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 (CAC) is a progressive, no-kill animal services organization. CAC
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 nearly 500 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 nearly 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 2022, our Dog Wardens responded to over 10,000 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,
5,700 animals were placed into foster care, and more than 5,000 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new services to our community despite working out of an outdated, 60-year-old facility.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.
About Cincinnati
Cincinnati has lots to offer for anyone looking to relocate here, being recognized as the
highest-ranked and best city to live in Ohio, according to a recent list released by U.S. News
and World Report. In May 2023, Cincinnati was ranked 50th overall in the “150 Best Places
to Live in the U.S”. The city is nestled along the banks of the Ohio River, and the entire
metropolitan area spans portions of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Positive rankings are
based on the diverse economy, plenty of jobs, affordability, strong school districts and
nationally recognized colleges and universities, fun recreational options and excellent
family-friendly neighborhoods. Whether you want hip uptown living, suburban
neighborhoods or rural living, we have it all within reach of our shelter in Northside, a hotbed
of creativity and a popular destination for entertainment and nightlife. Just five miles
northwest of downtown Cincinnati, Northside is known for its fun, eclectic and diverse vibe.
To learn more about Cincinnati and our home in Northside, visit www.visitcincy.com and
www.welcometonorthside.com
Position Summary
The Volunteer Engagement Coordinator will be responsible for envisioning, developing, and
executing a best-in-class volunteer program. The ideal candidate must be a “people-person”
who has the ability to build strong relationships, communicate effectively, and inspire action.
This person is results-driven and must be committed to fulfilling the volunteer needs of the
organization through collaboration with department managers, recruiting a diverse volunteer
workforce, and creatively identifying opportunities for volunteers to engage.
Ours is a fast-paced, stressful, high-stakes industry. The successful candidate will thrive in
an environment of uncertainty and ambiguity, rising to the challenges inherent in a start-up
entity. This is a unique opportunity for an entrepreneurial-minded self-starter. We are looking
for someone who can rise above the day-to-day demands of the job to take a holistic
approach to program development, using data to make decisions, forecast trends, anticipate
challenges and execute a strategic response.
Primary Responsibilities
The Volunteer Engagement Coordinator will recruit and retain our volunteer workforce and
coordinate the day-to-day responsibilities of the program. This will be an opportunity for
someone to build the foundation and set long-term vision and growth goals of the volunteer program. This person must be comfortable working in a start-up setting and must be able to “build the plane while flying it”.
● Recruit new volunteers who believe in the mission of CAC to meet the needs of the
organization
● Retain volunteers by making the volunteer experience exceptional
● Train other staff members about the value of volunteers and how to work with volunteers
● Onboard new volunteers and provide growth and training opportunities for current
volunteers
● Execute regular safety reviews and implement strategies to mitigate safety concerns
● Work collaboratively with managers to ensure strategic, efficient overall shelter
operations that save the most lives
● Swiftly address volunteer concerns with the shelter and shelter concerns with volunteers;
up to and including termination
● Be able and willing to jump in to help with volunteer tasks as needed, due to volunteer
no-shows or the need for extra manpower
● Be available on-site and actively interact with volunteers on a daily basis
● Manage, maintain and participate on the Volunteer Facebook page
● Update and maintain the Volunteer Handbook
● Respond to emails and phone calls from volunteers in a timely manner
● Plan and coordinate all volunteer recognition and appreciation efforts
● Maintain the volunteer database and ensure volunteer profiles are complete and
accurate
● Identify program roadblocks and pitch comprehensive, data-based solutions to the
Community Engagement Manager
● Perform regular assessments of the operational effectiveness of the volunteer program
and protocol
● Create and implement accountability measures and performance metrics for department
success and growth
● Built systems and protocols to ensure volunteer program sustainability
● Maintain the volunteer area of the shelter with information and supplies
● Write regular communications for the volunteer program including emails and
newsletters
● Coordinate large group volunteer programs; including responding to inquiries,
applications, scheduling, maintaining and signing off on timesheets and managing the
performance of large group volunteers
● Immediately alert the shelter about any volunteer liability concerns and take ownership of
identifying potential liability concerns
Professional Attributes:
● Unwavering composure, integrity, and professional maturity
● Passionate for animal care
● Authentic leader and partner
● Ability to develop strong teams
● Operates with a sense of urgency driven by the recognition that we are in a lifesaving
business
● Innovative mindset- inspired and unafraid to bring something new to this space
● Results-oriented – ability to drive results to plan with full accountability
● Nimble – demonstrates learning agility, proactively shifting efforts as trends and business
variables change
● Growth-minded – self-reflective, humble and open; seeks, welcomes and incorporates,
professional feedback with an authentic commitment to improve and grow
● Inquisitive- has a history of seeking out best practices and successfully assimilating them
into their organization
● Embodies unwavering commitment to CAC’s values and positive workplace culture
Qualifications/Educational Background:
● 1+ years of animal shelter or animal welfare experience preferred
● 1+ years of volunteer management experience preferred
● 2+ years of leadership experience managing or overseeing a variance of teams, including entry
level and management
Schedule and Availability:
● This is a 40+ hour, exempt position
● Schedule will generally be set but must be flexible to attend and assist with marquee events
throughout the year
● Must have availability after-hours and on off-days for emergencies, consultation, and
advisement to managers and Executive Leadership Team as needed
Salary and Benefits:
● Range $18-20/hour
● Benefits: medical, dental, vision, 403b, PTO, EAP