Seasonal Animal Care at CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region

Elgin, Texas, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

07 Oct, 26

Salary

17.0

Posted On

09 Jul, 26

Experience

0 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Animal Handling, Animal Care, Sanitation Protocols, Volunteer Coordination, Customer Service, Time Management, Interpersonal Communication, Observation and Reporting, Animal Behavior Knowledge, Basic Animal Health Knowledge

Industry

Hospitals and Health Care

Description

Seasonal Animal Care Technician APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work. The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service. POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Transport Care Technician is responsible for ensuring all dogs and cats in the Transport program at APA! have a clean living environment, are fed, watered, and have all their needs met. This position works closely with the Transport Coordinators in assisting with unloading and loading animals on and off transports, kennel preparation, and van preparation. This role will work closely with a team of volunteers to complete daily tasks. This role is focused on animal care and transport program support, and is fundamental to the transport program’s success and lifesaving impact in Texas shelters. The Animal Care Technician plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s Care Team. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for shelter operations. The Animal Care Technician is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork. APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Animal Care Technician collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect. This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need. Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: * Actively contribute to a volunteer-powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment * Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed * Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program * Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work * Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager * Contribute to a positive culture by recognizing volunteer contributions through appreciation, gratitude, and shoutouts * Help set volunteers up for success by clearly explaining tasks, providing hands-on guidance, and offering in-the-moment support * Perform basic observations and report the general behavior and health of animals in all departments of the program * Adhere to strict sanitation protocols specific to each program * Ability to clean animal habitats including * scooping litter boxes * removing feces * replacing soiled bedding * disposing of litter/debris * scrubbing and sanitizing rooms and/or kennels * replenishing water bowls * sanitizing play yards * Perform deep clean tasks on a regularly scheduled basis * Sweep and mop floors daily * Empty trash in all assigned areas * Wash and sanitize dirty litter boxes * Wash and sanitize dirty food and water bowls * Wash dirty laundry * Restock essential supplies * Maintain special feeding protocols for certain animals. * Work collaborative and in a positive manner with all volunteers and staff. * Walk dogs as needed and rotate into play yards. * Set up dog and cat kennels, with fresh water, food, and bedding. * Meet transporters bringing dogs and cats to APA and assist with loading/unloading. * Customer service and help potential adopters, volunteers, and visitors. * Walk dogs and take cats to their appropriate kennels, and ensure they have kennel cards. * Assist with van and kennel cleaning and preparation for transport. * Assist with transport load ups, for both vans and flights. * Occasionally able to transport animals safely and humanely between locations in APA! Transport vehicle. * Assist Veterinarians with holding dogs/cats for physical exams, and other treatments as necessary for transport animals. Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager OTHER FUNCTIONS: * Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills * Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings * Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues * Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis * Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned * Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed * Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment * Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS: * Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart * Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations * Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission * Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles * Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members * Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials * Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively * Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations * Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality * Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed * Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience * Must be able to handle all animals with kindness at all times without exception. * Act with integrity at all times. * Must be able to work in a high volume, fast paced, high stress environment. Self motivated, great attitude, and team-oriented. * Work efficiently with minimal oversight to complete all duties and responsibilities. * Safely work with and around animals of varying temperaments. * Attention to detail, able to follow directions * Timely and good attendance * Effectively communicate with others in person, on the phone, and through email. * Basic experience in animal handling and care * Basic knowledge of common animal health conditions * Basic knowledge of animal behavior * Desire to engage in regular networking and partnership building. * Solution oriented, positive attitude when encountering challenges or barriers. * Interest in growing and expanding a program on a state and national level. * Must have a valid driver's license and insurance. PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS: * Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds * Must be able to push/pull a large cart over uneven ground * Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather * Be able to bend and use your arms in a repetitive manner * Can be on your feet for an entire 8 hour shift * Must have physical strength to perform cleaning duties quickly and on schedule * If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization. WORK ENVIRONMENT: * Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, fluids, debris, and chemicals * High levels of noise, such as dogs barking * Potential for animal bites, scratches, and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people * Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs TIME COMMITMENT: * This is a seasonal part-time, nonexempt position with up to 29 hours per week, based on business need * Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change * Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed LOCATION(S): * APA! Transport Hub Facility, 929 Old McDade Rd, Elgin, TX * May travel to offsite locations as needed BENEFITS: All employees are eligible for access to an Employee Assistance Program, Discounted Perks Programs, fully subsidized Pet Insurance and time off incentives. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT: Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply. Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation. APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org at least one week in advance of your interview.

Responsibilities

Responsible for maintaining a clean and safe environment for dogs and cats within the transport program, including feeding, watering, and habitat sanitation. Collaborates closely with volunteers and coordinators to assist with the loading and unloading of animals during transport operations.