Austin Pets Alive! is hiring: Social Media Specialist in Austin

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in 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, non-traditional community-based animal rescue work. The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services project, a collaborative movement of more than 4,600 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,500 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters. Overview BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Social Media Specialist is a core member of the APA! Marketing & Communications (MarCom) team. The specialist will oversee and maintain all APA! and affiliated brands 0social media channels according to APA!’s social media policy, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube. The position will curate, coordinate and execute the strategy for storytelling content through social media for the purposes of growing and elevating APA!’s brand and mission, with goals/KPIs based on increasing reach, engagement and fundraising, as well as generating leads for potential adopters, fosters, volunteers and job applicants. APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The [Job Title] 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 Continually drive the posting of timely storytelling social media content in line with organizational strategic priorities and key messaging Regularly capture, curate and produce content (videos, images, etc.), write engaging copy; integrate brand campaigns to maintain cohesive messaging across all marketing channels Monitor and leverage social media trends to boost reach, engagement, and follower growth; report on and adjust strategy based on analytics Produce daily stewardship communications on behalf of the CEO, sending to top-level donors, in coordination with the CEO, in addition to providing stewardship content Advancement Team portfolio holders High volume posting/scheduling of content on all social media channels utilizing Khoros Coordination and quality assurance of content from other internal and volunteer social media contributors; collaborate across teams to ensure up-to-date messaging needs are being met; ensure relationships between staff members and volunteers are being created and maintained Create creative content and adhere to deadlines for social media content requirements related to sponsorships and grants Ability to work independently to meet deadlines Monitoring, response, proactive engagement and online reputation management (including during evening and weekend hours as needed) Regularly report on and adjust strategy based on analytics Overseeing and maintaining the utilization of social media intern(s)/volunteers 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 Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings Maintain open and consistent communication with supervisor, leadership team and other colleagues 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 Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, marketing, journalism or closely related field; or equivalent professional experience. Minimum of 2 years of experience creating and posting written and visual content across multiple social media platforms. Strong written and verbal communication skills Creative, inclusive and grammatically correct content creation skills Familiarity with social media fundraising tools for nonprofits Knowledge on the latest updates, features, trends and best practices in social media Detail-oriented with the ability to maintain a high level of quality assurance Solutions-oriented, adaptable and positive attitude Fast turnaround times and a high production/output Ability to strategize how to achieve multiple goals through utilization of the same social channels An authentic passion for animals, animal welfare and no kill mission 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 Willing and committed to working well with volunteers and staff in all roles Graphic design, photography and video production/editing skills a plus 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 Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels, including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm, scabies, intestinal parasites, etc. Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers 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 Standard office environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals Uses own transportation to travel and transport Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises Exposure to bites, scratches and animal waste Possible exposure to contagious diseases Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people TIME COMMITMENT This is a full-time, on-site, exempt position. Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (somewhat flexible). Some overtime and weekend work may be occasionally required. 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 Sr. Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing. LOCATION(S) APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703 Hwy 290 Medical Clinic - 4942 W Hwy 290 Austin, TX 78735 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr