Join the Phoenix Landing Team!
Phoenix Landing is primarily a network of volunteers, but currently has an exciting opportunity for the right individual. Is that individual you? As part of this role, you get to live on-site at the Phoenix Landing Adoption Center!
Parrot Care Specialist and On-site Volunteer Coordinator (Part-time)
Phoenix Landing Foundation – Alexander, NC
Are you equally passionate about working with parrots and with people? Are you an organized, detail oriented, flexible self-starter looking to make a real difference? Be a part of Phoenix Landing’s present and future, and help extend the capacity of the organization to help parrots by joining our team as Phoenix Landing’s Parrot Care Specialist and On-site Volunteer Coordinator!
About Phoenix Landing
Phoenix Landing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to parrot welfare. It has one facility in Western North Carolina, and a network of volunteers in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, and neighboring areas like Eastern Tennessee and northern South Carolina. It provides educational opportunities concerning parrots; facilitates adoption for parrots of all sizes, from budgies to macaws; helps veterinary students with an interest in avian medicine; sponsors research and conservation of wild parrots; and advocates standards of care for companion parrots. Additional information may be found on the Phoenix Landing website at https://www.phoenixlanding.org/.
Position Overview
Phoenix Landing seeks a highly motivated, energetic, detail-oriented individual to join our team as a Parrot Care Specialist and On-site Volunteer Coordinator at the adoption center in Alexander, North Carolina, about a half hour north of Asheville. This is a 25 hour a week, part-time position. Housing is provided onsite for the person in this position, including water, power, and gas (utilities), with beautiful mountain views, via a small studio apartment. Pets are welcome. The position will begin by working split shifts, 6 days a week to provide care for parrots on-site, as well as other programmatic support for Phoenix Landing’s adoption and education programs. Position includes weekend, evening, and holiday hours. The vision for this position is to establish a robust on-site volunteer program and build a volunteer team to assist with parrot care. Position duties and schedule will evolve as the on-site volunteer team grows.
Adoption program support: Parrot care specialist – 50%
This position serves as the primary caretaker for the adoption center annex, which primarily houses cockatoos at this time. Position provides and oversees direct care to the parrots in the annex building, side aviary, and other areas as assigned or needed. This includes general care like changing food and water twice daily, cleaning cages, aviaries, and overall area, setting up or taking down cages for new or outgoing birds, letting birds out for exercise and enrichment, and moving birds into and out of aviaries. Position helps with other husbandry tasks like nail trims, and taking birds to veterinary appointments. Position may also include food preparation, toymaking and other enrichment duties, and positive reinforcement training. Position will be available to help adopters and others visiting the center during events (when we are able to have onsite events again) or adoption appointments, as needed. Position will also monitor and maintain supply inventory, including food, cleaning and animal laundry supplies, etc.
Adoption program support: On-site Volunteer Coordinator – 25%
This position will work with other on-site adoption center team members to create and formalize an onsite volunteer program. Duties include planning and implementing the volunteer program, volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling, communicating with, and providing ongoing support to volunteers as needed. Duties also include documenting processes and protocols to ensure the safety of parrots and volunteers, developing a way for volunteers to remain connected with the center and one another to share information and tips in a time of social distancing, and finding other creative ways to keep volunteers engaged.
Education and other programmatic support – 25%
Position will also assist with educational programming and some administrative tasks. This may include presenting either in-person or online, assisting with the planning and creation of videos and other learning objects. Customer service with internal and external customers by communicating via email, telephone, Zoom, etc. with bird owners, adopters, applicants, guest speakers, and more. Attention to detail required for some data entry, administrative, or bookkeeping tasks. Other duties as needed or assigned.
Qualifications
You are a great match for this position if you have:
To apply:
Send a resume and cover letter to positions@phoenixlanding.org. Please include your name and the position name in the subject line of your email. A cover letter is required, and serves as a writing sample. Your cover letter should be about one page length, and in it, please include the following:
Questions?
If you have questions about this position, you may email contact@phoenixlanding.org. Applications should be submitted to positions@phoenixlanding.org.
Phoenix Landing is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Are you equally passionate about working with parrots and with people? Are you an organized, detail oriented, flexible self-starter looking to make a real difference? Be a part of Phoenix Landing’s present and future, and help extend the capacity of the organization to help parrots by joining our team as Phoenix Landing’s Parrot Care Specialist and On-site Volunteer Coordinator!
About Phoenix Landing
Phoenix Landing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to parrot welfare. It has one facility in Western North Carolina, and a network of volunteers in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, and neighboring areas like Eastern Tennessee and northern South Carolina. It provides educational opportunities concerning parrots; facilitates adoption for parrots of all sizes, from budgies to macaws; helps veterinary students with an interest in avian medicine; sponsors research and conservation of wild parrots; and advocates standards of care for companion parrots. Additional information may be found on the Phoenix Landing website at https://www.phoenixlanding.org/.
Position Overview
Phoenix Landing seeks a highly motivated, energetic, detail-oriented individual to join our team as a Parrot Care Specialist and On-site Volunteer Coordinator at the adoption center in Alexander, North Carolina, about a half hour north of Asheville. This is a 25 hour a week, part-time position. Housing is provided onsite for the person in this position, including water, power, and gas (utilities), with beautiful mountain views, via a small studio apartment. Pets are welcome. The position will begin by working split shifts, 6 days a week to provide care for parrots on-site, as well as other programmatic support for Phoenix Landing’s adoption and education programs. Position includes weekend, evening, and holiday hours. The vision for this position is to establish a robust on-site volunteer program and build a volunteer team to assist with parrot care. Position duties and schedule will evolve as the on-site volunteer team grows.
Adoption program support: Parrot care specialist – 50%
This position serves as the primary caretaker for the adoption center annex, which primarily houses cockatoos at this time. Position provides and oversees direct care to the parrots in the annex building, side aviary, and other areas as assigned or needed. This includes general care like changing food and water twice daily, cleaning cages, aviaries, and overall area, setting up or taking down cages for new or outgoing birds, letting birds out for exercise and enrichment, and moving birds into and out of aviaries. Position helps with other husbandry tasks like nail trims, and taking birds to veterinary appointments. Position may also include food preparation, toymaking and other enrichment duties, and positive reinforcement training. Position will be available to help adopters and others visiting the center during events (when we are able to have onsite events again) or adoption appointments, as needed. Position will also monitor and maintain supply inventory, including food, cleaning and animal laundry supplies, etc.
Adoption program support: On-site Volunteer Coordinator – 25%
This position will work with other on-site adoption center team members to create and formalize an onsite volunteer program. Duties include planning and implementing the volunteer program, volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling, communicating with, and providing ongoing support to volunteers as needed. Duties also include documenting processes and protocols to ensure the safety of parrots and volunteers, developing a way for volunteers to remain connected with the center and one another to share information and tips in a time of social distancing, and finding other creative ways to keep volunteers engaged.
Education and other programmatic support – 25%
Position will also assist with educational programming and some administrative tasks. This may include presenting either in-person or online, assisting with the planning and creation of videos and other learning objects. Customer service with internal and external customers by communicating via email, telephone, Zoom, etc. with bird owners, adopters, applicants, guest speakers, and more. Attention to detail required for some data entry, administrative, or bookkeeping tasks. Other duties as needed or assigned.
Qualifications
You are a great match for this position if you have:
- A good understanding of parrot care and behavior, and a passion for learning and working with parrots
- A high tolerance for noise, and infinite patience in working with animals, especially cockatoo shenanigans.
- Flexibility and adaptability concerning your schedule, and the ability to juggle multiple, competing priorities as they surface.
- Leadership skills, radical candor, and empathy in working with volunteers, colleagues, and animals.
- An open mindset, the intention to always learn more, and the ability to not take things personally when working with animals or people.
- Enough patience to work in a location with intermittent internet and cell phone connectivity issues.
- Excitement about an opportunity to live in an apartment in a lovely, rural area with mountain views, with some beautiful, but potentially loud, feathered, downstairs neighbors.
- Excellent customer service skills and service orientation, proven ability to be diplomatic and respectful.
- Strong interpersonal skills, and with the ability to effectively communicate, and work with people from diverse backgrounds, via a variety of means (in-person and remotely).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, and being comfortable presenting in front of a group.
- Ability to coach and provide feedback to individuals in a respectful and empathetic manner.
- Excellent writing and grammatical skills, and a basic understanding of business writing, including writing clear, effective emails.
- The ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Ability to adhere to established practices, but also to think outside the box when the circumstances require it.
- Excellent attention to detail as it concerns record keeping, data entry, and bookkeeping. Ability to perform tasks with a high level of accuracy.
- Good computer skills, including working knowledge and experience with Excel, Word, PowerPoint, email, Zoom, and other or similar office programs.
- Ability to lift and carry 30 lbs. Ability to move heavier items with assistance from a hand truck, cart, or other. Ability to stand, walk, climb stairs, stoop, kneel, stretch, reach with hands and arms, and crouch.
- Ability to work a flexible, split schedule of 25 hours per week, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.
- A valid driver’s license and good driving record.
- Associates degree or above preferred.
- Prior experience developing training materials and delivering training.
- Experience scheduling volunteers or staff.
- Experience training animals and/or people, or as a veterinary technician.
- Experience working with male cockatoos.
To apply:
Send a resume and cover letter to positions@phoenixlanding.org. Please include your name and the position name in the subject line of your email. A cover letter is required, and serves as a writing sample. Your cover letter should be about one page length, and in it, please include the following:
- Why you wish to work for Phoenix Landing
- How your knowledge and skills will benefit parrots and people through your work with Phoenix Landing
- What knowledge or skills you hope to develop or improve by serving as Phoenix Landing’s Parrot Care Specialist and On-site Volunteer Coordinator
- 3 references, with at least 2 from current or prior employment
Questions?
If you have questions about this position, you may email contact@phoenixlanding.org. Applications should be submitted to positions@phoenixlanding.org.
Phoenix Landing is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.