Job Title: Lead Shelter Associate 

Reports to: Shelter Manager

Objective: The lead shelter associate is responsible for caring for cats at an expert level, interacting with the public and problem-solving customer disputes, providing leadership, training for volunteers and staff, and performing various administrative duties, including schedule modifications, scheduling appointments, answering phones, and overseeing retail. They will also work regular shelter associate shifts. This position is occasionally responsible for making management-level decisions in the absence of other managers.

Position Type and Hours: Non-exempt, hourly, full-time. The schedule varies based on the needs of the shelter; Sunday and Monday shifts are required. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

Shelter Team and Volunteer Oversight (35% of the time) 

• Train staff and volunteers in proper cat care, shelter sanitation, and cat socialization; providing positive and professional leadership and correction while adhering to shelter protocols and CAT's culture agreement.
• Train staff and volunteers in safe cat handling while moving cats from carriers to kennels or kennels to rooms and advising clients on safe interaction with cats in their housing.
• Work with the shelter manager on daily tasks; provide coaching and guidance to staff and volunteers; monitor operations through daily rounds to ensure proper techniques and protocols are observed; delegate tasks as needed.
• Support shelter staff by serving as the primary point of contact for issues when the shelter manager is unavailable; develop action plans for non-standard situations; and know when to escalate issues.
• Assist with adoption counseling meetings, including training new staff and volunteers on protocols; assist in developing training techniques to ensure consistency.

Shelter Associate Duties and Relief Coverage (20% of the time) 

• Maintain professional appearance in retail, hallways, stairways, and public and private shelter areas by following all sanitation protocols and procedures; tidying, dusting, sweeping, and mopping public and private shelter areas; follow sanitation protocols and procedures for mixing and dilution to prevent disease transmission; use cleaning products and equipment properly and safely, and report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors for repair or replacement.
• Provide daily care to shelter cats by cleaning and setting up kennels in accordance with shelter protocols; feed and water cats according to established feeding protocols; move cats throughout the shelter based on their needs and capacity; monitor health and well-being by conducting daily assessments of kennel environments, food consumption, urination, bowel movements, and changes in behavior; report medical and behavioral issues to hospital team following shelter protocols. 
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records for cats throughout their stay by updating the cat’s record in Shelter Buddy when there are changes, such as status or location; creating animal care requests when a cat requires medical attention; processing holds or adoptions; and completing bite reports when necessary. 
• Provide high-level knowledge of all areas of recordkeeping and reporting within the shelter. 
• Process financial transactions accurately and in a timely fashion by ringing up customer transactions, educating customers on different cat products, and processing cash, card, and check transactions.
• Provide education to clients, fosters, volunteers, and the public with expert knowledge on shelter best practices, cat behavior, basic cat care and enrichment, cat handling, common ailments, and medical terminology; actively share expertise when necessary or applicable to a situation.
• Provide expert-level adoption and pet retention counseling by communicating medical and behavioral histories to adopters, establishing realistic expectations for the adopter on their cat adjusting to a new environment; providing information regarding pet introductions and addressing any other adopter concerns; assisting with pet retention by educating clients on cat behavior and providing behavior modification tools. 
• Assist with CAT’s helpline program and public emails by updating, maintaining, and responding to helpline requests in a caring, knowledgeable, and professional manner; use expertise to problem-solve and assist clients with pet retention while identifying candidates for shelter care; check, log, and respond to phone messages. 
• Provide clients with accurate information concerning cat admissions, applicable laws governing cats, and relevant property law; directing clients to appropriate services when necessary; maintaining realistic client expectations; and protecting CAT's interests by upholding internal policies and all applicable laws.

Retail (10% of the time) 

• Act as the retail lead, working with a manager to maintain proper stock levels and competitive pricing within the retail area.
• Access retail inventory; start orders for a manager; receive orders, check-in, and tag. 
• Display retail items in an attractive manner; highlight items depending on season.
• Work with the communication assistant to promote retail items when appropriate.
• Find local items when possible. Look for interesting items for future purchases.
• Discontinue using items when they aren’t popular.

Administrative Support (35% of the time) 

• Troubleshoot and resolve technology issues related to the credit card machine, Square, Shelter Buddy, end-of-day closing procedures, etc.; escalate unresolved issues to the executive office administrator or shelter manager for external assistance.
• Maintain and update shelter manuals and staff resources, ensuring all protocols are consistent and adhere to best practices and are clearly communicated to staff and volunteers; identify and address any inconsistencies or missing information with the shelter manager.
• Collaborate with the shelter manager to develop and implement individualized training plans for new hires and adjust based on their unique needs, learning preferences, and existing knowledge.
• Assist the shelter manager in building and leading shelter meetings and huddles, including creating agendas and presenting talking points to groups of up to 20.
• Receive and distribute incoming shelter packages to the appropriate individuals and departments; assist the executive assistant with the mail and packages as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Knowledge 

• Animal sheltering 
• Cat behavior 
• Cash handling 
• Customer service 
• Employee oversight best practices 
• Computer programs, including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Shelter Buddy, Adopets, Acuity, etc. 

Skills

• Communicate effectively in person and in writing
• Prioritize tasks to meet deadlines 
• Analyze and solve problems effectively 
• Provide coaching 
• Remain organized 
• Complete tasks independently with little direction or supervision
• Handle animals safely 
• Follow CAT’s protocols and procedures 
• Proficiency in Internet navigation, document creation, and data entry
• Operate standard office equipment, including computers, copy machines, telephone systems  

Abilities 

• Work cooperatively within a team environment 
• Diffuse conflict 
• Listen empathetically 
• Facilitate difficult conversations 
• Create action plans 
• Speak and present in front of co-workers and volunteers 
• Provide corrective feedback 
• Delegate tasks effectively 
• Connect with new people

Qualifications and Experience: 

Necessary

• High school diploma or equivalent 
• 1-2 years of professional experience 
• Minimum 6 months of professional experience in an animal-related field

Preferred 

• Customer service de-escalation 
• Experience overseeing small teams
• Previous experience working with cats in a professional environment
• Comfortable with difficult conversations leading to mutual understanding

Mental Effort: This position requires the job holder to anticipate potential challenges and workflow interruptions and collaborate with other staff and volunteers to successfully complete the job’s essential functions. It also requires the job holder to actively listen, problem solve, diffuse conflict, provide corrective feedback and coaching to staff and volunteers, handle sensitive information, assess risk, and demonstrate attention to detail.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: 

Physical Requirements

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential job functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• Move and/or transport items up to 50 pounds (assisted or unassisted)
• Position oneself at various levels to successfully carry out the essential functions of the job
• Provide direct animal care, including feeding, watering, cleaning litter boxes, and other animal handling
• Clean animal housing and facility 
• Disinfect and sanitize using agents such as bleach and Rescue®
• Communicate effectively with other staff, volunteers, and the public by email, phone, or in-person
• Navigate the shelter and building
• Read and keep accurate records/files
• Work on a computer and use various software programs
• Operate office equipment such as a copy and fax machine, printer, scanner, and multi-line telephone 

Work Environment

Work in this position is performed at an animal shelter. The work environment may have occasional hazards or obstacles, and there is a moderately low level of personal risk encountered while performing assigned tasks. Job conditions are occasionally uncomfortable relative to noise, temperature, smell, cleanliness, interactions of a disagreeable nature, or exposure to contagious disease. The worker may encounter the following: 

• Distressed animals that put the worker at risk for injuries such as bites and scratches
• Animal urine, animal feces, animal vomit, animal blood, animal fur
• Medications used to treat animals
• Zoonotic disease
• Disinfecting agents such as bleach and Rescue®
• Animal handling equipment such as nets, leather gloves, etc.

Pay Range: The position starts at $24-$26/hour 

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor.  This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.

To Apply: Click the Apply button below. Please upload your resume to the application portal--a resume is required for consideration. 

If you are having any problems uploading your resume to the application portal, please email your resume to jobs@catadoptionteam.org, and we can send you a list of the screener questions to answer. 

PLEASE NOTE: There are required screener questions for this position that will replace a Cover Letter requirement.