Weekend Animal Rights Lobbyist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads 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 its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:
The PASS Coordinator I plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s Community Programs, with a focus on triaging the needs of community pets and connecting families with the resources and programs to help. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for community programs.

The PASS Coordinator I is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, practicing sound prioritization, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.

APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The PASS Coordinator I collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect.

This position involves weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Staff the PASS Resource Desk in the main lobby at Davenport to greet all visitors, answer general questions, and appropriately triage needs of community pets owners and those trying to get assistance for pets including, but not limited to, evaluating for emergency intake, coordinating care with clinic, distributing pet pantry supplies and making referrals to other community organizations. Coordinate with others for lobby coverage if away from the desk.
• Ensure same business day response to general inquiries sent to info@ inbox and phone line in collaboration with designated volunteers and program staff.
• Recruits and manages Safety Net and finder fosters, effectively collaborating with Social Work and other teams to support pets and clients
• Reviews all found pet records for aHelps reunite found pets with owners by ensuring completion of found pet checklist
• Triages and responds to requests for assistance from the public via shared inbox and case management system when needed to provide consistent coverage to respond within 24 hours and escalate urgencies and emergencies appropriately
• Maintain familiarity of pet resources and support available through APA! and in greater community and help keep up to date for clients
• Process paperwork and maintain records associated with cases and intakes in a timely and accurate manner
• Coordinate intakes, foster placements, care, and returns to owner in collaboration with other APA! teams
• Load and transport food and supplies from offsite storage or other locations (including APA!’s clinic, thrift stores, or other locations within Travis County) to restock storage shed at TLAC as needed
• Keep TLAC lobby clean and tidy by disbursing donations and keeping shared work spaces neat and organized
• Actively contribute to a volunteer-powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment
• Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program
• Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work
• Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager
• Contribute to a positive culture by recognizing volunteer contributions through appreciation, gratitude, and shoutouts
• Help set volunteers up for success by clearly explaining tasks, providing hands-on guidance, and offering in-the-moment support
• Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
• Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
• Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed (The regular schedule for this position is Tuesday - Saturday. Schedule may require changes to include Sunday and/or Monday to accommodate team leave requests.)
• Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
• Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, amp; EXPECTATIONS:

• Ability to successfully communicate orally and in writing with clients in crisis to explain recommendations and next steps and to potentially deliver news that clients do not want to hear
• Ability to work collaboratively with others APA! teams and clients to work toward getting the best outcomes for people and pets within established policy and procedures
• Manage competing priorities to ensure timely and accurate response to pet needs including associated follow up and administrative tasks are completed
• Ability to work successfully in an open office environment (lobby)
• Be proficient at using APA! databases (ShelterLuv and Doobert) to find and maintain personal, animal, and case records
• Ability to successfully work in a shared, public workspace
• Position may be eligible for volunteer supervision certification and stipend
• Preferred: Ability to communicate fluently in Spanish both in writing and orally
• Preferred: Ability to obtain and maintain relevant job certs via APATec
• Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
• Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
• Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission
• Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials; work and communicate diplomatically and with discretion given cases may include sensitive personal information or contain reports of criminal animal abuse and neglect
• Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
• Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
• Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds
• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather
• Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels, including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm, scabies, intestinal parasites, etc.
• Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day
• Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away
• Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away with the ability to hear and discern dog vocalizations both soft and loud
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to walk big dogs that pull and jump for multiple hours a day
• Must be able to pass all required dog handling training required for this position
• Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions
• Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers
• Must be able to work in an open work environment (lobby)
• If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Animal shelter office environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
• Uses own transportation to travel and transport
• Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required
• Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises.
• Exposure to bites, scratches and animal waste
• Possible exposure to contagious diseases
• Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise
• Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs
• Primary work Schedule is Tuesday - Saturday.

TIME COMMITMENT:

• This is a full-time, exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week.
• Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change. Both weekend days may be required at times to ensure appropriate coverage.
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed

PAY:

This position starts at $40,000 / Year. Eligible employees will be able to receive up to $2/hr stipend within approximately 6 months through successful completion of internal APATec certifications (applicable to shelter operations, customer service, and medical roles). *Certifications and stipends are discretionary and subject to change based on business need.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position reports directly to Lee Ann Shenefiel, or another individual designated by APA!.

LOCATION(S):

• APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703