Foster & Placement Coordinator

Austin Pets Alive•Kyle, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is a leading nonprofit in animal welfare, dedicated to saving thousands of homeless dogs and cats annually and advancing the No Kill movement nationally. Through its national division, American Pets Alive!, APA! shares lifesaving best practices and leads initiatives like Human Animal Support Services (HASS) to support pets and people within their communities. This role is part of an exciting partnership initiative in Hays County, Hays County Pets Alive!, working with PAWS Shelter of Central Texas to strengthen lifesaving programs and expand animal welfare capacity. The Foster & Placement Coordinator is crucial to this mission, focusing on foster recruitment, retention, and other pet placement pathways at the PAWS Kyle location. This position aims to increase the live release rate by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for shelter operations. The coordinator will recruit, match, and support foster families, manage daily responsibilities with minimal oversight, and work collaboratively with volunteers. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role requiring reliability, teamwork, and a commitment to APA!'s values. The position requires shift flexibility, weekend hours, and high responsiveness, with a core responsibility of creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers.

Requirements

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
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
Comfort and skill with technology including software use, spreadsheet management, data entry, etc.
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.
Must be able to walk big dogs that pull and jump
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

Nice To Haves

Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for foster families throughout their foster experience
Develop and implement ongoing strategies to recruit new foster families
Respond to foster inquiries and guide prospective fosters through the onboarding process
Maintain an active pipeline of prospective foster families
Conduct foster orientations, trainings, and informational sessions
Maintain an up-to-date understanding of available foster homes and their individual capacities
Coordinate foster placements, transfers, extensions, and returns
Help foster families prepare animals for adoption
Coach fosters and staff on system-level awareness of placement urgency, so pets do not get “stuck” in foster homes
Provide excellent customer service and follow APA placement guidelines and policies
Build rapport with foster families, creating a welcoming foster community and environment
Identify foster opportunities for animals who are difficult to place in traditional shelter housing
Monitor shelter population and foster capacity daily and identify opportunities to move appropriate animals into foster care
Ensure fosters receive appropriate information, supplies, medications, and instructions before an animal goes home
Help fosters troubleshoot problems and identify practical solutions that allow placements to remain successful
Monitor foster program data, including recruitment, retention, placement, returns, and outcomes
Build a foster community where people feel connected to one another and to the shelter's mission
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
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