Adoptions/Outcomes Specialist - West Los Angeles, CA

Location: 1845 Pontius Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025

Hiring Range: This position’s hiring range is anticipated to be $21 per hour to $23 per hour, depending on experience, plus great benefits!

Schedule: The schedule for this role is anticipated to be Thursday – Monday 10:30 am – 7:30 pm

Position Summary: Adoptions/Outcomes Specialists are responsible for connecting pets with their potential adoptive families through superior customer service and relationship building to set both the animal and new family up for success.

The Adoptions/Outcomes Specialist should model the Best Friends culture of warm, welcoming hospitality with visitors and guests at every touch point when visiting a Best Friends Lifesaving Center to create longstanding connections with the visitor and the organization’s lifesaving mission.

Culture Statement and Responsibility: We believe in treating everyone with kindness and compassion, building trust through authenticity and following through on commitments. We prioritize well-being alongside our mission, fostering strong relationships through open communication and transparent feedback. Diversity and inclusion are integral to our culture, enriching team dynamics by valuing diverse perspectives. Each team member is responsible for creating an inclusive environment where all voices are respected and contributing to a workplace that embodies our shared values and commitment to progress. By consistently aligning our actions with our Guiding Principles, we strengthen our culture and ensure that our values are lived every day.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Promote, coordinate, and facilitate animal placements, including animals in foster, by matching potential adopters with animals looking for homes; counsel on pet history and needs, and provide medical and behavior support and information to set up adopters for success; support pet adoption opportunities through events, offsite adoption meet-and-greets and identify pet retention opportunities to help expand Best Friends’ lifesaving capacity.
• Develop a general knowledge of the animals in Best Friends’ care; assist adopters by gathering information to match them with appropriate animals, arranging introductions, pet-to-pet meetings; acquiring/providing medical records, health certificates (when necessary), follow-ups as needed or required.
• Create a welcoming and engaging environment to enhance overall visitor satisfaction and support Best Friends Animal Society’s mission; provide superior customer service to all Lifesaving Center visitors and use each interaction as opportunity to develop and engage individuals to support the organizational goals for constituent journey development.
• Assist with the creation of engaging content for social media platforms; work collaboratively with other departments and marketing teams to identify engagement opportunities with social media and PR to support lifesaving outcomes and programmatic needs at the center. Represent Best Friends in media relations when requested and ensure to maintain Best Friends’ voice across all communications.
• Assist other teams in providing basic care such as feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals housed or transported within Best Friends’ vehicles, buildings, or facilities; follow all policies and local standard operating procedures when completing daily functions to ensure health and safety standards are upheld.
• Work collaboratively with and assist Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to develop, evolve, and implement efficient processes to achieve lifesaving goals; follow policies, procedures, and task lists, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping. 
• Responsible for maintaining a safe workplace, valuing, and modeling safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating about unsafe practices and conditions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Experience:

• Well versed/experienced in providing a high level of customer service and possesses a passion for engaging with people, building connections, and providing a positive and memorable experience.

• Prior experience working or volunteering in animal welfare, including with conversation-based adoptions or a willingness to learn, is preferred.

• Excellent communications skills (verbal and written), comfort with regularly communicating with members of the public and potential adopters in person and via phone or email; ability to professionally advocate Best Friends’ position on issues.

• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills are preferred but not required. 
• Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues; familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process. 
• Basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats. 
• Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.   
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.  
• Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; initiative to assist in any area or process; problem solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; flexibility to persist until goals are achieved. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products; familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn. 

Physical Requirements:

• Routinely lift 40 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.
• Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, sitting, walking, arm, and hand motion.
• Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
• Exposure to dogs, cats and other animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical status. Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns.
• Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.