Wildlife Center Customer Care Associate at HUMANE ANIMAL RESCUE OF PITTSBURGH – Verona, Pennsylvania

SUMMARY

The Wildlife Center Customer Care Associate serves as the first point of contact for the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh's Wildlife Center. This role primarily involves managing the Wildlife Helpline and assisting with wildlife admissions. The ideal candidate will provide compassionate and informative support to the public, using sound knowledge of Pennsylvania’s native wildlife, regulations, and best practices.

This position requires excellent communication skills, a calm and professional demeanor, and a passion for wildlife advocacy. The goal is to help members of the public make informed, humane decisions—often with the aim of keeping wild animals in the wild whenever appropriate.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide outstanding customer service to all callers and visitors to the Wildlife Helpline and Center
• Offer clear, accurate, and science-based guidance on wildlife-related inquiries
• Process wildlife admissions, including completing intake paperwork, transferring and handling patients, and providing updates to the public
• Educate the community on native Pennsylvania wildlife, RVS (rabies vector species) laws, and safe wildlife handling practices
• Identify and report any suspected illegal wildlife activity to the Wildlife Center Director
• Guide callers on how to safely contain and transport injured or orphaned wildlife
• Maintain accurate call logs, update WRMD (Wildlife Rehabilitation Medical Database), respond to public inquiries, and contribute to reports
• Assist in keeping the HARP website updated with the most current wildlife-related resources and educational materials
• Support Wildlife Center administrative needs, including stocking materials, organizing donations, and maintaining patient records
• Help onboard and support customer care volunteers, and coordinate with the Volunteer Manager as needed
• Committed to upholding the values and mission of Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh
• Other duties as assigned

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This role is primarily based in a clinic environment. This position may involve occasional exposure to aggressive or injured animals, unpleasant odors, animal waste, and potential zoonotic diseases. Noise levels are typically moderate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Incumbents must be able to read, see, hear, and speak. During work, employee may be required to bend, stoop, squat, climb, and walk. The position will require the ability to lift, push, pull, and carry up to fifty (50) pounds. Will be required to use a computer with keyboard, telephone or handheld mobile device for extended periods of time, and office machinery as needed. This description represents the requirements 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.

• High school degree or equivalent required
• At least 2 years' experience working animal welfare or related field
• Strong customer service skills, including phone and telecommunication etiquette
• Ability to calmly de-escalate stressful or emotional situations
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• Proficiency with computers and office software
• Highly organized and capable of multitasking in a fast-paced environment
• Working knowledge of native Pennsylvania wildlife and related laws
• Previous experience in animal welfare or handling animals preferred
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently