Outreach Specialist

Job Overview

The Outreach Specialist plays a vital role in supporting the Outreach Department’s programs and initiatives. This position is ideal for someone passionate about wildlife, public education, and engaging with diverse audiences. Responsibilities include caring for animals in the Wildlife Education Ambassador Program, assisting in the Wildlife Hospital admissions area, and delivering educational presentations on- and off-site for groups of all ages.

We are seeking an energetic professional who thrives in a dynamic environment, is comfortable wearing multiple hats, and brings experience in both animal husbandry and public speaking. The ideal candidate is well-organized, flexible, and enjoys supporting a team dedicated to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

The Outreach Specialist will actively promote SFWC’s mission and fundraising efforts during all public interactions, encouraging visitors, volunteers, and clients to support the organization through donations, recurring giving, and event participation. This role works closely with the Development team to integrate fundraising messages into tours, educational programs, and animal admissions, ensuring every community interaction strengthens support for wildlife conservation.

 Responsibilities and Duties

Outreach and Education:

• Provides husbandry and handling of animal ambassadors

• Monitors animal behavior to ensure health and well-being.
• Administers routine medication to animals.
• Assists the veterinarian with medical treatments, physicals, and procedures as needed.
• Prepares and distributes animal enrichment items.
• Participate in training programs.
• Record keeping and data entry into WRMD.
• Maintains habitats.
• Assists in area training for interns and volunteers.

• Develops and facilitates engaging, high-energy, creative, dynamic, and accurate educational presentations for a variety of age groups in diverse settings.
• Delivers educational tours to donors, new volunteers, and special guests as needed.
• Gathers content for social media and printed publications.
• Provides compassionate support to callers, rescuers, and other community members by providing knowledgeable, exemplary customer service to expand community education and help manage patient admissions.

• Represents SFWC at special events as assigned.
• Assists with the development and ongoing improvement of SFWC’s educational programming.

Customer service:

• Ensures that exemplary customer service is provided to clients, volunteers, and staff and that the Center’s mission, services, programs, and events are actively and enthusiastically promoted. This includes resolving customer service-related issues and soliciting and utilizing promotional opportunities.

• Provides first response to customers and ensures informational materials are available and delivered to the public. Identifies emerging issues that require a departmental response. Reviews processes to identify any problems which may require streamlining or improvement.

• Provides public education, via phone, in person, and email, relating to the admissions process, proper courses of action for rescued/injured animals, and volunteer/event inquiries.

Patient intake:

• Receives and admits animals to the Center, gathers thorough historical information, supports triage team by determining the priority of triage and communicating observations of rescued/injured animals to triage personnel.
• Assists in the coordination of patient renesting and reuniting efforts.

• May be asked to assist in wildlife triage.
• Dispatches volunteer rescue team or drives company vehicle as requested.

• Ensures the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of the animal file as a result of the intake process and subsequent client communications.
• Performs and/or facilitates accurate daily data entry and maintenance of databases to maintain accurate patient count/disposition.

Other:

• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related tasks as requested.
• Assists with recruitment, training, onboarding, and oversight of volunteers, including volunteer data records.
• Maintains the admissions and retail area in a clean and orderly manner.
• Handles financial transactions

Qualifications

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.
• Ability to remain calm and compassionate in stressful situations, including medical emergencies.
• Positive energy, emotional elasticity, and unrelenting stamina.
• Excellent oral, written, and public speaking communication skills.
• Must have the ability to expediently acquire a comprehensive knowledge of wildlife species, habitats, and state and federal laws pertaining to wild animals.
• Strong knowledge of database management, Microsoft Office and use of social media.
• Highly motivated, polite, and professional.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of staff, donor, and constituent matters.
• Ability to move/lift up to 30 pounds.
• Must possess a valid Florida driver’s license and be insurable.

Preferred requirements include:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent work experience.
• Bilingual – English/Spanish speaker.

• Minimum of one year of experience in animal care field with animal handling experience.

Work Hours

SFWC operates 365 days per year; as such, staff will be scheduled to work weekends and holidays on a regular or recurring basis. Scheduled hours are typically 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with one-hour non-paid lunch, with overtime pre-approved, as necessary.