Volunteer Program Manager

Mission Statement:

Committed to kindness in service to the community since 1931, the Humane Society of Sonoma County is a donor-supported safe haven for animals. Our mission is to save lives and benefit the wellbeing of pets and their people with kindness, innovation, and leadership.

SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Community Programs Senior Manager, the Volunteer Program Manager is responsible for recruiting, onboarding, scheduling, and retaining volunteers who support the mission of the Humane Society of Sonoma County and deliver assistance in all aspects of shelter operations. This includes Medical, Adoptions, Animal Care and Handling, Enrichment, Outreach, Foster, as well as special groups, community services, and event support. The volunteer program has approximately 400 active volunteers across all departments. Supervising and coordinating volunteers includes providing volunteer resources where staff support is needed to match the growth and evolution of the shelter at both Santa Rosa and Healdsburg campuses.

Key Responsibilities:

Volunteer Services

1. Actively encourage and support volunteer participation in all program areas.
2. Manage volunteer recruitment, orientation, and training.
3. Coordinate volunteers in various animal handling, shelter operations, and customer-facing roles.
4. Onboard all new volunteers through orientation, scheduling, and training.
5. Collaborate with staff and managers to provide support, structure, resources, and tools to volunteers assigned to their departments.
6. Host ongoing training opportunities for department coordinators on volunteer supervisory responsibilities.
7. Schedule all-volunteer meeting quarterly to enhance communication to volunteers.
8. Administrative tasks including database management; tracking and recording active and inactive volunteers, their hours, and level of training; documentation collections; and other various administrative tasks.
9. Serve on various committees to represent Volunteer Services in all capacities in which volunteers work in the community.
10. Attend community events and volunteer recruiting opportunities.
11. Engage and communicate with volunteers regularly, manager interpersonal matters, address questions and problems from and among volunteers.
12. Create and implement plans for volunteer recognition, appreciation, including planning the annual Volunteer Appreciation Event, in addition to various smaller volunteer recognition occasions throughout the year.
13. Maintain relationships with volunteers; conduct meetings and evaluations as needed, consider grievances/suggestions, find solutions; implement and enforce protocols and procedures.
14. With within assigned budget for volunteer activities.
15. Work with the Development team to plan and coordinate various events needing volunteer support.
16. Manage volunteer schedule and staffing at annual Gala and duties performed by volunteer in preparation of the event.
17. Assist and train department managers in implementing the use of databases with their volunteers.
18. Generate volunteer data reports for grants, metrics, and annual report.
19. Produce new volunteer job descriptions as new roles are created.
20. Continue the growth of the program by finding new opportunities for volunteers.
21. Work with volunteer projects targeted to the following groups; special needs volunteers, special groups, community service, and college credit volunteers to assess projects and positions that match their skills and requirements.
22. Oversee Mentor/Mentee program through the partnership with Forget Me Not Farm.
23. Be available for volunteers during designated scheduled office hours, both in-person, phone, or email.
24. Create and update SOP’s for the volunteer services department.
25. Foster a culture in which volunteers feel recognized, motivated, and appreciated.
26. Other duties as assigned.

LEADERSHIP AND STAFF SUPPORT

Manages Volunteer Services Coordinator and all volunteers.

1. Supports department managers with supervision of program volunteers.

SUPERVISION:

Supervises: Volunteer Services Coordinator & all volunteers.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Two (2) years full-time experience working as a volunteer or with volunteers.
2. One year of management experience required, ideally in a non-profit setting.
3. Ability to cultivate and maintain positive work relationship with volunteers, staff, and management.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Excellent communication skills; clear, kind, and culturally aware.
2. Strong presentation skills.
3. Excellent internal and external customer service skills.
4. Ability to work cooperatively, set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness and foster teamwork.
5. Maintain confidentiality and ethics.
6. Database management.
7. Apply logic and reasoning to evaluate alternative solutions to problems.
8. Willingness to work flexible days and hours, weekends and/or holidays.
9. Weekend work required.

Additional Agency-Wide Leadership Responsibilities:

1. Provide strategic leadership across the organization, contributing to long-term planning and goal setting.
2. Collaborate with department heads to align services with broader organizational objectives.
3. Participate in cross-functional initiatives to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
4. Represent the organization in external forums, conferences, and stakeholder meetings to promote its mission and programs.
5. Support fundraising and development efforts by providing expert insight into veterinary services and program impact.
6. Advocate for animal welfare and shelter medicine at the regional and national levels, serving as a spokesperson when appropriate.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· Must be able to interact with and handle animals.

· Must be able to do phone and computer work for blocks of time.

· Ability to walk and/or stand throughout a normal workday.

· Must be able to communicate effectively (speak and listen).

· Must be able to lift, move, and carry objects and animals up to 30 pounds.

· While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to handle objects/operate keyboards and telephones; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; bend, reach, stoop, kneel, squat, and crawl; climb or balance. Use of arms above the shoulder is sometimes required.

· Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

· Allergic conditions, that would be aggravated when handling or working with animals may result is disqualification.

· Must be able to repetitively use hands to operate computers; flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist.

· Occasionally will be in situations requiring high stamina, such as training days and special events.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

This position generally works in a standard office environment, moderately quiet with periodic interruptions from staff, volunteers, and members of the public. Some exposure to moderate noise levels (such as barking dogs, ringing phones, lobby traffic)

EEO STATEMENT:

HSSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable team. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, especially those historically underrepresented in animal welfare and veterinary medicine.