#132103 Volunteer Resources Specialist

DEPARMENT OVERVIEW

Birch Aquarium at Scripps is a non-profit exploration center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The aquarium showcases over 60 habitats of fish and invertebrates. The interactive museum features research discoveries by Scripps scientists and engages visitors of all ages.

Our goal is to promote conservation efforts that protect our ocean planet. We educate visitors on how our world works and inspire them to become stewards of the planet. Our conservation efforts are based on scientific research, and we aim to connect people with nature and with a shared sense of responsibility to care for our planet Earth.

Location: 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, CA 92037.

aquarium.ucsd.edu

POSITION DESCRIPTION

In this role, the primary responsibility is to coordinate and administer the volunteer program at Birch Aquarium, which involves working with approximately 300 volunteers and scheduling around 150 shifts weekly. This entails finding replacements for vacant shifts and rearranging volunteers to ensure optimal coverage. Developing and maintaining positive, long-term relationships with volunteers is crucial, as is monitoring their performance to meet or exceed Birch Aquariums high standards for customer service, content accuracy, visitor inclusiveness, and interpretive excellence.

An understanding of the needs of the units requesting volunteer support is expected to be acquired in order to effectively match individual volunteers to operational needs. The role also includes providing work direction and guidance to student employees, which involves tasks such as data entry, report generation, scheduling, supporting volunteer training, responding to inquiries, and general clerical support. Ensuring compliance with Birch Aquarium-UCSD policies and procedures for volunteer staff, including safety and security regulations, is a key responsibility. Additionally, serving as the Volunteer Resources representative and advocate at meetings and events as assigned by the Volunteer Program Manager is part of the role.

The position requires managing the distribution of volunteer uniforms, badges, parking codes, and other resources, and maintaining a complex and integrated volunteer database with support from a third-party vendor. Coordination with UC San Diego HR for approval and extension of volunteer positions, managing appointments, tracking compliance with vaccine and training requirements, and generating various reports are also part of the job. Updating Volunteer Resources communication media to ensure accuracy and consistency, participating in long-range and development planning for Volunteer Resources, staying abreast of industry trends, and participating in the development of aquarium exhibits are other essential duties. Fielding emails and calls from potential and existing volunteers is a regular task.

In the recruitment and retention area, the role involves assisting staff to identify their volunteer needs, qualifications, and schedules, and implementing a recruitment plan that includes marketing, orientation, processing, and record-keeping. Screening and interviewing volunteers, ensuring a sufficient and diverse group of volunteers to meet staff needs, and collaborating with staff for appropriate training and mentoring of volunteers are also crucial. The position requires acting as a liaison between volunteers and staff, ensuring respectful treatment of volunteers, assisting in planning an annual volunteer appreciation event, and maintaining relationships with volunteer resources administrators and experts.

For internships, the role coordinates recruitment and processing efforts for both long- and short-term opportunities, establishes communication procedures with local, regional, and national venues, and provides reports and updates to appropriate staff.

As interpretive support, the role supports Education and Public Programs staff in coordinating and administering interpretive programs and covers interpretive positions on the floor as needed.

In terms of training, the role involves conducting volunteer training on aquarium operations, interpretive best practices, and safe animal handling, as well as supporting the development and coordination of new volunteer training and updating existing training programs.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with Volunteer Resources for a non-profit organization, including scheduling, motivating, recruitment and retention.

• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring skills.

• Proven ability to organize and supervise a large group of volunteers with efficiency and success.

• Proven ability to lead interviews, extract opinions and interests, and assess skills and aptitude.

• Proficiency working with relational database systems, word processing and calendar programs, including Google drive, Google calendar, Google sheets, Google docs, Google slides, Adobe, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft excel, and Zoom.

• Strong customer service experience.

• Demonstrated ability to work with shifting priorities and constant interruptions, and function in a high-energy environment.

• Willingness and ability to take initiative and work with little supervision.

• Proven ability to establish priorities and reliably meet objectives and deadlines.

• Ability to make sound judgments and decisions.

• Strong English language communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to express ideas effectively, listen actively and give constructive feedback.

• Experience working with audiences of diverse ages, ethnicities, and educational backgrounds.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team or independently.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Schedule is Tuesday through Saturday and may be flexed to accommodate holidays, evenings, and/or special events, as needed. Some programs involve outdoor activities and may require lifting tanks and equipment plus handling live organisms.

• Background and fingerprint checks required.

Duties may require direct contact with children (defined as individuals under the age of 18); completion of the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) training will be required. Must meet CANRA compliance requirements per the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act ("CANRA," Penal Code sections 11164-11174.4).

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.

UC San Diego is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.

For the University of Californias Affirmative Action Policy please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20
For the University of Californias Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.