Specialist, Direct Care & Enrichment

Location: Onsite at 1845 Pontius Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90025 Hiring Range: $21 per hour to $23 per hour, depending on experience, plus great benefits. Position Summary Direct Care & Enrichment Specialists are responsible for the daily animal care and enrichment needs for animals in our program locations. Specialists act with urgency to accomplish important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no‑kill mission and organizational success. They oversee the daily functions and growth of lifesaving programs including adoption, foster care, transfer/transport, and basic animal care. Responsibilities Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in everyday actions by practising inclusion and respect for every person. Serve as a role model for authenticity, kindness, and positive influence with visitors, volunteers, staff, and animals. Promote, coordinate, and facilitate animal placements, including matching potential adopters with animals, providing counselling on pet history and needs, and offering medical and behaviour support. Support pet adoption opportunities through events, off‑site meets, and by identifying pet retention opportunities. Develop general knowledge of animals in care and assist adopters, fosters, and transfer partners with matching, introductions, and paperwork. Create a welcoming environment to enhance visitor satisfaction and support Best Friends’ mission. Provide basic care such as feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals housed or transported within facilities. Deliver daily enrichment, maintain low‑stress housing and handling practices, and facilitate cat interactions and dog playgroups. Maintain clean workspaces and animal housing areas, stock supplies, and support inventory management. Work directly with volunteers on protocols, cleaning, behaviour, handling, transportation, data entry, and communications. Create engaging content for social media platforms and collaborate with marketing and PR teams to support outcomes. Represent Best Friends in media relations and maintain the organisation’s voice. Follow Best Friends policies and procedures, complete lifesaving assignments, and ensure accurate data entry and record‑keeping. Maintain workplace safety, model safe practices, and communicate unsafe conditions to leadership. Qualifications Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with strong organisational skills and manage multiple tasks. Strong interpersonal skills, team player, personable, professional, and able to handle sensitive and confidential situations. Experience in customer service and public‑facing roles (required). Prior experience handling cats and dogs in a personal, volunteer, or professional capacity (required). Experience in an animal shelter environment preferred. Comfortable handling cats and dogs, including those with health or behaviour concerns. Basic ability to recognise medical and behavioural characteristics of cats and dogs. Bilingual or multi‑lingual skills preferred. Customer‑centric, non‑judgemental approach to engaging adopters, partners, volunteers, and staff. Resourceful, initiative‑driven attitude, capable of problem‑solving and seeking independent solutions. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with shelter or animal‑management software or willingness to learn. Physical Requirements Lifting up to 50 pounds and performing strenuous activity—lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending. Repetitive tasks for extended periods—typing, sitting, walking, arm and hand motion, standing, stairs. Work indoors and outdoors in varying weather, including extreme heat and cold. Exposure to dogs and cats, allergens, and all sizes, temperaments, and medical statuses. Travel up to 10%, including in/out of state and occasional overnight stays. Availability for weekdays, weekends, nights, and holidays as required by the department schedule. Equal Opportunity Employer Best Friends Animal Society is an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status. Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorisation that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorisation in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society. #J-18808-Ljbffr Best Friends Animal Society (Company)