Lead Adoption and Customer Service Specialist

Lead Adoption and Customer Service Specialist

The Lead Adoption & Customer Service Specialist performs the essential duties of the Adoption & Customer Service Specialist while providing additional day-to-day operational leadership, peer guidance, training support, and coordination.

The Lead helps ensure consistent, efficient, and compassionate delivery of adoption, customer service, animal care, and shelter operations. This is a non-management, non-disciplinary position. The Lead does not make hiring, scheduling, compensation, or disciplinary decisions and escalates matters requiring management involvement.

• Perform all essential duties of the Adoption & Customer Service Specialist, including greeting and assisting customers, answering phones, supporting adoptions, providing animal information, and communicating HSTT policies and procedures.
• Counsel potential adopters and approve or decline adoptions in accordance with established policies.
• Maintain knowledge of adoptable animals, including their temperaments, personalities, and needs.
• Assist with Animal Services front desk functions, including licensing and animal relinquishments, as needed.
• Monitor the health and well-being of adoptable animals and communicate concerns to appropriate personnel.
• Maintain clean, safe, and organized adoption areas and socialize animals as time allows.
• Maintain, sell, and restock merchandise.
• Provide guidance and support to volunteers.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by management.

• Serve as a first-line resource for coworker questions, troubleshooting, and daily operational guidance.
• Help coordinate daily workflow and priorities and ensure completion of essential tasks.
• Support onboarding, training, and ongoing development of team members through coaching and example.
• Reinforce established policies, procedures, safety practices, and animal handling protocols.
• Provide constructive, respectful feedback focused on education, consistency, and improvement.
• Identify workflow or process challenges and recommend improvements to management.
• Assist with implementation of approved procedures and process changes.
• Help prioritize urgent operational needs involving animal care, safety, cleaning, intake/discharge, and customer service.
• Support appropriate animal handling decisions within the Lead's training and scope of authority, including handling-code adjustments based on direct observation and assessment.
• Escalate employee conduct concerns, conflict, safety risks, repeated protocol violations, significant animal welfare concerns, and other matters requiring management involvement.

• Demonstrated success performing the essential duties of an Adoption & Customer Service Specialist or comparable animal welfare/customer service role.
• Strong knowledge of animal behavior, handling, adoption processes, and shelter operations.
• Excellent communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to provide constructive peer guidance, coaching, and training.
• Strong organization, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and remain calm and professional in challenging situations.
• Demonstrated reliability, teamwork, professionalism, and commitment to HSTT's mission and values.
• Ability to recognize the boundaries of the Lead role and appropriately elevate concerns to management.
• Previous leadership, mentoring, training, or lead experience preferred.