Hospital Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Hospital Manager / Volunteer Coordinator Position Description
Date Posted: 12/7/2024
Full-time Hours: 40 hr. per week
Status: Non-Exempt
Starting Salary: $58,136-$64,250 commensurate with experience.
Reports to: Staff Veterinarian & Executive Director
Who We Are:
Ojai Raptor Center (ORC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife in Southern California, with a specialized focus on raptors. Each year, ORC cares for 700 to 1,100 wildlife patients. Our center, located on a four-acre campus in Ojai, includes a wildlife hospital, outdoor flight pens, aviaries, and mews. Our organization offers a robust wildlife internship and a veterinary externship program. In addition to our rehabilitation efforts, ORC provides community education programs that promote environmental conservation, inspire stewardship, and foster a deeper connection to nature.
ORC is proud to serve as a leader in the wildlife field, supported by a passionate team of staff, volunteers, and donors who share a common goal of protecting and preserving wildlife.
General Position Summary:
As ORC’s Hospital Manager / Volunteer Coordinator, you will be an essential part of the hospital management team, collaborating closely with the Staff Veterinarian to ensure the efficient operation of the hospital. Your role will enhance efficiency, manage costs, and cultivate a hospital culture focused on top-notch patient care and exceptional customer service. You will oversee the planning and coordination of hospital operations while creating a supportive and cohesive team environment.
The Hospital Manager / Volunteer Coordinator reports to the Staff Veterinarian and is responsible for managing the daily rehabilitation operations, maintaining the facility, supplies, and organization in the hospital, managing the wildlife helpline, and coordinating with the public, ORC staff, and volunteers around animal care and animal rescue. The Hospital Manager / Volunteer Coordinator carries out administrative, treatment, and husbandry duties, following written and verbal protocols to train staff, interns, and volunteers to ensure the hospital's safe, effective, and efficient operations.
A key aspect of this position is overseeing ORC’s volunteer and internship programs. You will recruit, train, and conduct orientations for new participants, as well as track and report volunteer hours to meet program and organizational goals. By supervising rehabilitation volunteers and interns, you will ensure they provide exceptional care to wild animal patients while upholding ORC’s mission and values.
In addition to managing people and operations, the Hospital Manager / Volunteer Coordinator will handle the triage, initial treatment, and ongoing care of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. Working under the guidance of the Staff Veterinarian, you will implement and manage medical treatments and procedures necessary for animal rehabilitation. Maintaining open and clear communication with the Staff Veterinarian and Executive Director is essential to addressing challenges and optimizing hospital performance.
This role requires strong leadership, organizational, and excellent communication skills. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver who thrives in a dynamic environment and is dedicated to ORC’s mission of providing high-quality wildlife care. If you are a compassionate leader with a passion for wildlife rehabilitation and community engagement, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
Hospital Manager responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Husbandry Care of Animals
o Oversee husbandry care of hospital and rehabilitation patients, including cleaning cages and feeding species-appropriate diets.
o Ensure that all animal husbandry needs, including food, dietary supplements, water, enrichment, and enclosure setup, are met for all animals in care.
o Ensure the center's facilities, enclosures, and equipment are maintained and updated to provide optimal care for wildlife patients, including assisting with repairs and improvements as needed.
o Manage upkeep of main building/breezeway cleanliness and organization, including main room, med and hospital room, quarantine room, all refrigerators, and deep freezers.
o Maintain refrigerator and freezer stocks of food for hospital patients and education ambassadors and place orders when low.
o Monitor and maintain all outside mews, enclosures, and flights, including mending materials, appropriate perching, mister operation, enrichment, and cleanliness standards.
o Supervise and maintain rodent breeding room with daily care, assisting and/or coordinating cage cleaning and assisting with dispatching rodents as needed.
Medical Care and Procedures
o Assist with medical care, oversee and complete treatment plans put forth by the veterinarian.
o Assess and triage incoming wildlife, determining appropriate treatment plans and prioritizing cases.
o Manage the continued care of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife under direct and indirect veterinarian supervision.
o Provide care to hospital patients, including bandage application, wound care, and other medical procedures as directed by the veterinarian.
o Complete veterinary medical diagnostics, such as radiographs, bloodwork, and fecal flotation, under direct and indirect veterinarian supervision (training will be provided).
o Work closely with the veterinarian to implement and manage appropriate medical treatments and procedures, including surgical procedures.
o Coordinate patient progress to ensure animals graduate between enclosures and advance appropriately through rehabilitation. Participate in the patient release evaluation process.
o Perform humane euthanasia of non-releasable wildlife, if appropriate, pending training and experience, under direct and indirect veterinarian supervision.
o Ensure that patient records, including WRMD, hard paperwork, and band information, and boards for patient care and locations are accurately entered and updated.
Administrative Duties
o Manage daily operations of the wildlife rehabilitation hospital, including administration (inventory, records), compliance, and continuing and creating/maintaining a positive work environment for staff and volunteers.
o Maintain, order, stock, and organize hospital department inventory (food, supplies, etc.).
o Maintain financial records for purchasing and work with the Staff Veterinarian and the Executive Director on fiscal year analysis, planning, and reporting.
o Maintain common information centers, electronic and physical, keep protocols and safety documentation updated.
o Manage and monitor the wildlife helpline and ORC email accounts, answering incoming phone calls, emails, and text messages in a timely manner for all inquiries.
o Supervise wildlife hotline and respond to public inquiries, ensuring that advice is delivered quickly and professionally and following all relevant laws, regulations, and wildlife management best practices.
o Provide biologically sound information, resources, and over-the-phone support, as well as referrals to callers and in-person visitors.
o Coordinate patient transport with members of the public, volunteers, and other centers.
o Conduct patient documentation for accurate patient records and takes videos and photos of patients for use in marketing, social media, and fundraising materials.
o Develop and cultivate partnerships with local organizations, government agencies, wildlife rehabilitation networks, and other relevant stakeholders
o Develop and enforce policies in collaboration with the Veterinarian and the Executive Director to ensure the safety and security of wildlife patients, volunteers, interns, and staff.
o Support the efforts of other departments to inform the public and raise awareness of Ojai Raptor Center and its mission and communicate the stories of animals in the hospital to garner greater financial support and inspire and connect people with wildlife.
o In collaboration with the Veterinarian and the Executive Director, develop and maintain protocols for intake, assessment, treatment, and release of wildlife, ensuring the highest care and welfare standards.
o Some travel, including pickup of supplies, repair of equipment, volunteer and intern recruitment efforts, and wildlife rescue and transport.
o Other related administrative duties as needed.
Training of Staff, Volunteers, Interns, and Externs
o Work with staff, interns, and volunteers to ensure the highest standards of hygiene, husbandry, veterinary care, safety, and customer service.
o Work with and train animal care volunteers and checks that essential daily tasks are completed.
o Train interns and externs in husbandry care of patients, common procedures and diagnostics performed by technicians, and lead workshops for interns and externs.
Volunteer Coordinator responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Communication with Volunteers and Staff
o Act as liaison between ORC and all volunteers and manages volunteer relations.
o Have a working knowledge of the number of volunteers scheduled daily and coordinate with hospital staff and other departments to assess where volunteers are most needed and most effective.
o Report to staff on pertinent volunteer relations and concerns during staff meetings.
Manage Volunteer and Internship Program
o Manage the Internship and Volunteer Program, including recruitment, processing volunteer applications and background checks, conducting volunteer orientation, performing volunteer training, creating and tracking volunteer scheduling, and tracking volunteer hours for reporting.
o Directly supervise and manage volunteers and interns.
o Devise, develop, and implement effective volunteer recruitment and retention strategies to ensure the program's continued growth to support /or reduce the work of staff members and to reduce strain on overburdened departments.
o Facilitate the internship program for the Spring/Summer baby season by recruiting, interviewing, and managing the interns.
o Plan and coordinate volunteer and intern appreciation events.
Organize Essential Documents and Database
o Develop and maintain volunteer resources, position descriptions, and manuals.
o Keep all volunteer documents and programs current and provide all volunteers with appropriate orientation materials.
o Manage volunteers in conjunction with Signup.com as a volunteer database. Track volunteer hours and prepare data information for grant work etc.
o Respond to emails daily, manage the volunteer Gmail mailbox, and update the “current volunteers” contact list.
o Perform bi-annual audits of volunteer applications, the volunteer information page on ojairaptorcenter.org, and any associated language with volunteer relations in Volunteer Resources.
Education/Experience:
- A minimum of 2 years of experience working with animals in a captive or rehabilitation setting is preferred.
- A minimum of 2 years of experience working in a wildlife rehabilitation setting is preferred.
- Experience with avian species in a medical setting, preference for experience with raptors.
- Ability to perform basic intake/physical exam.
- Must be comfortable with the euthanasia of non-releasable wildlife to prevent unnecessary suffering.
- Working understanding of fluid therapy and drug administration. Ability to safely and correctly administer medications.
- Must undergo onsite training to work with the various species generally encountered at the Center.
- Must be able to take directions from supervisors. Able to work collaboratively and cooperatively with others to solve problems constructively and resolve conflicts.
- Must be responsible, professional, and able to work and communicate effectively with minimal supervision once training has progressed.
- Has supervisory skills, including the ability to motivate volunteers and develop a positive team environment.
- Must demonstrate self-motivation and good interpersonal communication skills.
- Must be able to multi-task, work well under fast-paced and sometimes stressful conditions, and efficiently prioritize tasks as the patient load shifts between seasons.
- Willingness and ability to adjust tasks in accordance with changing priorities and deadlines.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is preferred.
- Physical Requirements and Work Environment:
- Will be handling/restraining sick, injured and orphaned native wild animals; exposure to zoonosis, bites, scratches and other potential injury. Medium strength demands include exerting 20-50 pounds occasionally, 10- 25 pounds frequently, or up to 10 pounds constantly. - - Requires handling, using vision and hearing, and talking.
- Frequently requires standing, fine dexterity, walking, lifting, sitting, reaching, pushing/pulling, balancing, and twisting. Occasionally requires carrying, kneeling, foot controls, bending, and crouching, and standing on a concrete floor for up to 10 hours/day. Occasionally requires climbing ladders for repair work.
Non-Physical Demands:
Frequent time constraints, multitasking, irregular schedule/overtime, working closely with others as part of a team, tedious or exacting work, and noisy/distracting environment.
Hours, Benefits & Compensation:
• This is a non-exempt position: $58,136-$64,250 commensurate with experience.
• This position will require weekends and some holiday work.
• Ojai Raptor Center benefits include vacation and sick paid time-off, Health Benefits and Cal Savers Retirement plan.
EEO Policy Statement:
It is the policy of Ojai Raptor Center to afford equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizen status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic or status that is protected by federal, state or local law.
Employee Conduct:
All staff members and volunteers are responsible for fostering a safe and positive work environment by engaging in cooperative and professional interactions with colleagues, volunteers, vendors, and the public. Staff must promptly report any incidents, misconduct, concerns, or injuries by reporting them to their direct supervisor, and documenting them in the incident report log.
Note: All applicants must pass a background check and have COVID-19 vaccines
This is a general job description and may be subject to changes based on the specific needs of the organization. The Hospital Manager/Volunteer Coordinator is expected to adhere to all organization policies and to act as a role model within and outside the organization.
To Apply:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please send a cover letter, CV, and two letters of reference to the Staff Veterinarian, Dr. Kathryn Rasp: kathryn@ojairaptorcenter.org.