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Personalized Care Coordinator

Austin, United States

Personalized Care Coordinator

APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.

At APA!, care professionals are valued as animal champions, advocates, and guardians. Their passion and strong bonds glue the mission itself together. We believe quality care is dependent on quality relationships, because those relationships teach us about the individual animal and inform us of what we can share about them with others, in hopes of them finding a home.

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:
The Personalized Care Coordinator position designs and applies animal “case management” systems to canine populations at APA!, with a primary focus on dogs housed at the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC). This role is responsible for creating infrastructure to support and sustain an integrated Care & Placement strategy that ensures every dog receives individualized support—from intake to placement—and that no animal remains in a shelter kennel longer than necessary.

The Personalized Care Coordinator plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s Care Team. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for shelter operations.

The Personalized Care Coordinator is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.

APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Personalized Care Coordinator collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect.

This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need or MOD coverage.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained, and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Serves as the “senior case manager” over all on-site dog cases at TLAC, assigning them care pathways, standard on-site case managers, and ensuring their cases progress as needed through the system
Supervises case management assignments for dogs at TLAC, ensuring consistent documentation, follow-through, and advocacy
Acts as a strategic bridge-builder between historically separate departments (Care & Placement), ensuring daily care is always aligned with placement pathways
Analyzes strengths and gaps within the full lifecycle of animal care, with a focus on canines, from intake to placement, working toward continuous improvement
In partnership with the Behavior Team and Placement, creates care/training plans, introduction plans, BC disclaimers, and placement plans for dogs in APA!’s care
Serves as team coach to facilitate efficient case management tactics and equitable animal caseloads/ratios among staff and volunteers
Mentors, supports, and delegates assignments to staff and volunteers in their daily functions as animal case managers
Designs training materials for staff and volunteers related to animal case management
Monitors and analyzes data on shelter flow, length of stay, and placement outcomes to inform program improvements and remove barriers to lifesaving
Participates in CRM tool planning, creation, and implementation
Supports the management, organization, decision-making, problem-solving, implementation, and communication associated with Quality Care at APA!
Oversees quality control in personalized animal care plans and efficient communication related to this amongst the team
Works with leadership to refine and adjust personalized care processes and protocols
Works cross-functionally with Marketing and other departments to support promotions of dogs
Stays current on best practices in animal sheltering, behavior support, and foster/adoption program design to maintain progressive and compassionate program models
Actively contribute to a volunteer-powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment
Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed
Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program
Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work
Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager
Contribute to a positive culture by recognizing volunteer contributions through appreciation, gratitude, and shoutouts
Help set volunteers up for success by clearly explaining tasks, providing hands-on guidance, and offering in-the-moment support
Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS:

This role is for someone who thrives at the intersection of compassion, strategy, and systems-building
1+ Year of experience in animal sheltering leadership
Familiarity with shelter management software and data tracking tools used in animal care and placement systems
Strong understanding of dog behavior, enrichment planning, and behaviorally-informed care strategies
Outstanding commitment to the wellbeing of every animal in the organization’s care
Knowledge of and passion for the No Kill movement and its aims in Austin and throughout the region
Willingness to work collaboratively with individuals in all roles—staff, volunteers, community members—to support lifesaving efforts
Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission
Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members
Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials
Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather
Be able to bend and use your arms in a repetitive manner
Must be able to handle and walk large dogs that pull and jump
If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, fluids, debris, and chemicals
High levels of noise, such as dogs barking
Potential for animal bites, scratches, and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs

TIME COMMITMENT:

This is a full-time, exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week.
Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change
Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
This position reports directly to the Quality of Care Director, or another individual designated by APA!.

LOCATION(S):

APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703
Tarrytown Dog Adoption Center, Play Yard & Gift Shop 3118 Windsor Road Austin, TX 78703
May travel to offsite locations as needed

BENEFITS:
Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life-saving work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT:
Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.

Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.

APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org at least one week in advance of your interview.

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