Neonatal Care and Enrichment Specialist

Location: West LA - 1845 Pontius Ave; Los Angeles, CA 90025

Work shift: Thursday - Monday, 5:00pm-2:00am PST with flexibility as needed.

Hiring Range: This position’s hiring rate is anticipated to be $21.74 - $24.00per hour, depending on experience plus great benefits!

Position Summary: Neonatal Care and Enrichment Specialist are responsible for the execution of daily neonatal care and enrichment needs for underage animals in our program locations, as well as the training and oversight of volunteers supporting neonatal care. Specialists act with urgency to accomplish essential tasks, playing a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. This role provides a foundation for the continual saving of neonatal lives and promoting their health and development.

Culture Statement and Responsibility: We believe in treating everyone with kindness and compassion, building trust through authenticity and following through on commitments. We prioritize well-being alongside our mission, fostering strong relationships through open communication and transparent feedback. Diversity and inclusion are integral to our culture, enriching team dynamics by valuing diverse perspectives. Each team member is responsible for creating an inclusive environment where all voices are respected and contributing to a workplace that embodies our shared values and commitment to progress. By consistently aligning our actions with our Guiding Principles, we strengthen our culture and ensure that our values are lived every day.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in everyday actions by practicing inclusion and respect for every person and animal. Be a role model for authenticity, kindness, and positive influence with team members, volunteers, visitors, and animals. Listen, be present, support others, and demonstrate compassion and curiosity in conflict.
• Provide and coordinate volunteer support for neonatal care, including feeding (bottle, syringe), cleaning, weighing, vaccinating, microchipping, and medicating neonates housed or transported within Best Friends’ vehicles, buildings, or facilities. Implement approved treatment protocols through medical exams for neonate animals in care. Follow all policies and local standard operating procedures to ensure health and safety standards are upheld for vulnerable neonatal animals.
• Coordinate and provide daily enrichment opportunities tailored to neonates, with the goal to improve their emotional wellbeing and development. Ensure low-stress housing, gentle handling, and age-appropriate stimulation for kittens and puppies. Work with volunteers to provide opportunities for safe interactions and play, ensuring individual neonates’ needs are met and avoiding overstimulation or stress. Provide opportunities for kittens and puppies to stretch, exercise, and socialize appropriately as development allows.
• Oversee and execute safe socialization and group housing practices for neonates, maintaining gentle handling and a comprehensive understanding of neonatal dog and cat behavior to ensure successful interactions. Work with volunteers to support enrichment practices for all neonates onsite.
• When necessary provide thoughtful and compassionate feedback regarding end-of-life decisions for Best Friends Program animals, balancing medical and behavioral considerations with their well-being and quality of life; ensure that all decisions are approached with care, respect and commitment to minimizing suffering while honoring our mission to Save Them All; carry out euthanasia for program animals when necessary upholding the highest standards of compassion, respect and ethical responsibility; ensure all organizational policies are followed and maintain appropriate logging of all controlled substances as directed by the Veterinarian of Record.
• Responsible for maintaining clean workspaces and housing areas for optimum safety, stocking supplies as required; support the process of maintaining master inventory of neonatal care supplies (formula, bottles, heating pads, etc.).
• Develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of Best Friends’ neonatal programs, strategic initiatives, and public-facing events and activations. Using this knowledge, create a welcoming and engaging environment to enhance overall visitor satisfaction and support Best Friends Animal Society’s mission. Provide superior customer service to all Lifesaving Center adopters and visitors and use each interaction as an opportunity to educate and engage individuals in neonatal care and support organizational goals for constituent journey development.
• Lead and empower volunteers and volunteer teams in support of neonatal care programs with the goal of utilizing volunteers to the greatest extent possible to expand Best Friends’ lifesaving capacity; deliver and lead superior customer service.
• Assist or oversee the creation of engaging content for social media platforms, including creation and/or editing of written, video, and photo content focused on neonatal kitten or puppy care and enrichment. Work collaboratively with other departments and marketing teams to identify engagement opportunities with social media and PR to support lifesaving outcomes and programmatic needs at the center. Represent Best Friends in media relations when requested and ensure to maintain Best Friends’ voice across all communications.
• Work collaboratively with and assist Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to develop, evolve, and implement efficient processes to achieve lifesaving goals for neonates; follow policies, procedures, and task lists, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.
• Responsible for maintaining a safe workplace, valuing, and modeling safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating about unsafe practices and conditions.

Skills and Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED or 1-2 years’ experience in customer service, volunteer coordination, neonatal kitten and puppy care, animal related programs, or similar.
• Strong communication skills.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills preferred but not required.
• Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues; familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process.
• Ability to work with, handle, feed, and provide care for neonatal kittens and puppies, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns; basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of kittens and puppies.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; initiative to assist in any area or process; problem solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products; familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to:

• Routinely lift 40 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.
• Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, sitting, walking, arm, and hand motion.
• Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.

• Valid driver’s license, meeting Best Friends Animal Society’s driver qualification standards; ability to travel, including overnight stays, when needed.
• Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.