Portsmouth Humane (PH) is a private, non-profit organization that is contracted by the City of Portsmouth to provide animal sheltering services. Annually, we intake around 2,000 animals, most of which are cats/kittens or dogs/puppies. Our mission is to create a safe, compassionate, inclusive community for people and animals through education and resource programs that elevate animal welfare standards and champion the human-animal bond. Portsmouth Humane daily operations are supported by a small staff of animal welfare professionals. Additionally, we rely on the support of our Board of Directors, volunteers, foster caregivers, sponsors, donors, and the community.
Front Office Assistant
The essential role of a Front Office Assistant is to interface with the public in a compassionate, educational, and collaborative manner on behalf of Portsmouth Humane's mission. This includes facilitating rehoming through intake counseling and surrender appointments, providing pet care guidance and resources to the public, assisting with adoptions, accepting donations, and reuniting lost pets with their guardians. This position is primarily administrative and requires strong customer service skills, attention to detail, and understanding of e-mail/phone etiquette.
Essential Functions
· Stay informed of PH activities, events, policies, procedures, and messaging in order to effectively communicate this information to our audiences
· Carry out day-to-day front office tasks including greeting and assisting visitors, answering phone and e-mail inquiries, taking in pets placed for rehoming or found strays, conducting adoptions, and carrying out return to owners
· Execute animal custody and retail transactions with accuracy and care
· Schedule appointments for interactions, foster check-ups, and spay/neuter
· Update and review animal care files regularly
· Assist in releasing animals for adoption by reviewing the medical records for required items, entering vaccinations and other pertinent medical/behavioral details, and writing cage cards
· Ensure the lobby space presents as clean, friendly, orderly, and safe for both animals and guests
· Provide visibility and advocacy for PH programs and services
· Steward positive relationships between PH and other local agencies, including Portsmouth Animal Control, law enforcement, public service agents, animal shelters, veterinary clinics, advocacy groups, rescues, and other organizational partners
· Respond to challenging public interactions with positivity and compassion
· Provide support to the animal care team, including:
o Provide direct support to foster parents as needed to address health and wellness of foster pets
o Use creative and positive language to maintain online profiles, photos and descriptions of adoptable pets and coordinate screening and meet and greets with potential adopters
o Maintain appropriate documentation, including electronic records, for sheltered animals, community support cases, and communications with community members
o Assist with direct animal care as needed based on staffing availability
Qualifications
· Must be 18 years or older
· High school diploma or equivalent
· Ability to lift 30 pounds
· Ability to stand, bend, stoop, and walk for an 8-hour+ workday
· Ability to work around pet dander, dust, and other allergens
· Ability to read, write, speak, listen, and communicate effectively in English
· Must be able and willing to reframe challenging experiences with positivity
· Must actively choose to look for the good in all guests
· Must be comfortable handling dogs, cats, and other small animals of varying sizes and temperaments
· Ability to work as part of a team
· Ability to deal with difficult and stressful situations involving animals and guests
· Must show compassion towards both people and animals
· Willingness to work in an environment with loud noises and some strong smells
· Willingness to work both indoors and outdoors year round
Job Type
- Full-time (Thursday through Monday)
- 8am-5:30pm
- Includes holidays and weekends
· Hourly/Non-exempt
Benefits
· One fee-waived adoption annually
Pay
· $15.00 per hour
Additional Information
Portsmouth Humane is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Pay: $15.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- Describe your experience with supporting customer needs over the phone and via written communication (such as e-mail).
- What attracted you to this position?
- Please describe a challenging customer service interaction you experienced.
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
Experience:
- Customer Service: 1 year (Required)
- Computer Skills: 1 year (Required)
Language:
License/Certification:
- driver's license (Preferred)
Shift availability:
Ability to Commute:
- Portsmouth, VA 23701 (Required)
Work Location: In person
