Do you want to make a difference in the lives of animals? Are you someone who champions teamwork and looks for ways to improve processes? Then here is a fantastic opportunity to grow your career as the Humane Education Liaison at Animal Friends, Inc.   

Who We Are:
For more than 75 years, Animal Friends has been saving, impacting, engaging, enriching, and affecting the lives of the pets and people of our region.  Since our humble beginnings in 1943, we have grown into a full-service companion animal welfare organization with over 115 employees and nearly 2,000 volunteers who serve the pets and people of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. In support of this life-saving work, Animal Friends has a talented team of maintenance, accounting, people operations, and administrative professionals.  While these individuals take on a unique role and may not work directly with the animals, their passion for Animal Friends’ mission is on display every day.  

Position Summary:

The Humane Education Liaison contributes to the mission and vision of Animal Friends by promoting humane interactions between pets and people while instilling the values of kindness, care, and compassion. Led by the strategy and vision presented by the Humane Educator, the primary duties of the Humane Education Liaison involve educating the public on the humane treatment of animals with an emphasis on dogs, cats, and rabbits; developing and presenting educational programs; promoting opportunities in the Humane Education & Engagement Center; and creating multimedia presentations to promote animal welfare. The Humane Education Liaison is in direct contact with the public, volunteers, and other shelter staff, and thus a positive, friendly attitude and ability to work with others are essential components of this position.

Essential Functions:  

• Manage Humane Education program schedule, volunteer scheduling, and Humane Education inquiries received via email and phone.
• With guidance from the Humane Educator, develop program curriculum for children pre-K through grade 12 that is age appropriate and, whenever possible, in alignment with state standards. This includes PA Dept. of Education career exploration requirements for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. Educational content must be developed and adapted to accommodate a variety of age groups ranging from preschool children to older teens interested in an animal career.
• With guidance from the Humane Educator, develop and present educational programs to a wide variety of audiences of varying ages and backgrounds.
• Develop and coordinate off-site or on-campus programming with school groups, scouts, community groups, and others.
• Support Animal Friends’ Summer Camp programming including program presentation, program coordination, communication with camper parents/guardians, camper safety, and management of supplies needed.
• Perform general office work, such as filing, processing paperwork, maintaining data, contributing to narrative for reports, maintaining appropriate program inventory, ordering necessary supplies, and other administrative duties.
• Attend community events as appropriate to spread awareness, recruit volunteers, and educate families.
• Collaborate with other departments as needed, such as Therapets, Humane Investigations, and Medical, to provide seamless customer service and expanded program offerings
• Leverage volunteer talent by engaging their assistance within the department, thereby helping us to further our mission and vision and to achieve the organization’s expectation of 100% integration of volunteers into our programs
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Experience developing and presenting humane education programs required
• Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred
• Certified  Humane Education Specialist and/or membership with The Association of Professional Humane Educators preferred
• A minimum of two years community outreach experience including significant interaction with the public is preferred
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule; weekend work is required, with occasional evening hours
• Experience working with volunteers preferred
• Must possess excellent troubleshooting and organizational skills
• Must be comfortable handling and being around dogs, cats and rabbits of varying age, size, breed, behavior, background, and medical status
• Must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-energy environment while being able to prioritize effectively and manage work hours efficiently
• Must possess excellent communication skills, including very strong public speaking, writing, and phone skills
• Must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and organizational ability
• Must possess strong computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft products
• Must have access to dependable transportation and openness to local travel
• Valid driver’s license preferred
• The physical demands for this job are as follows: Medium Work – Medium work is defined as lifting 50lbs maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 35lbs
• Valid Pennsylvania Child Abuse, State Police, and FBI Fingerprint Clearances
• Must have a sincere interest in the vision, mission, and core values of Animal Friends

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Communication Proficiency - Ability to orally express information and ideas to others when speaking
• Customer / Client Focus - Actively seeks out ways to aide Animal Friends guests and/or volunteers to ensure the best possible customer service is provided
• Diversity and Inclusion - Ability to welcome, support and value individuals with similarities and differences that may vary from your own
• Stress Management - Ability to maintain baseline behavior / composure during stressful situations
• Teamwork Orientation - Ability to work with others to accomplish likeminded goals and tasks for the organization