Admissions Specialist

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is currently seeking an Admissions Specialist to join our team. This is a full-time FLSA nonexempt opportunity. 

Since 1897, HSSW has been the leader in animal welfare across Southwest Washington. With an annual operating budget of $15 million, we are the largest and most innovative animal welfare organization in the region. Our shelter campuses in Vancouver and Longview, WA serve more than 10,000 animals each year, providing high-quality care, medical services, and the compassion they deserve. 

Our community-based approach helps keep pets and people together. Through the Nierenberg Community Veterinary Clinic, the Sandra Richardson Miller Mobile Veterinary Clinic, the Swigert Family Behavior & Training Center, and programs like free pet food and other essential resources, we serve more than 18,000 owned animals annually expanding access to affordable veterinary care, spay/neuter, training, and support. 

We also own and operate ReTails Thrift Store, a top shopping destination named Best Thrift Store in Clark County for eight consecutive years, providing vital funding for our mission. 

At HSSW, you’ll find an innovative, high-energy culture where your passion for animals and people can make a real difference. We’re looking for team members who want to be part of something bigger: supporting pets, strengthening families, and shaping the future of animal welfare in Southwest Washington. HSSW has been honored as Best Non-Profit for two years running—a recognition of our impact and leadership in the community. 

Admissions Specialist

The mission of the Admissions Specialist is to assist community members in working through a multitude of potentially emotional situations without judgement. From owner requested surrender of beloved pets to assisting community cat populations to redeeming pets back to their families, the Admissions Specialist will be in service to community members working through some of their toughest life choices. The ideal candidate will be a community minded individual who is detail focused, passionate about progressive animal sheltering, and who will see a bright future with a leading shelter in the Pacific Northwest. 

Providing excellent service to patrons in a fast-paced admissions center that serves over eight thousand animals per year, the Admissions Specialist takes a one team approach to daily work with other employees and volunteers. This position partners with animal control intakes, including large-scale seizures, lost & found program, and ensuring processes are updated as needed and adhered to. The Admissions Specialist critical work on the team to ensures consistent and effective pathway planning for newly arrived animals and ensure community access to surrender prevention support to reduce intake.

The position requires a person with interest, enthusiasm, and affinity for working with a diverse group of people and animals, excellent verbal, and written communication skills. This position takes a one team approach to working with fellow staff, volunteers, and workforce partners. Admissions Specialist positions are FLSA non-exempt and may be either full-time (between thirty & forty hours per week) or part-time (less than thirty hours per week), reporting to the Population and Pathway Manager.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Level 1

• Provide high quality customer service to patrons and co-workers.
• Provide prompt in-person and telephone customer service.
• Conduct the admission of stray and relinquished animals following safety and intake protocols, enter computer data and complete necessary paperwork.
• Perform lost and found program duties to assist patrons seeking lost animals. 
• Provide essential animal care, as necessary.
• Take immediate action to bring shelter-related issues, incidents, or equipment failures to the attention of supervisor.
• Actively solicit donations from clients, assist with accepting in-kind donations
• Actively promote HSSW programs and events to clients, volunteers, and staff
• Keep appropriate teams informed of animal behavior and health concerns. 
• Maintain accurate kennel and computer records. 
• Perform data entry tasks throughout the day and work with multi-line phone systems.
• Keep service desk areas orderly, stocked and cleaned following disinfection protocol.

Level 2

• Perform all essential duties and primary responsibilities as Level 1. 
• With acquired knowledge, skills, and abilities perform as an independent decision maker in all aspects of Admissions with policies, procedures, and SOPs. 
• Mentor and train fellow admissions team staff and volunteers to perform essential duties efficiently and effectively.
• Perform liaison duties for cases and intakes with animal control officers.
• Provide follow-up reports and documentation on animals with a court hold or protective custody statuses. 
• Trained in cat and dog handling, safely bunking intakes in holding areas independently from care teams.
• Easily identify and speak to community resource programs and HSSW intake diversion tactics to keep people and pets together. 
• Proficiently and securely handle deceased animals upon arrival (DOAs) and serve as a designated key holder for White Pod 

General Expectations

• Always represent HSSW in a professional and courteous manner. Providing high quality service to customers and co-workers.
• Maintain a positive, cooperative relationship with all departments and co-workers to promote a team effort in all interactions.
• Follow all safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment. Take immediate action to address any safety concerns or noncompliance of safety rules that could put an employee, volunteer, workforce partner, client, animal, or the organization at risk. 
• Participate on committees and special projects and perform other duties as you see the need for.
• Promote integration and utilization of volunteers and workforce partners. Recognizing their individual contributions to the collaborative success of the organization
• Communicate with supervisor on significant developments within the department.
• Exercise good judgment in all interactions.
• Respect organizational policies and procedures, maintaining a positive and respectful attitude as a positive role model for other employees.
• Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position and meeting department productivity standards.

Required Qualifications

• Safely perform physical work for duration of 8-10-hour shift.
• Demonstrated ability to safely handle a variety of companion animals. 
• Minimum two years of animal handling experience 
• Minimum one year of customer service experience
• Minimum one year’s experience with data entry administration.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule that may include weekends, and on-call status.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize Microsoft suite of products.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a high degree of social and emotional intelligence.
• The ability to work in an emotional field where a positive attitude, sense of humor and understanding how to recognize and address compassion fatigue are essential.
• The ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with diverse populations.

Required Competencies

• Communicativeness - Effective listening, verbal, and written communication skills.
•  Written Communication - Meticulous ability to maintain and organize written and computerized records.
• Composure - Compassion and confidence when communicating with the public, staff, and volunteers.
• Effective Conflict Management skills
• High Standards - Excellent customer service skills that display active listening and a radical sense of hospitality.
• Organizing & Planning - Must have effective organizational skills.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

This position requires you to be comfortable speaking with people and to groups of people. Work duties and tasks may require walking, standing, sitting, stooping, squatting, bending, typing, speaking, seeing, listening, utilizing arms, hands & fingers for grasping, lifting, operating computers, answering telephone, and in working with a variety of animals. Position may call for repetitive use of hands to perform tasks in addition to operate computers, telephone, and cell phone; use computer keyboard for extensive periods of time. Reasonable accommodations may enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Additional physical requirements may include occasional lifting of up to fifty pounds with assistance. This position will require some work on weekends, evenings, and on-call. 

Work is performed in an animal shelter that operates seven days per week, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and/or near animals, with exposure to animals with questionable temperaments and potential exposure to fractious animals, high noise levels, zoonotic diseases, animal bites and scratches, cleaning chemicals, allergens, and potential exposure of infectious diseases to personally owned animals.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. HSSW participates in E-Verify. 

Compensation 

The hourly pay for this position ranges from $19.47 to $25.24 per hour. Starting wage is dependent upon experience. 

Employee Benefits and Perks
In addition to serving in an organization with a compassionate and strategic purpose, eligible employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and a variety of employee perks. 

Benefits include: 

• Health insurance effective the first of the month following hire (full-time employees). 
• Dental and vision insurance effective the first of the month following hire. 
• Matching percentage 401(k) retirement plan beginning the first month after hire, with a 3-year graded vesting schedule and ROTH contribution option. 
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all employees and household members. 
• Section 125 FSA Cafeteria Plan for out-of-pocket health and/or dependent day care expenses. 
• Access to affordable life, disability, and accidental supplemental insurance. 
• Numerous employee discounts and discounts with partner organizations. 
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualified employer. To learn more about this Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation. 

Paid Time Off (PTO)  

This position accrues PTO at a rate of 1.84 hours for every 40 hours worked.  

Additional Paid time includes: 

• Floating Holidays (full-time employees). 
• Bereavement leave 
• Pet bereavement leave 

Culture 

Vision: A community where everyone loves and cares for animals. 

Mission: Rescue. Return. Restore. Rehome. Reconnect. One animal at a time 

Values: Compassion. Collaboration. Excellence. Service. Integrity. 

The ultimate team player: 

• Displays interest, enthusiasm, and an affinity for working with people. 
• Demonstrates an attitude in being of-service, using good judgment, maintaining a positive outlook, and ideally, a sense of humor. 
• Works well in teams and demonstrates an attitude and commitment to collaboration with a sincere interest in helping others succeed. 
• Is committed to achieving excellence individually and as a part of the team. 
• Exhibits adaptability, curiosity, flexibility to change, open to new ideas, and encourages others to recognize changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as an opportunity for transformation. 
• Is committed to personal and professional development through life-long learning. 

How to Apply 

Does HSSW sound like the right place for you?  

Does this job sound like a great fit & do you meet the qualifications for this position? 

If so, then click the Apply button to begin your journey to join our team today. HSSW participates in E-Verify.

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations during the hiring process for qualified applicants with disabilities. 

For more information visit https://HSSW.org/careers/.  

Application Deadline: Open until filled.