Looking to make a difference in the lives of pets and people? With an almost year-round beautiful blue sky and a scenic mountain backdrop, HSPPR is a nonprofit animal shelter serving El Paso, Pueblo, and Douglas Counties as well as the City of Centennial. We employ a total of 200+ employees. We are an organization that celebrates and prioritizes diversity and inclusion.

Job Summary

The Foster Care Coordinator assists with overseeing all aspects of the Foster Care Program in its entirety including cultivating relationships with foster families; placing animals with appropriate foster volunteers and maintaining communication throughout the foster period; assists to monitor and meet the needs of animals in foster care and determine how foster volunteers can best support the mission, vision and goals of HSPPR. The Foster Care Coordinator ensures an environment of compassionate and respectful animal and people care in accordance with HSPPR's mission, values, goals, and management philosophy.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Foster Care Program Development

• Responsible for the onboarding process of new foster volunteers including but not limited to reviewing applications and background checks, confirming volunteer fee payments, contacting applicants, scheduling home inspections, and any follow up as needed.
• Assists to recruit, train, and mentor for foster volunteers.
• Assists with the coordination, implementation, and logistics of HSPPR's foster-related functions, including but not limited to volunteer recruitment; placement of animals with appropriate foster volunteers, based on their skills and situation, for long- or short-term care; scheduling, coordinating, and conducting health check for foster animals; coordination with Veterinary Services or Behavior Team for more advanced treatment.
• Executes safety protocols for volunteers to ensure consistent humane treatment and handling of animals.
  

Administration of Foster Care Program

• Assists to monitor and ensure that volunteers are adhering to high quality standards of animal care, handling, and sanitation in the foster home and performance is consistent with protocols.
• Assists with providing guidance foster volunteers during the foster process, answering questions and providing support as necessary, including helping foster volunteers with difficult times and decisions, such as death, etc. Provides ongoing assistance, coaching and moral support to foster volunteers.
• Attends and provides appropriate training for foster volunteers, including but not limited to Foster Volunteer Orientations.
• Maintain appropriate record keeping of foster animals daily, including medications, location, and current status.
• Assists to ensure care and weight checks of immature animals while waiting for foster care.
• Assists with monitoring health and behavior of animals in foster care and report any important findings/issues to medical or behavior personnel as appropriate.
• Assists with performing initial and annual foster home inspections for all active foster volunteers, appropriately documenting and maintaining records as required by Pet Facilities Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA) rules and regulations.
• Maintains and updates appropriate volunteer records in database on volunteers, performs data entry as required, such as manually entering in volunteer hours.

Relationships

• Cultivates and maintains relationships with all foster volunteers, including prospective volunteers.
• In conjunction with the Foster Care Supervisor, works directly with the Shelter, Behavior, and Veterinary Services Management teams, to determine appropriate behavior and medical treatment needed for foster animals, both current and potential.
• Works to anticipate and resolve conflict and promote open communication between volunteers, staff, and management. Solicits volunteer and employee input regarding their work and workplace.
• Actively supports staff and volunteers and promotes the development of skills related to the advancement of HSPPR goals and mission. Provides quality service to customers, volunteers, and staff recognizing their individual contributions to the success of our organization. Implements recognition system for volunteers.

Communication

• Liaison to foster volunteers, coordinating animal needs, provides feedback and answers to FAQ's and provides problem solving.
• Communicates effectively with staff and volunteers so pertinent parties are informed of foster care issues/information.
• Documents staff and volunteer complaints. Handles complaints and/or concerns from, or about, volunteers with professionalism and good judgment. Evaluates volunteer performance and addresses issues promptly. Involves Community Sheltering Manager as necessary.
• Assist to ensure regular communication with active volunteers through newsletter, emails, meetings, bulletin board(s), and other forms of communication.
• Communicates with and provides regular feedback and/or coaching to potential volunteers and current volunteers in a professional and timely manner.

Customer Service

• Informs Community Sheltering Manager of developments that may affect HSPPR or the department including department progress, media exposure, public image, client concerns, and personnel issues.
• Supports staff and volunteers; provide quality services to clients, volunteers, and employees recognizing their individual contributions to the success of our organization.
  

Fiscal Responsibility

• Assists with ordering, maintenance, and inventory of supplies and equipment for the foster program.
• Plans and organizes in anticipation of future needs.

Other:

• Commitment to the mission, values, goals and success of HSPPR.
• Appropriately documents observed animal behaviors utilizing objective language as required in relevant procedures and/or policies.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties

• Assists with overseeing the foster volunteers

Physical Demands

• Regularly sits at computer station, often in a shared office environment.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move 25 or more pounds of moving weight and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 or more pounds of moving weight.
• Occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and smell.
• Regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, hear, and is frequently required to stand and walk. May be expected to be on feet for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to use both hands and arms to grip, pull and push utilizing safety equipment such as, but not limited to catch poles, snappy snares, leashes, ropes, muzzles.
• Consistently exposed to animals in the workplace and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternatives available.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.
• Must handle various animals of various sizes, may include aggressive animals and potential exposure to zoonotic diseases.
• Regularly exposed to noise and potential exposure to hazardous weather conditions.
• Potential exposure to cleaning supplies and/or other substances containing toxic or caustic chemicals.

Schedule Requirements

• Schedule may include weekend, evening and holiday work.

Education/Experience Necessary

• Two years' experience in volunteer or human resource management, or a combination of related education and work experience preferred.
• Minimum of one year of directly related experience in a sheltering environment or equivalent experience preferred.
• Experience working with volunteers or previous experience as a volunteer preferred.
• Possess excellent communication and organizational skills. Must be detail-oriented.
• Experience working in an animal welfare organization preferred; animal handling experience a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and team building skills.
• Possess supervisory and emotional intelligence skills.
• Positive attitude and professional demeanor.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software, data entry and reporting.
  

The core values of the staff unite us and guide us to provide the best service to the animals in our care, our organization, and our community.

Core Values Statements-

• Compassion: We believe that animals matter. We are committed to treating animals and people with kindness, respect, and compassion.

• Stewardship: We are accountable and transparent in our actions and in the use of our resources to build trust in those we serve.

• Integrity: We believe we can make the greatest impact by staying true to our mission, always doing what is best for the animals and people of our community, and by standing united in our decisions.

• Excellence: We are passionate about our mission, and strive for excellence through continual learning, innovation, and the development of our board, staff and volunteers.

• Collaboration: We seek strategic partnerships and alliances to advance the welfare and protection of animals and people.

• Service: We exist to serve our communities and operate with this commitment to serve as front and center in all we do.