Adoption Services Specialist

Do you have excellent customer service skills? Are you passionate about seeing animals find their forever homes? 🐾 Come work as an Adoption Services Specialist for Animal Humane Society, where caring for animals isn’t just a job – it’s our passion. We are on a mission to compassionately and responsibly create a more humane world for animals and their people

Job Summary: The Adoptions Services Specialist is responsible for providing a positive visitor experience by engaging with visitors, assisting visitors with animal visitations, providing animal information, and completing animal adoptions.

Pay Rate: $16/hour

Benefits (see additional benefits below):

· Health, dental and vision insurance

· 15 Days Paid Time Off (PTO) accrued in your first year

· 9 paid holidays + 4 floating holidays (per full calendar year)

· 401k Retirement Plan

Schedule: 40 hours per week; 8-hour shifts

• Set schedule of Tuesday-Saturday (Sundays & Mondays off)
• Saturday: shift time between 9:45a-6:15p
• Tuesday-Friday: shift times between 11:45a-8:15p

Location: Woodbury, MN

Application Process: 1 30-minute virtual interview

What you'll be doing:

Adoption Services:

• Greet visitors and promptly respond to animal inquiries and questions.
• Assist visitors with animal visitations.
• Act as an educational resource for basic breed, animal care, animal history, and behavior information.
• Continually observe adoption area to ensure all individuals’ needs are met. 
• Thoroughly explain the adoption process.
• Complete adoptions, ensuring all transaction paperwork and computer records are accurate.
• Prepare adopters for success by selling merchandise and suggesting services that best suits their needs.
• Accurately process animal adoptions, holds, and merchandise sales in accordance with established procedures and guidelines.
• Safely restrain cats and dogs for microchipping.
• Follow established procedures to microchip cats and dogs.
• Responsibly handle cash and credit transactions and adhere to procedures with respect to all receivables.
• Maintain merchandise area including displaying, cleaning, stocking, checking-in, and storing of product.
• Carry out housekeeping and cleaning procedures, including in animal areas.
• Escalate visitor concerns, animal needs or issues as appropriate.

Communication and Culture:

• Communicate in a positive and professional manner with visitors, other employees, and volunteers.
• Promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion to make AHS a welcoming environment for all.

Technology:

• Review animal records in PetPoint.
• Utilize multiline phone system and Language Line phone service.
• Utilize tablets for processing adoptions, reviewing animal records, accessing Language Line, and completing inventory counts. 
• Manage and view work schedule in Makeshift.
• Clock in and out of shifts using ADP.
• Monitor AHS email and other messaging software.

Other duties as assigned.

Additional Information:

Schedule and Attendance:

• Required to be on time to scheduled shifts during operational hours which may include evenings, weekends and holidays.
• May be required to work at a different site based on department needs.
• May be required to attend occasional off-site meetings and events.
• Attend and participate in regular team meetings and one-on-one meetings with direct leader.

Work Environment:

• Environment can be dirty, wet, warm and humid.
• Exposure to zoonotic diseases and pests such as fleas and ticks.
• Possibility of being bitten or scratched.
• Exposure to unpleasant odors, chemicals and noises, including barking.
• May be exposed to extreme weather conditions including but not limited to cold, heat, rain and snow when outside.

What we're looking for:

Experience:

• Customer service, sales, and animal handling experience preferred.

Skills:

• Strong customer services and communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and multi-tasking skills.
• Proficient with computers, specifically a working knowledge of Microsoft products.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift, carry, and handle animals and other items up to 50 lbs. unassisted.  For animals and other items over 50 lbs., assistance from another team member is required. 
• Prolonged periods of standing and walking.
• Must be able to restrain cats and dogs while microchipping.

Emotional Demands:

• Ability to be emotionally resilient while working in a shelter setting.
• Must be comfortable handling a variety of animals with a wide range of behavioral and medical needs, including the use of humane euthanasia.
• Must be comfortable with animal body fluids including urine, feces, and blood.
• Must be comfortable with needles used for microchipping cats and dogs.

Transportation:

• Reliable transportation required.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required for this role. Duties, responsibilities and requirements may change at any time with or without notice.

About AHS 

Every year, Animal Humane Society provides direct care and services to help thousands of animals in need across Minnesota. 

As one of the nation's leading animal welfare organizations, AHS is transforming the way shelters care for animals and engage their communities. From innovative medical and behavior programs to investments in outreach and advocacy, we’re advancing animal welfare and creating a more humane world for animals everywhere. 

Why Work Here  

• Make a difference in the lives of animals and people  
• Join a team of coworkers who love animals as much as you do  
• Work-life balance  
• Unique animal adoption benefits and discounts on veterinary care, pet supplies, and animal training classes   
• Health insurance coverage for full time staff includes the following: medical, dental, vision, health savings account, flexible spending account for health care expenses and dependent care, voluntary accident insurance, and employee ­paid supplemental life, accidental death & dismemberment and long term disability insurance.  
• Employer paid benefits for full time staff includes the following: basic life insurance, basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance, short-term disability  
• Support for student loans: we are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualified employer 
• Mental Health and Counseling Support: all employees have access to our Employee Assistance Program with 3 free counseling sessions per year  
• 401k for part-time and full-time staff  
• Nine paid holidays for full-time staff  
• Paid floating holidays for part-time and full-time staff (up to 4 days per year based on start date)  
• Paid Time Off for part time and full time staff (amount is based on hours worked and FTE status)  
• Paid parent leave for full-time staff  

 Our Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: 

As an organization dedicated to making the world a more humane and compassionate place for animals, we know that people are at the heart of all that we do. Animal Humane Society’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity is essential to our mission and shapes our culture, our work, and the services we provide. 

At AHS we embrace and honor the inherent dignity and diverse experiences of our team members, volunteers, board members, partners, clients, and visitors, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, or income. Working together to instill equity and inclusivity within our organization will allow us to better serve the people and animals of Minnesota, and ultimately have a positive impact on animals in our care.