The Foster Program Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of our Foster Program including, but not limited to:

Supervisory:

• Oversee daily function of Foster Coordinator to ensure day to day operations run smoothly.
• Train new and current staff on their daily job functions, animal handling, foster program support, as well as providing continual training opportunities to help staff advance and grow their skills.
• Participate in staff hiring, evaluations and disciplinary actions in cooperation with Senior Management.
• Create and establish foster manuals for foster families.
• Create and maintain an orientation for new approved fosters
• Creating a recruitment program to gain new foster homes
• Develop and coordinate foster retention efforts.
• Manage inventory and ordering of all foster supplies.
• Responsible for daily opening and closing procedures as scheduled.
• Complete monthly program reports to measure success and identify areas in need of improvement.
• Create, edit and update foster program materials (policies and procedures, applications, agreements, handbooks, role descriptions, orientation, training, etc.)

Outreach:

• Increase community engagement, presence, and partnerships with outside organizations to expand foster program and encourage community participation.
• Empower current foster volunteers to increase level of participation in foster program.
• Develop and help implement new programs that focus on HSHC’s most at-risk populations.
• Create, plan and organize foster training program.
• Develop recognition programs/initiatives.
• Partner with the marketing department to bring awareness and promote our foster program.

Program Management:

• Serving as the shelter’s liaison to our foster parents, volunteers, and staff as the point of contact for general questions, concerns and escalations.
• Facilitating foster animals to come back to the shelter for medical treatment, vaccinations, exams, and/or to complete their adoptions in partnership with the appropriate team members.
• Schedule return of foster animals to the shelter for adoption.
• Working with our supervisors, leads, and behavior department to ensure animals that are in need of foster homes are placed appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Managing our Foster Database which includes processing applications, adding new fosters to the database, and escalating any foster applicant concerns to the Senior Animal Wellness Manager as soon as possible.
• Generating foster related reports and managing PetPoint Database system for all foster animals and providing the Senior Animal Wellness Manager and President with monthly, quarterly, and annual foster reports as requested.
• Scheduling appointments in a timely manner with specialized veterinarian partners to ensure medical treatment is followed up on.
• Enter foster animal’s medications, vet visits, and temperament concerns into the PetPoint system.
• Participate in euthanasia as needed.
• Add foster animals’ pictures, stories, and memos to animal’s PetPoint Profile.
• Managing foster relationships and ensuring all managers are engaged and aware of any concerns.
• Reviewing all foster applications on a daily basis ensuring we are maximizing those opportunities—and placing animals with the right fosters based on their experience/living situation (kids, other pets, etc.)

Qualifications, Applicants must:                                                                                                                  

• Embrace our truly no-kill philosophy
• Have experience working in a shelter or rescue in a foster program management or foster program support capacity
• Have experience evaluating the overall health of an animal via a general wellness exam including, but not limited to, weighing animals, checking for hydration, giving vaccinations, deworming, drawing blood, and medicating animals as needed
• Have experience feeding special/medical diets, slow feeding, and bottle feeding kittens
• Have experience caring for neonatal kittens
• Either be euthanasia certified OR open to obtaining that certification funded by HSHC—and be able to euthanize an animal when necessary
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word), Web-based database management (e.g., PetPoint and Foster Database). Experience using shelter related software like PetPoint is a major PLUS.
• Be extremely organized and able to manage multiple priorities at a time
• Have initiative, problem solving skills and work well without constant supervision
• Have experience managing/supervising others
• Be flexible to work on some weekends and holidays—and understand that any animals arriving in need of life saving care (e.g., kittens who must be bottle fed) may require you to stay later than your shift to ensure a solution is found.
• Be able to excel in a high paced work environment where you are surrounded by the distractions of animal sounds, smells and their respective allergens
• Have a high school degree, a college degree is preferred but not required
• Pass a drug test upon hire
• Possess basic animal handling skills, of both dogs and cats, in-ideally-a shelter environment
• Have experience generating reports from a database and Excel
• Be a people-person with excellent communication skills who enjoys working with the public (our fosters and adopters) as well as developing those relationships
• Participate in the weekly rotation between our Operations Managers to carry the emergency phone for after hours emergencies.
• Be able to lift a minimum of 50lbs without health risk
• Have reliable transportation

Benefits Package:                                                                                                                                       

• Full-Time employees are eligible for benefits after 60 days of employment. HSHC offers several insurance options, including but not limited to medical (Anthem), dental, vision, Long/Short Term Disability, FSA/HSA, Identity Theft Protection, and Life Insurance.
• Generous vacation and paid time off accrued from day one.
• Robust Pet Benefits Package for employee owned pets. Includes annual vaccines, diagnostics, x-rays, preventatives, and prescription medications (requires a DVM script) at cost. Other select pet supplies like potty pads, carriers, food, bowls, bedding, etc. are available at no cost in the designated ‘free’ storage bins.
• Certifications/Professional Development Training provided/funded by HSHC based on role and relevance.
• Retirement plan option available.