Specialist, Lifesaving & Care - SLC

Location: Salt Lake City Pet Adoption Center

Pay Range: This position’s hiring range is anticipated to be $19 per hour to $22 per hour, depending on experience, plus great benefits!

Schedule: The schedule for this role will be 5 days on and 2 days off, availability to work shifts on weekends is required.

Position Summary: Lifesaving & Care Specialists are responsible for the daily functions, and growth of lifesaving programs including adoption as well as providing basic animal care and enrichment needs for animals in our program locations. Lifesaving & Care Specialist should model the Best Friends culture of warm, welcoming hospitality with our visitors and guests at every touch point when visiting a Best Friends Lifesaving Center to create longstanding connections with the visitor and the organization’s lifesaving mission. 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. Specialists may receive intensive assignments in a particular program, based on organizational needs.

Culture Statement and Responsibility : We believe in treating everyone with kindness and compassion, building trust through authenticity and following through on commitments. We prioritize well-being alongside our mission, fostering strong relationships through open communication and transparent feedback. Diversity and inclusion are integral to our culture, enriching team dynamics by valuing diverse perspectives. Each team member is responsible for creating an inclusive environment where all voices are respected and contributing to a workplace that embodies our shared values and commitment to progress. By consistently aligning our actions with our Guiding Principles, we strengthen our culture and ensure that our values are lived every day.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in our everyday actions by practicing inclusion and respect for every person for the value they bring to the table. Be a role model for the spirit of authenticity, kindness and positive influence with each other, our visitors, and volunteers as well as to the animals every day. This includes listening, being present, being supportive of others and demonstrating compassion and curiosity in conflict.

• Promote, coordinate, and facilitate animal placements, this includes animals in foster, by matching potential adopters with animals looking for homes by providing superior customer service, counseling on pet history and needs and provide medical and behavior support and information to set up adopter for success; Support pet adoption opportunities through events, offsite adoption meets and identify pet retention opportunities to help expand Best Friends lifesaving capacity.

• Develop a general knowledge of the animals in the Best Friends’ care; deliver superior customer service, assist adopters, fosters and transfer partners by gathering information to match them with appropriate animals, arranging introductions, pet to pet meets; acquiring/providing medical records, health certificates (when necessary), follow-ups as needed or required.

• Create a welcoming and engaging environment to enhance overall visitor satisfaction and support Best Friends Animal Society’s mission; provide superior customer service to all Lifesaving Center visitors and use each interaction as opportunity to develop and engage individuals to support the organizational goals for constituent journey development.

• Provide basic care such as feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals housed or transported within Best Friends’ vehicles, buildings, or facilities; follow all policies and local standard operating procedures when completing daily functions to ensure health and safety standards are upheld.

• Provide daily enrichment for animals in Best Friends’ care with goal to improve emotional wellbeing of all animals. Ensure low-stress housing, cleaning tactics, and handling for all animals. Provide opportunities for daily interactions with cats in care, ensure emotional wellbeing and individual cats’ needs are met with interactions to avoid causing more stress through handling or stimulation. Provide opportunities for cats in care to stretch and exercise appropriately when housed individually.

• Oversee and execute dog playgroups, maintaining safe handling practices & comprehensive understand of dog behavior to ensure successful dog interactions in playgroups.

• Responsible for maintaining clean workspaces and animal housing areas for optimum safety, stocking supplies as required; Support the process of maintaining master inventory of supplies

• Work directly with and support volunteers on all aspects and protocols of lifesaving care and outcome programs, including but not limited to program protocols, cleaning protocols, specific animal behavior and care, animal handling, transportation requirements and procedures, data entry, and communications.

• Develop a detailed knowledge of Best Friends’ programs to speak knowledgably about and best match both the animal and client’s (adopters, fosters, transfer partners) needs; lead by example in providing superior customer service.

• Assist or oversee the creation of engaging content for social media platforms, to include creation and/or editing of written, video, and photo content. Work collaboratively with other departments and marketing teams to identify engagement opportunities with social media and PR to support lifesaving outcomes and programmatic needs at the center. Represent Best Friends in media relations when requested and ensure to maintain Best Friends’ voice across all communications.

• Work collaboratively with Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to achieve lifesaving goals; follow Best Friends policies, procedures, and task lists for daily lifesaving outcome assignments, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.

• Maintain a safe workplace, value, and model safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicate to leadership about unsafe practices and conditions.

Skills and Experience:

• Previous professional or volunteer experience working hands on with cats and/or dogs is required. Experience working in an animal shelter environment is preferred but not required. Basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.

• Professional experience in a public facing role providing a welcoming environment and experience to the public is required.

• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills are preferred but not required.

• Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues; familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process.

• Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.

• Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; initiative to assist in any area or process; problem solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products; familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.

Physical Requirements:

• Routinely lift 40 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.

• Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, arm, and hand motion.

• Sit, stand, or walk for extended periods of time.

• Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.

• Exposure to dogs, cats and other animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical status. Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns.

• Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, 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 authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.