Foster Specialist

REPORTS TO: Foster Manager 

FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt 

LOCATION: Cincinnati, OH- Colerain and Dane Shelters 

Join the young, ambitious, pioneering leadership team at Cincinnati Animal CARE in this rapidly-growing, nationally-recognized animal services organization serving one of the Midwest’s most vibrant cities in Ohio’s third largest county of 825,000 residents. 

Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society 

Cincinnati Animal Care (CARE) is a progressive, no-kill animal services organization. CARE assumed operations of the Hamilton County Animal Shelter and Dog Warden operations on August 1st, 2020. We have maintained a combined dog and cat 95% Live Release Rate ever since. Our mission is to meet the immediate needs of animals in our community through individualized care, lifesaving solutions, and temporary shelter en route to a safe, compatible home. Nearly 8,000 animals arrive at our shelter every year and we have an average of 600 animals in care at any given time. The animals are housed in two facilities in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati. We believe that lifesaving is a community ethic and are committed to an exceptional level of animal services, implementing a collaborative, holistic approach to animal sheltering and Dog Warden operations. 

We value our talented team of over 90 compassionate, open-minded and resilient staff and hundreds of volunteers and fosters who help us strive toward our vision of a community where all animals are valued, protected and have a safe place to call home. 

Organizational Highlights 

Cincinnati Animal CARE offers a robust array of programming that supports animals and people in our community. In 2023, our Dog Wardens responded to over 15,000 calls from the public and won multiple cruelty case convictions. Our medical team hospitalized over 1,000 animals in need of emergency or critical medical treatment. 450 families were assisted through our community support program offering boarding, veterinary assistance, training assistance, or spay/neuter. Nearly 1,000 stray animals were reunited with their families, over 1,000 animals were sent to rescue, 4,000 animals were placed into foster care, and more than 4,000 animals were adopted into new ones. We are able to achieve unprecedented results and deliver a robust offering of new services to our community despite working out of an outdated, 60-year-old facility. Hamilton County has been a great partner and the county has committed to building a new facility that we expect to be built and operational in the next few years. 

Position Summary 

The Foster Specialist will work on a team responsible for the support and coordination of the animals in our foster program and the people who care for them. This person has excellent customer service skills, can multi-task effectively, and is driven by urgency. The Foster Specialist will assist with the recruitment of new foster families, engage and support current foster families, and assist with the placement of animals into the foster program. Ours is a

fast-paced, stressful, high-stakes industry – the successful candidate is one who can manage the day-to-day demands of the job to help their team deliver results. This person has the internal discipline to work effectively within the freedom and autonomy of a start-up entity. We are looking for a reliable, responsible, and organized individual. The ideal candidate is unsatisfied with the status quo and actively seeks and accepts feedback and opportunities for improvement. 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Recruit foster families to meet the needs of our animal population
• Receive and approve foster family applications
• Assist with the matching of foster families with appropriate foster animals based on their skills and living situation
• Assist with urgent foster planning for animals needing placement for behavior and medical reasons
• Respond to emails and phone calls from foster families within a timely manner on assigned workdays and schedule
• Report foster family concerns to the foster department supervisor
• Work with the medical team to manage emergencies, schedule vaccines and medication pickup as needed with foster families
• Assist with the tracking of supplies and inventory for foster program
• Assist with the scheduling of the pick up and return of foster animals
• Work with Outcomes to facilitate the adoption of animals from their foster homes ● Assist with the management of our Foster Facebook Page
• Provide excellent customer service to foster families and potential fosters ● Greet and speak personally with foster families on-site whenever possible ● Take turns with other members of the Foster team to monitor and respond to the Foster Emergency phone after-hours

Professional Attributes: 

• Unwavering composure, integrity, and professional maturity
• Passionate for animal care and welfare 
• Reliable teammate who is ready to contribute and follows through on assignments ● Superior collaborator who enjoys working on a team toward a common goal ● Operates with a sense of urgency driven by a recognition that we are in a lifesaving business 
• Innovative mindset- inspired and unafraid to bring something new to this space ● Nimble – demonstrates agility in a fast-paced, sometimes chaotic, work environment ● Growth-minded – self-reflective, humble and open; seeks, welcomes and incorporates, 

professional feedback with an authentic commitment to improve and grow ● Embodies unwavering commitment to CARE’s values and positive workplace culture 

Qualifications/Educational Background 

• A high school diploma or equivalent 
• Customer service experience preferred 

Schedule and Availability: 

• This is a 40+ hour, non-exempt position 
• Must be able to adjust schedule to meet the needs of the department, including participation in events in the community or at the shelter
• Must have availability to monitor and respond to the Foster Emergency phone on assigned days including after-hours and overnight (regularly hourly compensation will be provided)

Salary and Benefits: 

• Starting at $15/hour 
• Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b, PTO, EAP, Professional Development for full-time employees 

*When applying for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to J.grimes@cincycare.org and put “Lifesaving” in the subject line.