Neonatal Lead Support Specialist

CommonSpirit Health•Austin, TX

4h•$18•Onsite

About The Position

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is a leader in the no-kill movement, rescuing, treating, and adopting out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats annually in Austin, while also assisting other communities. APA! innovates best practices and teaches its lifesaving model through American Pets Alive! (AmPA!), which launched the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project in 2020, a collaborative movement of animal welfare professionals working to build community-focused animal services. The Neonatal Lead Support Specialist supports the APA! Neonatal Program in close collaboration with the Cat Adoption Program, specializing in the placement of neonatal animals. This role ensures high-quality care, adherence to APA! protocols, and smooth transitions into foster homes, supporting animals throughout their stay for positive outcomes and continuity of care. The position advances APA!’s Neonatal Program goals and contributes to the mission of increasing live release rates across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact shelter operations model. The specialist manages daily responsibilities, maintains clear priorities, and delivers consistent, high-quality work aligned with APA!’s values and goals, including staying organized, using data, and following through on tasks with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork. As APA! is volunteer-powered, the specialist works alongside and supports volunteers, collaborating closely to complete tasks, fostering a positive and inclusive environment, and contributing to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect. This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during high need or MOD coverage. Every staff member is responsible for collaborating with volunteers, ensuring they are recruited, trained, and feel impactful, including assisting with onboarding, training, and engagement.

Requirements

Demonstrate unwavering kindness when handling all cats, maintaining a compassionate approach without exception.
Uphold a standard of integrity in all actions and decisions.
Thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced, and high-stress environment, showcasing self-motivation, a positive attitude, and a strong team-oriented mindset.
Execute responsibilities efficiently with minimal oversight, demonstrating a proactive approach to tasks.
Exhibit keen attention to detail and the ability to follow instructions accurately.
Maintain punctuality and regular attendance.
Demonstrate effective communication skills in person, over the phone, and via email.
Possess basic experience in cat handling and care.
Display foundational knowledge of common feline health conditions.
Possess fundamental knowledge of cat behavior.
Demonstrate proficiency in performing all duties, responsibilities, and required skills.
Adapt positively to changes and willingly undertake additional responsibilities as assigned.
Exhibit effective communication and customer service skills.
Show competency in computer skills.
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
Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience
Uphold the mission and culture of APA! in a positive manner across all activities.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Google Apps
Fluency in English and Spanish desired

Responsibilities

Train and lead all staff and volunteer placement coordinators
Maintain a positive and respectful attitude towards each of our individual fosters, recognizing them as valuable volunteers. Assess their skills, requirements, and preferences to provide tailored support and guidance.
Oversee the creation and distribution of communications across various platforms (email, phone, text, social media) to effectively recruit fosters.
Monitor daily RescueCat emails, coordinate pulling animals with Neonatal Managers
Work with transport volunteers to coordinate the transport of neonatal animals and supplies from shelters and foster homes
Act as a primary point of contact for fosters and volunteer mentors
Work with the Intake Team to prioritize outside-shelter neonatal program animal rescues
Vet potential fosters to determine overall program eligibility
Guide fosters through the application, training, and foster matchmaking process
Maintain up-to-date records of all neonatal foster parents using the ShelterLuv database, and program-specific spreadsheets
Maintain familiarity with the program’s most experienced and medically advanced fosters, including those able to take on emergency placements
Maintain up-to-date records of all neonatal program animals in need of fosters, as well as those already placed in foster, using both the ShelterLuv database and program-specific spreadsheets
Market kittens and puppies to fosters, including writing urgent pleas, photographing onsite animals, and reaching out to fosters directly via email, text, or phone
Match potential fosters to specific animals based on foster interests and skill level
Repurpose fosters for different animals based on priority placement deadlines and care needs
Hand off puppies and kittens to foster parents, including arranging pick up & drop off timing, fulfilling supply requests, and explaining medications
Work closely with other Placement Specialists to determine division of labor & delegation of tasks
Maintain an onsite presence to handle onsite foster customer service experiences and assist in tasks relating to foster placements
Provide excellent customer service to fosters via phone, text, email, and in person
Train fosters both virtually and in person on feeding neonatal animals and administering medications
Assist Neonatal Care team as needed with administering medication, feeding neonates by hand, completing intake exams, and data entry
Disinfect crates and carriers per nursery protocols and share in nursery upkeep
Comply with the APA! Core Values.
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—not siloed
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
Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager
Attend and participate in essential trainings covering fundamental cat husbandry practices and techniques for administering medications
Assist with Tarrytown Cattery-specific tasks such as care, cleaning, and adoption processing.
Collaborate closely with the Cat Coordinators to enhance the foster-to-event process, streamline foster communication, and boost event promotion efforts.
Able to demonstrate time management to complete job responsibilities
Off-season support in other APA! departments based on needs
Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
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
Other duties, as needed

Benefits

Subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage
Subsidized and voluntary life insurance
Voluntary dental options
Voluntary vision options
Voluntary short-term disability options
Voluntary wellness plans
Voluntary emergency sick plans
Up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan
Supplemental benefits
Flexible spending accounts
Additional life coverage
10 paid holidays
10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment.
Professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life-saving work.