Customer Care Supervisor

Job DetailsJob Location: Foothills Animal Shelter - Golden, CO 80401Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $24.00 - $25.00 HourlyFoothills Animal Shelter seeks a Shelter Services Supervisor who believes that a great patron experience and a great animal experience are inseparable. This role brings steady, hands-on leadership to our front-line shelter services team — coaching in the moment, solving problems on the spot, and making sure every person and pet who walks through our doors is met with consistency and care. Who We Are  As an open admissions shelter, we are committed to being here for families and their pets in Jefferson County, Colorado. We identify as a socially conscious shelter, caring for almost 9,000 dogs, cats, and small animals every year with a compassionate team of staff and volunteers who are committed to the physical and emotional wellbeing of every pet and person we serve.   What You Bring  You are a people person. You enjoy working with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, personalities, and abilities – and you enjoy working with them on their best days as well as their worst. You are friendly, outgoing, and have a way of putting people at ease.  You are detail-oriented. You recognize that every person and animal’s situation is unique, and you are hyper-aware of the importance of capturing every relevant piece of information so that nothing is over-looked. You enjoy a fast-paced, physical work environment. Sitting at a desk is not for you! You like to be on your feet, and you are constantly on the move. You believe there is no such thing as downtime – there is always something that you can do to improve the customer or animal experience. You are reliable. You are on-time or early for your commitments, and your team knows they can count on you.   You enjoy leading people. You know how to inspire and motivate others to show up as their best version of themselves.  You are accountable. You know that leading a team means adapting to the unexpected, resolving conflict while minimizing drama, and taking ultimate accountability for the work of the team.  You believe in our mission. You recognize the significance of the human-animal bond, and you are proud to support the formation and continuation of these powerful relationships.  What You’ll Do  Facilitate animal visits with individuals and families who are considering adoption. This includes regular handling of a variety of sizes and species of companion animals from dogs and cats to reptiles and birds! Most of our visitation occurs on weekends, so all of our staff are scheduled for at least one weekend day each week Communicate with our patrons via phone, email, and in-person, providing accurate information about Foothills Animal Shelter’s programs and services.  Serve as a compassionate and understanding partner in the admissions process for individuals and families making the difficult decision to relinquish their pets for adoption or end-of-life services.  Provide exceptional customer service across all of Foothills Animal Shelter’s programs and services.  Offer front-line support and guidance to team members, providing process-related feedback in the moment to minimize errors that may impact the patron or animal experience. Be the point-person for situational problem-solving and minor escalations for the shelter services team. Support the training and development of new team members by modeling and coaching both the hard skills (task-based, software-based) and soft skills (compassion, empathy, understanding) required for success. What We Offer  Let’s start with the obvious: we offer truly meaningful work that positively impacts the lives of thousands of animals and people each year.   You will work with a team of animal welfare professionals who work hard, care deeply, and are 100% dedicated to the well-being of our shelter animals.  We strive for a healthy work-life balance, and we offer generous time off including six paid holidays, additional floating holidays (awarded annually on your employment anniversary), three weeks of accrued vacation, and paid sick leave.  We offer a full spectrum of employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and a retirement plan with up to 4% employer match and immediate vesting. Currently, two of our medical plans and our dental and vision plans are offered at no cost for employee-only coverage.  The pay rate for this position will be $24.00 – 25.00 per hour, depending on the depth and breadth of relevant experience. Bilingual (Spanish/English) supervisors receive additional compensation upon passing a Spanish language oral proficiency exam.  Foothills Animal Shelter is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer. Schedule 40 hours per week with at least one weekend day required. For a full list of duties and qualifications, please review the complete job description. QualificationsEducation and Experience Prior experience as a team or shift lead with demonstrated aptitude for motivating and directing a team Experience in animal welfare or other professional animal care field preferred Licenses and Certifications Must obtain and maintain euthanasia certification within six months of hire Must obtain Fear Free Shelter certification within 60 days of employment Valid driver license with insurable driving record preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills Strong written and verbal communication skills Excellent customer service skills with the ability to respond to patron concerns or unexpected situations both calmly and effectively Safe animal handling skills including dogs, cats, and small animals Ability to maintain composure and professional courtesy when interfacing with Shelter patrons, volunteers, animal control officers, and members of the public Aptitude for proactively identifying problems and offering potential solutions Ability to be compassionate while also having uncomfortable conversations or making difficult decisions Must be able to manage the emotional aspect of end-of-life services and humane euthanasia, and support employees in high-emotion circumstances Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office including word processing, spreadsheets, meeting software, and email Physical Requirements Ability to stand and walk for the majority of scheduled shift on hard surfaces with minimal sedentary work Ability to bend, twist, kneel, and squat frequently throughout the shift Ability to lift, carry, and move up to 50 pounds regularly throughout the shift Ability to physically restrain and handle animals of all sizes and temperaments, including dogs weighing over 100 pounds Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions year-round including heat, cold, rain, and snow Ability to respond quickly to emergency situations requiring immediate physical intervention Ability to push and pull kennel doors, carts, and equipment Working Conditions Eight- to Ten-hour shifts with at least one weekend day required; schedule will include holidays Must maintain flexibility in work schedule to respond to staffing needs Regular exposure to noise, odors, chemical fumes, and animal hair/dander due to equipment and animals Regular exposure to common allergens including animal dander, feathers, hay/straw, latex, peanut butter, dairy products, and other food items used for animal enrichment Exposure to zoonotic diseases and infectious agents through contact with animals and their bodily fluids (urine, feces, vomit, blood, saliva) Regular exposure to cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, and sanitizing agents used in animal care and facility maintenance. Regular exposure to emotionally challenging situations including sick, injured, or deceased animals; euthanasia procedures; end-of-life decision-making; and interactions with grieving or distressed patrons Frequent hand washing and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required Subject to animal bites and scratches Work in areas with fluctuating temperatures, humidity, and limited climate control Fast-paced, high-volume environment with frequent interruptions Equipment Used Animal handling equipment and assessment tools: slip leads, catch poles, nets, etc. Basic office equipment: telephone, computer, projector, printer, copier Cloud-based data management software Vehicle use (company provided and personal) Chemicals and cleaning tools to provide care for the animals