Adoption Counselor

Humane Society of Southern Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona is seeking an Adoption Counselor to support the Adoption Lobby and PAWSH store, providing excellent customer service, compassionate animal care, and smooth adoption processes. You will greet guests, assist adopters, handle paperwork, manage merchandise, and help maintain a clean, safe shelter environment.

This full-time position requires strong communication and reliability.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent with customer service experience.
• Experience in the care and handling of animals preferred.
• Valid Arizona driver’s license and driving record acceptable to HSSA insurance carrier.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in a professional, polite and enthusiastic manner.
• Provide welcoming service by greeting and assisting guests, and respond to inquiries and complaints to ensure excellent customer service.
• Provide counseling on animal care and adoption processes to potential adopters at the time of adoption.
• Match potential adopters with shelter animals or other HSSA programs according to open adoption practices.
• Facilitate dog-to-dog meet and greets and human/shelter pet meet and greets.
• Process adoption paperwork, including contracts and medical waivers.
• Promote repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising through excellent customer relations.

Skills

Customer Service

Typing

Phone etiquette

Record keeping

Breed identification

Animal handling

Education

High School diploma or equivalent with customer service experience

Job description

EOE Statement It is the policy of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Inc. to provide all persons with equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other factor protected by law.

Category Animal Care

Description

Under direct supervision, performs the day-to-day operational duties of the HSSA Adoption Lobby/PAWSH store, including animal care, customer service, cash handling, retail merchandising, and facilities cleaning and restocking. Ensures the constant humane care and handling of all animals. Responsible for providing and maintaining excellent customer service relations between staff and the public at-large and HSSA employees and volunteers. Perform retail sales of merchandise at the main campus PAWSH or Park Place PAWSH.

Essential duties and Responsibilities:

• Represent the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in a professional, polite and enthusiastic manner.
• Provide welcoming service by greeting and assisting guests, and responding to guest inquiries and complaints to ensure excellent levels of customer service are maintained at all times.
• Provide appropriate counseling on animal care, animal behaviors, introduction of a new pet into the home, etc. to potential adopters at the time of adoption.
• Match potential adopters with a shelter animal or other HSSA programs in accordance to open adoption practices.
• Facilitate and evaluate dog to dog meet and greets and human and shelter pet meet and greets.
• Participate in dog playgroups and cat socialization.
• Process adoption paperwork, including Microchip forms, Adoption Contracts, Medical Waivers and the Adoption Checklist.
• Promote repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising through the building of excellent customer relations.
• Promote 501c3 status; competitive prices, tax-free and all proceeds go back to the shelter to help more HSSA animals.
• Maintains a comprehensive knowledge of all PAWSH merchandise.
• Offers knowledgeable advice to adopters and all guests, about what their pet needs to go home and what enrichment the pet might want, to keep them as returning customers. (More than just leashes and collars)
• Help the guest select food, harnesses, bowls, bedding, toys, grooming tools, training and enrichment supplies
• Enforce and maintain safety and cleanliness, and all health and security rules and procedures.
• Participate in and ensure the fundamentals of animal care including all record and reporting procedures, the safe handling and transportation of animals, and the proper cleaning and maintenance of the shelter facilities.
• May load animals in transport vehicles and take from Shelter to Off‑Site location.
• Maintain cooperative, reciprocal relationships with all On and Off‑Site location personnel.
• Participate in Adoption Events for HSSA as assigned.
• Observe animal health problems and refer for proper care and treatment.
• Coordinate all animal care procedures with Leads to ensure that best practices are followed and maintained.
• Coordinate all customer service complaints with Lead to ensure that best practices are followed and maintained.
• Provide enrichment to animals as directed by Manager.
• Organize and maintain all materials necessary for adoption of animals, including but not limited to applications, contracts, office supplies, and educational and promotional materials.
• Responsible for the safety of the animals and the public.
• Perform customer service to the standards set forth in HSSA’s employee manual.
• May drive shelter vehicle in performance of shelter business.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions: Work is performed at an animal shelter in lobby/kennel/cat room areas. Potential exposure to zoonotic diseases, high noise levels, hazardous chemicals, and sharp objects, lift up to 50 lb. Job requires bending, stooping and reaching. Potential exposure of infectious diseases to owned animals.

Position Requirements

Performance Factors and Necessary Skills:

• Communication and Contact: The Adoption Counselor communicates effectively both verbally and in writing with superiors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside of HSSA and has tact and above average communication and customer service skills.
• Attendance and Dependability: The Adoption Counselor can be depended on to report to work at the scheduled time and is seldom absent from work and can be depended upon to complete work in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner and is conscientious about assignments.
• Relationships with Others: The Adoption Counselor works effectively and relates well with others including superiors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside of HSSA and exhibits a professional manner in dealing with others and works to maintain constructive working relationships.

Skills:

• Demonstrated Excellent Customer Service
• Typing, computer and general office work experience
• Knowledge of phone etiquette.
• Willingness to make and receive phone calls.
• Knowledge of simple business mathematics skills and accurate record keeping.
• Considerable knowledge of breed identification.
• Preferred animal handling.

Qualifications/Educational Background:

• High School graduate with customer service experience.
• Experience in the care and handling of animals preferred
• Possession of a valid Arizona driver’s license and driving record acceptable to HSSA insurance carrier.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions or qualifications associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, for example, emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological breakdowns in departments.

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Compensation & Benefits 15.25

Temporary

Position Adoption Counselor

Close Date

Number of Openings 1

Exempt/Non-Exempt Non-Exempt

Hiring Manager(s) Kaitlyn Pappas

Location Humane Society of Southern AZ

About the Organization The Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA), founded in 1944, is a private, independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization with the mission of acting with compassion and responsible stewardship through innovative programs that serve pets and the people who love them. HSSA is the largest charitable animal welfare and protection agency in Southern Arizona with 100+ employees and 1300 volunteers. In 2018, HSSA moved into a new state-of the-art animal shelter and spay/neuter clinic.

Vision: A community in which all pets are cared for and loved

As staff of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, we pledge to be committed to our team as we are to the organizations mission. We will foster a compassionate environment for each other, our volunteers, and the human and animal clients we serve; empowering one another with knowledge, empathy, encouragement and recognition. We aim to eliminate negativity, support positive and effective communication, promote individual and organizational growth, and work as a cohesive team at all times regardless of tenure, position or department.

HSSA values and and champions diversity and inclusion. these values are part of who we are. Together we will continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices of our HSSA team and teh communities we serve.

This position is currently accepting applications.