete 30-60-90 day goals and others as assigned
- Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
- Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
- Stay knowledgeable about APA! programs and processes as they relate to the role
- 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:
- Minimum of six (6) months experience in a social service and/or progressive animal welfare organization preferred
- Demonstrated ability to communicate with the public clearly and diplomatically
- Demonstrated ability to quickly and objectively assess situations and offer appropriate resources and solutions
- Ability to remain calm and professional, and communicate well in high-stress and crisis situations
- Good working knowledge of G-suite applications, popular social media platforms such as Facebook, and other methods for connecting people to resources in the community
- Excitement for creative problem-solving with limited resources
- Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
- 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
PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Prolonged periods of sitting/standing at a desk and working on a computer or talking on the phone
- May need to be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Standard office environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
- When working remotely, the role can be done from a home office or similar location
- Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required
TIME COMMITMENT:
- This role is full-time, exempt (40 hours/week); possibility for part-time (20 hours/week) depending on interest and availability
- Flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, are required
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
- This position reports directly to the PASS Manager
- This position supervises various team volunteers
LOCATION(S):
- Hybrid schedule: Work-from-home and onsite
- Main shelter location at 1156 W. Cesar Chavez (some onsite work will be required)
- May occasionally be required to travel to various APA! locations
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
This is a Grade 2, Level 1 position. The starting salary for full-time is $38,000 annually.
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 6 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with a third week 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.
APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org at least one week in advance of your interview.
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