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Volunteer Program Coordinator

Schedule

The working schedule for this position is Saturday - Wednesday, 9:30AM - 6PM with Thursdays and Fridays off.

Who We Are

ACC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission animal shelters, whose mission is to End Animal Homelessness in NYC. We touch the lives of nearly 30,000 animals each year. ACC is more than an animal shelter; we are a resource to the community, always seeking ways to keep the human-animal bond intact. With a 90% placement rate, our progressive, life-saving initiatives contribute to the successful placement of our animals.

We strive to find loving homes for homeless and abandoned cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits, both by adopting animals directly to the public and by partnering with more than 200 dedicated animal placement organizations (our New Hope partners). We also help keep NYC communities safe and rescue animals in need, responding to emergencies that involve animals as well as keeping our doors open 24/7 for people and animals in need.

Summary

The Volunteer Program Coordinator oversees the scheduling, training, placement, recognition, and administration of Animal Care Centers of NYC’s (ACC’s) volunteer program, as well as providing day-to-day support for the volunteers in the care center. The coordinator contributes to a dynamic, collaborative environment where volunteers and staff work together harmoniously on a shared goal.

ACC’s robust volunteer program has over 500 dedicated volunteers who work in varying roles from walking dogs and playing with cats to assisting with vaccine clinics to appearing on morning television promoting our pets. The Volunteer Coordinator works to support the program by recruiting, orienting, training, and facilitating the daily operations of volunteers. We are looking for a highly-motivated individual eager to work closely with our volunteers, to provide hands-on support and guidance, and also to handle a variety of administrative tasks associated with the program’s coordination and metrics.

You will be responsible for communicating policies and procedures to volunteers, building and strengthening volunteer-staff relationships, and working collaboratively with other ACC departments. Alongside other members of the volunteer team you will brainstorm innovative ideas to increase volunteer retention and diversify volunteer engagement by examining the needs of the organization to develop new volunteer roles. You will work closely with members of the Behavior Team to provide hands-on training's to volunteers, to expand their behavior knowledge, and to help our team of volunteers learn to assist with in-shelter enrichment and cue training. ACC uses only force-free, reward-based training methods for our pets and we care deeply about all people who enter our building, whether they are of the staff, volunteer, or public variety.

Our ideal candidate has experience working in an animal shelter setting, preferably with a volunteer or outreach team. You must be comfortable handling dogs, cats, and rabbits, and with troubleshooting problem behaviors (such as leash biting and dog reactivity). You are excited to take on the unique challenges and rewards of working with a large team of dedicated volunteers. You also enjoy sharing your skill and knowledge with others in order to improve quality of care in the shelter, decrease stress, and keep volunteers productive and engaged.

Required Qualifications:

+ High School Diploma or GED required. Bachelor’s degree or comparable work experience required.

+ Familiarity with animal shelters and volunteer programs.

+ Must be able to lift and move up to 50 pounds.

Benefits

ACC values work/life balance and offers a generous paid-time-off (PTO) package that includes vacation time, birthdays off, personal days and sick pay. We also value physical and mental health by offering a great open access Cigna medical, dental and vision insurance at a low premium to our employees as well as 401K and Pension, Life Insurance. We also have on-the-job training for 2-4 weeks, periodic all staff trainings to include safety, DEI, cross training, and other growth opportunities.

Because ACC is a nonprofit, employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness, cancellation, and/or consolidation under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF). Created under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, PSLF allows borrowers who work full time for nonprofits and government agencies to have their outstanding debt forgiven tax-free on Federal Direct Loans, after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan.

Please use this link for more details on our benefits package. (https://flimp.live/ACCNYC-Candidate#welcome)

Essential Job Functions :

+ Develop and foster supportive working relationships between ACC staff and volunteers.

+ Ability to conduct beginner volunteer trainings for dogs, cats, and rabbits.

+ Monitor and address safety issues among volunteers and take immediate action to correct hazards, including proper training of volunteers or re-classifying levels of competency to handle animals.

Other Responsibilities :

+ Train, supervise, and retain volunteers for the continuation and growth of the volunteer program.

+ Thoroughly understand, share, and enforce ACC’s volunteer policies and procedures, rules and regulations, and other necessary information.

+ Provide hands-on support and guidance in the care centers.

+ Collaborate with the Behavior Team to provide hands-on trainings to volunteers, to expand their behavior knowledge, and to help volunteers learn to assist with in-shelter enrichment and cue training.

+ Provide guidance, direction, and resolution for conflicts.

+ Collaborate with the Volunteer Program Manager for planning, implementation, and support of the program, and with care center staff to optimize the value of the program for the organization.

+ Help target exceptional volunteers for recognition, appreciation, and advancement.

+ Communicate ideas on relevant content for volunteer newsletters and other communications.

+ Provide monthly reports regarding the activities of the program.

+ Work cooperatively with ACC volunteers and partners.

+ Help maintain proper volunteer files, including applications and database files on all volunteers.

+ Fear Free Certification required within 30 days of hire.

+ Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Comfort with handling dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and rabbits demonstrating a range of behaviors, including fear and aggression.

+ The ability to work flexible days and hours, including nights and weekends, as needed.

+ The ability to make sound judgments and work independently in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.

+ The ability to foster a cooperative, encouraging and positive work environment with volunteers as well as staff.

+ Strong communication, organization, and conflict resolution skills.

+ The ability to remain pleasant, calm and objective in all situations.

Work Environment

At ACC it's all hands-on deck. We work together as a team, which means you may be asked to help with tasks that involve working outside in all sorts of weather. As a busy animal shelter in one of the biggest cities in the world it can get noisy inside. Employees should have the ability to remain calm yet professional in stressful situations involving animals and/or members of the public. ACC houses hundreds of animals in its facilities at any given time and with that comes fur, odors and other airborne particles in abundance.

ACC offers many low-cost services to pets and people in need. This includes compassionate end-of-life services for people who cannot afford to go to a private veterinary office but still want to provide a professional and peaceful transition for their beloved pet.

Reports To: Volunteer Program Manager

Overtime: This is a non- union position and is eligible for overtime.