Come do work that matters
Do you light up when a child who has been through hard things starts to open up, trust, and grow? Can you make a nervous new volunteer feel welcome, capable, and ready to jump in? Do you love how animals help people? Do you want to build real impact, one child, one volunteer, and one visit at a time?
If so, we would love to meet you.
Paws for Youth is hiring a Program Coordinator who will wear two hats. About half your time goes toward leading our youth programs across Southern Arizona. The other half goes toward helping volunteers all across the state get started, from that first inquiry through applying. A therapy animal is how we open the door to impact kids, and our work focuses on training, mentoring, and supporting the human side of the leash.
Life on our team
We are a small nonprofit where everyone wears many hats: we all pitch in on fundraising, community outreach, administration, and programming. You will have a tight-knit team that has your back, a mostly remote schedule with real freedom over how you shape your days, and the rare feeling of ending each week knowing you helped a child feel safer and a volunteer feel valued. You will also spend time with amazing therapy pets in volunteer interviews and on program visits, a regular perk of the work.
The role at a glance
This role has two connected halves. In Southern Arizona (Pima and Cochise counties), you are the local face of our programs. You recruit, train, place, and support the volunteer teams who work with kids, and you build the school and nonprofit partnerships that make those placements possible.
Statewide, you help volunteers everywhere in Arizona get started, from their first inquiry through fingerprint clearance, therapy-animal registration, and onboarding. You also keep our shared operations running alongside a small team of fellow coordinators. This position uses your own vehicle for travel and suits a flexible self-starter who is comfortable with the pace of a growing nonprofit.
About Paws for Youth
Founded in 2000, Paws for Youth (formerly Gabriel's Angels) uses animal-assisted programs to support the social and emotional growth of young people who have experienced trauma. Our volunteer teams visit domestic violence and homeless shelters, group homes, after-school programs, and Title I schools, where the presence of a gentle animal helps kids build seven core strengths: healthy attachment, confidence, self-regulation, affiliation, empathy, tolerance, and respect. Our volunteers and their therapy animals are how we reach the children who need us most.
Our values
● Make New Friends. We recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate one another.
● Love Unconditionally. Kindness, compassion, and empathy, always.
● Be Loyal. We advocate for ourselves, our partners, and the youth we serve, and we help everyone feel a sense of purpose and belonging.
● Best in Show. We share our impact and act with transparency.
● Learn New Tricks. We are always improving and changing, and we approach our work with a growth mindset.
What you'll do
You will guide volunteer teams from their first hello through pre-application requirements, application, training, placement, and their ongoing work with kids, splitting your time roughly evenly between Southern Arizona programs and statewide operations. Here is what that looks like, day to day.
Part one: Southern Arizona programs (50%)
Recruiting and growing our network
● Lead local recruitment to bring new volunteers into the Southern Arizona program, and grow the region's network of volunteer teams.
● Represent Paws for Youth at community and awareness events across the region.
Training and placing volunteers
● Guide new pet therapy teams and Helping Hand volunteers from first contact through placement at a school or partner site.
● Lead an interview and welcoming orientation with each new team, screening, covering policies, procedures, and what to expect.
● Coach volunteers on working with youth, our programs and trauma-informed practices, and attend the first visit for every new team or site so they feel supported from day one.
● Plan and deliver volunteer trainings, virtual and in-person, live and recorded.
Supporting and retaining volunteers
● Supervise and support 25 or more volunteer teams delivering programming across Southern Arizona, checking in regularly to keep quality high and volunteers connected.
● Plan a spring (formal) and fall (informal) volunteer appreciation event, and host volunteer meetups throughout the year.
● Plan, facilitate, and deliver volunteer roundtables and ongoing trainings for volunteers.
Building partnerships
● Build and maintain strong relationships with schools, districts, and nonprofit partners so volunteers always have meaningful places to serve.
Part two: statewide program operations (50%)
Welcoming new volunteers across Arizona
● Be the warm first point of contact for volunteer inquiries from anywhere in the state, answering questions and helping people picture themselves in the work.
● Keep prospective volunteers moving through the pipeline so no one gets stuck between steps.
Guiding volunteers through onboarding
● Walk volunteers through obtaining their Level One IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card, making a confusing process feel simple.
● Guide volunteers through national therapy-animal registration with our partner organizations, each with its own evaluations, paperwork, and timelines.
Facilitating information sessions with the statewide team
● Plan and co-facilitate virtual information sessions with your fellow coordinators, giving every prospective volunteer a consistent, welcoming introduction to the work.
● Coordinate scheduling and follow-up so interested people always know what comes next.
Coordinating program supplies for the year ahead
● Each year, determine what supplies our programs will need for the coming year and place orders with a range of vendors.
● Travel to the Phoenix office twice to sort ordered supplies after arriving, and host supply kit preparation party with volunteers.
Managing statewide scheduling in Volgistics (Volunteer CRM)
● As each coordinator sets visit schedules with their volunteers and partners, enter those schedules into our Volgistics scheduling system.
● Keep scheduling accurate and current so everyone is working from the same calendar.
Collaborating as one statewide team
● Work shoulder to shoulder with a small team of coordinators, sharing the load and covering for one another, and help improve the systems that make onboarding smoother for everyone.
Other responsibilities (across both parts)
● Keep volunteer files accurate and up to date in Volgistics.
● Track program data for impact reports, and prepare monthly updates for staff and the board.
● Contribute ideas and stories to our newsletter and possible media opportunities, and partner with therapy-animal registration and evaluator organizations.
● Join weekly Programs and all-staff meetings, and pitch in on other events, community engagements, and donor meetings as needed.
What we're looking for
● A genuine passion for helping kids, especially those who have experienced trauma.
● Experience working with children.
● A natural motivator and teacher who brings out the best in volunteers and enjoys building relationships.
● Strong organization and time management, with the ability to juggle many moving pieces.
● A flexible self-starter who stays solution-focused when things change.
● Excellent written and verbal communication.
● Comfort and confidence around animals, especially dogs.
Qualifications
● Experience in volunteer management strongly preferred.
● Experience in a teaching or counseling setting desired.
● An understanding of animal behavior, or interest in learning more.
● Bachelor's degree preferred.
● A valid Level One IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card, or the ability to obtain one.
● Comfort with database management (Volgistics) and Microsoft Office.
● Able to lift up to 50 pounds, and available for occasional evenings and weekends.
● A valid driver's license, auto insurance, and the ability to travel across Southern Arizona, plus occasional trips to Phoenix.
Where and how you'll work
This position is primarily remote. You will be out across Southern Arizona regularly to join volunteers on visits, in our Phoenix office about one day a month, and in Phoenix seasonally to sort supplies. Expect some evenings, some weekends, and regular travel in your own vehicle.
Equal employment opportunity
Paws for Youth is a committed Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
How to apply
If this sounds like your kind of work, we would love to hear from you. Send a cover letter and resume to [email protected], attention Cara Kiggins, Chief Programs Officer, with the subject line 'Program Coordinator, Southern AZ & Operations,' and tell us what draws you to this work.
Benefits
Benefits include medical (we cover 50% of the employee premium), vision, and dental; paid time off; 13 paid holidays; reduced summer hours; mileage reimbursement; and sick leave.
Pay: $45,500.00 - $51,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- Our work centers on young people who have experienced trauma, with therapy animals as the bridge that helps them feel safe and open up. What experience or motivation would you bring to supporting these kids?
- This position is based in Southern Arizona and involves regular in-person visits across Pima and Cochise counties, plus occasional travel to Phoenix, using your own reliable vehicle. Are you based in Southern Arizona and able to meet this travel expectation?
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Tucson, AZ 85721
