Program Specialist, Volunteer Engagement

Oregon Humane•Portland, OR

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Specialist, Volunteer Engagement plays a key role in ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and overall quality of the Portland volunteer program. This role provides coaching, behavior and safety oversight, training delivery, and onthefloor leadership. The Specialist also holds shared administrative responsibilities, including approving schedule changes, filling urgent coverage gaps, reviewing onboarding documentation, contributing to communications, and supporting event logistics. This position works closely with the Coordinator, Volunteer Engagement, who manages scheduling, onboarding logistics, and database accuracy. The Specialist partners with and escalates higherlevel issues to the Manager, Volunteer Engagement, who provides strategic direction, sets program standards, and holds final decisionmaking authority on volunteer behavior, policy interpretation, and complex operational or safety concerns.

Requirements

Able to work independently and exercise sound judgment.
Able to maintain a professional demeanor during all interactions with the public, partner agencies, donors, staff, and volunteers.
Able to learn and quickly navigate relevant volunteer management software solutions.
Albe to perform data entry with a high level of accuracy.
Proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, respectful, and professional manner.
Able to work one weekend day on a regular basis, and evenings and holidays as needed.
Able to be CPR/First Aid certified if needed.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience working with youth or adults in a volunteer or similar environment.
Familiarity with Oregon Humane’s programming and operations.
Experience supporting volunteers or staff in a role that requires clear communication, organization and follow-through.
Experience coaching and mentoring volunteers.

Responsibilities

Serves as a primary point of contact for volunteer behavior, safety, coaching, and rolerelated questions.
Provides timely, compassionate, and clear guidance to volunteers navigating expectations, boundaries, and role responsibilities.
Responsible for coaching, counseling, documentation and progressive discipline steps; recommends volunteers for termination of service to Manger, Volunteer Engagement, as needed.
Supports staff in understanding how to effectively integrate volunteers and address concerns.
Reinforces with volunteers attendance expectations, communication norms, and safety protocols.
In partnership with Manager, Volunteer Engagement, supports conflict resolution among volunteers, staff, and guests, escalating to Manager when appropriate.
Maintains a calm, supportive presence during challenging interactions, modeling OHS values.
Reviews onboarding documentation for accuracy, completeness, and role fit.
Creates and maintains documentation of coaching conversations, behavior concerns, and followup actions.
Tracks training completion, compliance with safety protocols, and volunteer behavior trends.
Collaborates with the Coordinator and Data Specialist to ensure volunteer records and training data are accurate and uptodate.
Uses data to identify patterns in volunteer behavior, safety issues, or training needs and communicates these to the Manager, Volunteer Engagement.
Approves schedule changes and fills urgent coverage gaps to support operational needs.
Contributes to volunteer communications, including safety reminders, training updates, and role expectations.
Supports event logistics and provides onsite leadership with Coordinator and Manager during volunteersupported events.
Participates in volunteer orientations and trainings, reinforcing expectations and safety standards.
Designs modifications or accommodations for volunteers of varying abilities in collaboration with the Manager and Coordinator.
Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information and models appropriate boundaries.
Upholds safety guidelines and takes immediate action to address behavior or procedural concerns.
Works with animals on an occasional basis, modeling safe and appropriate handling.
Serves as secondary role responsible for volunteer email inbox management.