Volunteer Engagement Coordinator

Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Do you enjoy building meaningful relationships, supporting volunteers, and creating positive experiences for guests and the community? The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens seeks a compassionate, organized, and proactive Volunteer Engagement Coordinator (Full‑Time). This coordinator plays a key role in fostering inclusive, mission‑aligned volunteer engagement across Adult Volunteers, Adaptive Services, group volunteer programs, and seasonal or special events.

You are someone who finds purpose in helping others succeed, building meaningful relationships, and creating positive experiences for volunteers and the community. You bring a calm, supportive presence to busy environments, enjoy variety, and feel energized working with people of different backgrounds, abilities, and generations.

• Relationship Building & Community Engagement: Build trust, connection, and belonging with volunteers, staff, and community partners. Model a calm, collaborative presence in a lively, fast‑paced environment and approach challenges with diplomacy, care, and consistency.
• Program & Project Management: Support and coordinate multiple volunteer programs and activities. Prioritize effectively, stay organized using checklists and structured workflows, and keep work moving forward while managing multiple responsibilities at once.
• Operational Awareness & Daily Coordination: Anticipate needs, identify potential gaps early, and communicate proactively to keep people, plans, and expectations on track.
• Communication &
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Support a culture of teamwork and transparency. Approach communication as relationship‑building, not just information sharing.
• Inclusivity, Generational Awareness & Adaptive Support: Demonstrate cultural awareness and understanding to reinforce an environment where everyone feels respected, capable, and included.
• Professional Growth & Continuous Improvement: Model growth‑minded professionalism to balance initiative with collaboration and approach improvement with curiosity.

• Ability to work a schedule:
  Sunday – Thursday.
• 2+ years of experience in a similar role involving community outreach, engagement, and representing the organization to customers, the public, government agencies, and other external stakeholders.
• 1+ year experience may include program management, customer support, hospitality, recreation, conservation, or other relationship‑driven work.
• 1+ year demonstrated ability to manage multiple people, projects, and priorities simultaneously while maintaining professionalism, organization, and positive relationships.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and experience using volunteer management software such as Volgistics (or similar platforms), along with comfort working in databases, scheduling systems, and communication tools.
• Emotional intelligence to foster a positive and impactful volunteer experience for all participants.
• Proven ability to exercise discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment when handling sensitive information, conflict, or performance concerns involving volunteers or stakeholders.
• Ability to represent the organization in a professional manner during public engagement, outreach events, partner meetings, and volunteer interactions.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and respect when working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments to coordinate volunteer needs, resolve scheduling or service concerns, and support shared organizational goals.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills with the ability to communicate information clearly, respectfully, and professionally in both verbal and written formats across diverse audiences.

• Verification of professional references.
• Employment history verification.
• Level II criminal background check.
• 5‑panel drug test.
• Ability to maintain a valid driver’s license and be eighteen (18) years of age with a clear driving record.

• Ability to consistently remain on your feet for 6–8 hours on shift, and for prolonged periods.
• Manual dexterity for…