Director of Outreach and Education

Greater Birmingham Humane Society Inc•Birmingham, AL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) is a progressive animal welfare shelter dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming homeless, abused, neglected, and abandoned animals. With an open admissions policy and a commitment to animal rehabilitation and a low euthanasia rate, GBHS saves and rehomes thousands of animals annually. The Director of Outreach & Education (DOE) supports the Chief Program Officer (CPO) in implementing program priorities and strategies to enhance community engagement, secure funding for programs, and advance partnerships with local organizations. This role requires a comprehensive approach to inspiring a love for animals and responsible pet ownership in community youth and engaging audiences of all ages.

Requirements

Ability to develop and maintain positive and effective working relationships with co- workers, volunteers, community organizations, vendors, and members of the public while working independently and collaboratively.
Ability to work a varied schedule to include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Ability to handle and restrain fractious animals. Candidates must be committed to treating animals with compassion and respect.
Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated ability and experience building on an existing development program.
Excellent project management and organization skills.
Strategic thinking and creative approach to problem solving, linked to practical and effective implementation.
Strong work ethic and ability to maintain and model high personal, ethical, and professional standards, as well as an outgoing and positive personality.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to meet and exceed goals.
Strong computing skills (i.e., MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and Internet Explorer).
Passion for the mission of GBHS and a sense of humor are required.
Superior customer service experience and skills, including positivity, friendliness, tact, sound judgment, and a love of working with people.
Ability to work in a team oriented and frequently changing environment.
Must support the GBHS’ mission, policies, and practices.
Ability to work courteously and cooperatively with volunteers, staff, and the public.
Strong interpersonal skills – outgoing, patient, professional, and able to get along well with a variety of people.
Ability to handle multiple tasks and work in a fast-paced environment under sometimes tight deadlines.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Ability to read, write and understand English.
Ability and initiative, working with minimal supervision and direction.
Familiarity with animals, animal care, knowledge of animal behavior, and experience working with animal welfare.
Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Office, especially Word, Excel, and Outlook; comfortable learning and using online information systems.
Must have the ability to deal tactfully and effectively with the public.
Ability to maintain personal boundaries in the face of highly emotional situations.
Possession of a valid driver’s license.
One (1) to three (3) years’ experience in a supervisory capacity in Humane Education, Education, Animal Shelter, or related non-profit organization.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Education, Psychology, Non-Profit Management, or related field. (Professional level work experience may be substituted for bachelor’s degree requirement.) One year of professional level work experience may be substituted for each year of required education, up to a maximum of four years. A High School Diploma or GED is required when substituting professional level work experience for the bachelor’s degree requirement.

Responsibilities

Develop, coordinate, implement, and oversee education activities, outreach projects, and disaster coordination promoting humane interactions between pets and people.
Develop and present educational programs to a wide variety of community groups, with audiences of varying ages and backgrounds.
Develop and coordinate outreach projects and events.
Work closely with the Marketing Department to promote all educational and outreach programming to schools, families, and the general audiences including press releases, advertisements, public service announcements, interviews, direct mail, email, website, social media, and brochures.
Work closely with the Development Department to secure funding for educational programs including delivering presentations, writing program descriptions, histories, and long-term planning, researching, and writing grant proposals, proofreading sponsorship proposals, and participating at special events and functions related to education.
Responsible for the recruitment and training of Outreach & Education staff and volunteers.
Financial oversight of the programs budget.
Plan, administer, oversee, and manage enrollments for all camps and workshops.
Oversee coordination and running of camps/workshops including hiring teachers, creating curriculum, communicating with community members and parents, locating, and booking space, and keep accurate data on child/parent satisfaction and participation statistics.
Oversee and manage Outreach & Education staff.
Primary responsibility for growing and deepening GBHS’ relationships with business and organizations in the Greater Birmingham area relating to programs with Education and Outreach.
Work with leadership team to develop and implement a comprehensive and innovative outreach plan targeting individual, private, corporate, school, and other organizations.
Research and assist in developing plans for expanding presence and visibility in the community.
Assist the Volunteer Manager in the recruitment and engagement of outreach volunteers.
Represent GBHS at events and programs, when possible, including grantee events, and share stories and photos with the Marketing staff for incorporation into our storytelling.
Cultivate community support by maintaining and initiating contacts with individuals, business, and organizational leaders throughout the community.
Attend conferences and or trainings for skilled development as needed.
Prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters and other emergencies and coordinates with other partners.
Help lead the response during and after emergencies.
Develops and implements curriculums for audiences of varying ages and backgrounds.
Coordinates and oversees the education programs and educational community events.
Coordinates and oversees promotional tours, presentations, and other associated activities.
Develop collaborative relationships with other service agencies, schools, and businesses inside and outside of school programs.
Develops educational materials in accordance with the mission of GBHS.
Stays current with progressive teaching methodology and advancement and child development. Pursues continuing education related to humane topics and maintains a strong network of professional humane educators.
Works with animals of varying sizes and temperament, handling individual animals in a caring and respectful manner.
Ensures that educational programs are culturally sensitive and applicable to the needs of the community. Addresses sensitive issues within the education setting with highest degree of discretion, judgement, empathy, and professionalism.
Provides support and information to other departments, as needed.
Directly trains, leads, motivates, assigns, and supervises outreach/education personnel and volunteers in performing daily duties in accordance with department policies, on campus and at offsite events.
Carries out management responsibilities in accordance with policies and applicable laws, including but not limited to, hiring, terminations, performing periodic evaluations and annual evaluations, counseling, disciplinary action on an ongoing basis with personnel and volunteers as needed.
Assures that employees and volunteers assigned to the department are complying with operational and personnel policies.
Provides leadership to resolve disputes and mediates complaints at the lowest possible level.
Take an active role in the visioning and evaluation of new, complicated, and ambitious projects as appropriate.
Participate in the development, articulation, and tracking of organizational strategic planning.
Trouble shoot organizational challenges with the management team as needed.
Support and co-create a warm and positive culture at GBHS.