Job Purpose                                                                                                                                

At the Humane Society for Hamilton County, caring for animals isn’t just a job – it’s our passion. The impact we make is life-changing for the animals in our care and the people who love them. If you would like to spend your work days with animals in our beautiful new state-of-the-art facility and make a difference, the Cattery Attendant position may be the perfect fit for you!

The purpose of our Intake & Adoption Counselor team is to ensure that all incoming and outgoing animals are properly accounted for at HSHC. The primary focus and expertise will be on providing an exceptional level of customer service to all patrons while having the ability to learn Animal Sheltering. As part of the Intake & Adoption Counselor team your focus will be the pre-approval of adoption applicants, finalizing adoptions, completing animal surrenders with compassion, reuniting lost animals with their owners, and educating the public. The Intake & Adoption Counselor team is a group of liaisons that connect the public to various departments of HSHC.

As part of the Adoption Counselor team you will interact with many people on a daily basis. You will interact frequently with the general public, donors, and HSHC volunteers. Your communication skills should extend from in-person interactions to electronic mediums, such as e-mails and phone calls. A core value for HSHC is to provide a positive experience to those interested in helping animals. We aim to help every animal, and understand that our interactions with the public are the first step towards placing animals in their forever homes. Depending on the needs identified you should be able to multitask in a quick manner to provide support in the area of intakes, adoptions, and front- line customer service.

Duties & Responsibilities                                                                                                                                

The Intake & Adoption Counselor will be responsible for coordinating the daily activities of the customer service department including, but not limited to:

• Be the primary contact for incoming customers by greeting them and directing them towards the right area of the building for their needs.
• Answer phones, retrieve messages, and route calls appropriately.
• Respond to e-mails daily and in a timely manner.
• Monitor Lost & Found animal websites for possible re-unification.
•  Process and pre-approve adoption applications in Pet Point while also counseling and acting as a matchmaker to pair potential adopters with appropriate animals.
• Facilitate all adoption paperwork and processing, while reviewing adoption applications. This will also include conducting minor interviews with adoption candidates to ensure appropriate placement of animals.
• Facilitate all intake paperwork and processing
• Be an Animal Care Resource for the public by providing pertinent information regarding animal welfare.
• Counsel the public on shelter diversion during animal intakes.
• Accurately enter data into Pet Point.
• Process and distribute donations.
• File and organize documents in their appropriate areas.
• Work a part of a team to ensure that daily checklists are completed.
• Communicate effectively with other HSHC departments.
• Reconcile cash drawer and credit card totals during the end of the day process.
• Address any concerns with potential adopters professionally, promptly and courteously that may occur during the approval process.
• Alert your manager and other appropriate managers regarding any concerns that arise within your department, including animal or customer emergencies/injuries, in a professional and timely manner.
• Stay compliant with HSHC’s safety, sanitation, and personnel policies as outlined in our Employee Handbook and departmental protocols.
• Maintain clean and organized storage and work areas including, but not limited to: Admissions lobby, Adoptions lobby, Retail area, Adoption cubes, Publicly accessible restrooms, vestibules, and public walkways.
• Performs additional duties as assigned.
• Embrace and foster a positive, “whatever it takes” culture throughout the department.
• Have a minimum of 1 year of experience demonstrating customer service skills.
• Be Fear-Free Certified or the ability to do so.
• Be highly proficient using a computer including experience using Microsoft Office, email, and entering/searching for information in data management software such as Pet Point, Excel, or another equivalent database.
• Be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. without health risk.
• Be able to perform physical activity (bend/stand/lift) for 8-10 hours a day.
• Be able to multitask, problem-solve and prioritize appropriately.
• Be an excellent communicator—both written and verbal.
• Be comfortable navigating difficult and stressful situations that may require conflict resolution between employees and/or customers.
• Be able to pivot and react quickly to unplanned challenges that often occur in our world each day.
• Be flexible to work some nights and weekends.
• Thrive in a fast-paced work environment where you are surrounded by the distractions of animal sounds, smells, and their respective allergens.

Qualifications, Applicants must:                                                                                                                                        

Philosophically

• Embrace and foster a positive, “whatever it takes” culture throughout the department.

·       Embrace our No-Kill Philosophy

Hard Skills

• Have a minimum of 1 year of experience demonstrating customer service skills.
• Be Fear-Free Certified or the ability to do so.
• Be highly proficient using a computer including experience using Microsoft Office, email, and entering/searching for information in data management software such as Pet Point, Excel, or another equivalent database.
• Be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. without health risk.
• Be able to perform physical activity (bend/stand/lift) for 8-10 hours a day.

Soft Skills/Other

·       Be a self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills and initiative.

• Be able to multitask, problem-solve and prioritize appropriately.
• Be an excellent communicator—both written and verbal.
• Be comfortable navigating difficult and stressful situations that may require conflict resolution between employees and/or customers.
• Be able to pivot and react quickly to unplanned challenges that often occur in our world each day.
• Be flexible to work some nights and weekends.
• Thrive in a fast-paced work environment where you are surrounded by the distractions of animal sounds, smells, and their respective allergens.