Volunteer Services Program Manager

Status: Full-Time
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Location: On-site
Schedule: Primarily weekday hours with flexibility for occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as needed
Starting Pay Range: $50,000–$55,000 annually (adjust as appropriate)

Who We Are

For more than 80 years, Animal Friends has continually set – and raised – the bar for humane programming in the Pittsburgh region. Our 75-acre campus serves as a center of compassion and hope for thousands of homeless pets annually. As a full-service companion animal resource community, Animal Friends supports the region by providing tens of thousands of affordable services and impacting more than 200,000 lives through humane education, pet behavior classes, pet therapy, and our pet food bank each year.

Animal Friends is proud to continue to save lives . . . simply put, because it’s what we do.

At Animal Friends, we believe caring for animals and caring for people go hand in hand. We strive to create a compassionate, humane, inclusive, and healthy workplace where team members feel supported, valued, and connected to our mission.

Position Summary

The Volunteer Services Program Manager plays a vital role in supporting Animal Friends’ mission by leading and growing one of the organization’s most valuable resources: our volunteers.

Animal Friends volunteers contribute approximately 300,000 hours of service annually, helping us care for animals, support guests, expand community programs, and advance our mission every day. This position provides strategic leadership for volunteer engagement across the organization, ensuring volunteers remain fully integrated into programs and services while creating meaningful and rewarding volunteer experiences.

The Volunteer Services Program Manager oversees the Volunteer Services and Welcome Center teams, develops innovative recruitment and retention strategies, cultivates community partnerships, and collaborates with leaders throughout the organization to maximize the impact of volunteer involvement. This role is ideal for a relationship-focused leader who combines strategic thinking with strong operational execution and a passion for connecting people to meaningful purpose.

Key Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

Volunteer Program Leadership

• Develop and implement strategic recruitment, onboarding, training, engagement, and retention initiatives to strengthen and grow the volunteer program.
• Ensure volunteers are effectively integrated into organizational programs and services.
• Evaluate volunteer program effectiveness through data analysis, feedback, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain and update volunteer policies, procedures, handbooks, and codes of conduct.

Team Leadership & Development

• Directly supervise Volunteer Services and Welcome Center Coordinators.
• Provide coaching, guidance, performance management, and professional development to team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with People & Culture to address volunteer conduct concerns in a fair, transparent, and consistent manner.

Volunteer Operations & Administration

• Oversee administration of the Volunteer Management System (Volgistics), ensuring data integrity and effective system utilization.
• Ensure timely responses to volunteer inquiries, scheduling requests, and program needs.
• Oversee volunteer onboarding, orientation, recordkeeping, badge issuance, and documentation.
• Monitor volunteer participation, retention, attendance, engagement, and program outcomes.

Welcome Center Oversight

• Provide leadership for Welcome Center operations.
• Ensure volunteers, guests, adopters, donors, and visitors experience a welcoming and positive environment.
• Oversee apparel and supply inventory, point-of-sale transactions, event support, and operational processes.
• Support Therapet volunteer administration, including volunteer recertifications, recordkeeping, and hours tracking.

Communications & Community Engagement

• Develop and execute communication strategies reaching more than 2,000 active volunteers.
• Partner with Communications to enhance volunteer recruitment, awareness, and engagement through digital, print, and in-person opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, colleges, corporate partners, and service groups.
• Facilitate corporate volunteer opportunities and days of service in partnership with Development staff.

Events & Volunteer Recognition

• Lead volunteer staffing efforts for Black Tie & Tails and other major organizational events.
• Develop volunteer recruitment, scheduling, training, communication, and event-day support plans.
• Plan and execute volunteer recognition programs and appreciation events, including annual celebrations and awards programs.
• Create opportunities that strengthen relationships among volunteers and staff throughout the organization.

Reporting & Budget Management

• Manage the Volunteer Services budget.
• Collect, analyze, and present data related to volunteer hours, retention, attendance, participation levels, and volunteer full-time-equivalent contributions.
• Utilize data to drive strategic decision-making and improve program outcomes.

Other Duties

• Perform other responsibilities as assigned to support organizational needs.

What We Offer

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off, holidays, and birthday pay
• Retirement plan with employer contribution
• Employee Assistance Program
• Continuing education and professional development opportunities
• Pet care discounts and on-site clinic benefits
• Casual dress and Animal Friends gear
• Opportunities to connect with and lead one of the region’s most engaged volunteer communities
• A collaborative leadership team committed to innovation and continuous improvement
• Meaningful work that creates opportunities for thousands of people to support animals and strengthen our mission

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Animal Friends is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We value the unique contributions and lived experiences of all team members and encourage applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities to apply.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of four years of experience in volunteer management, community engagement, nonprofit programming, or a related field.
• Previous supervisory or management experience required.
• Experience developing programs, leading teams, and managing multiple priorities.

Certifications/Licensures

• Ability to obtain and maintain Pennsylvania Child Abuse, State Police, and FBI Fingerprint Clearances.
• Access to dependable transportation and ability to travel locally as needed.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership, coaching, and employee development skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building abilities.
• Strong strategic planning and organizational skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively with leaders and stakeholders across the organization.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience using volunteer management software, preferably Volgistics.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and related applications.
• Ability to balance competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to inform decisions.
• Commitment to customer service excellence and volunteer engagement.

Availability

• Flexible schedule required, including occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.

Animal Handling

• Comfort working around dogs, cats, rabbits, and other companion animals as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA) or similar professional credential.
• Experience leading large-scale volunteer programs.
• Experience in animal welfare, nonprofit management, community engagement, or related mission-driven organizations.
• Experience managing volunteer software implementations or system enhancements.
• Experience supporting fundraising events and corporate engagement initiatives.

Physical, Environmental & Emotional Demands

This position:

• Requires the ability to stand, walk, sit, bend, and move throughout Animal Friends’ campus and event locations.
• Requires prolonged use of computers, phones, and office equipment.
• May involve lifting and moving materials weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Requires occasional travel to meetings, community events, and volunteer engagement opportunities.
• Involves regular interaction with volunteers, visitors, staff, donors, and community partners.
• May require navigating challenging interpersonal situations while maintaining professionalism and composure.
• Involves exposure to animals, noise, and busy public environments.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with applicable laws.