Positive Behaviour Ireland jobs

Role Description:

The Foster Coordinator is responsible for managing and growing the shelter’s foster care program for cats and dogs. This role recruits, trains, supports, and retains foster volunteers while ensuring animals placed in foster homes receive appropriate care, monitoring, and support. The Foster Coordinator acts as the primary liaison between foster carers and veterinary staff.

All puppies and kittens that come into the shelter will need a foster home, dogs or cats recovering from surgery, illness or injury will also require a foster home to continue their healing. A Foster Coordinator maintains a thriving network of engaged foster carers, ensures high standards of care for animals in foster homes, supports positive adoption outcomes, and helps the shelter save more lives through an efficient, compassionate, and well-managed foster program.

Duties:

Foster Program Management

• Coordinate all aspects of the foster program for cats, dogs, puppies, kittens.
• Match animals with suitable foster homes based on behavioural, medical, and social needs.
• Maintain accurate records of foster placements, animal progress, and foster volunteer information.
• Monitor foster capacity and proactively recruit additional foster homes as needed.

Foster Volunteer Recruitment & Retention

• Conduct foster interviews, onboarding, and screening processes.
• Provide ongoing support, guidance, and recognition to foster volunteers.
• Build strong relationships with foster carers to encourage long-term engagement.

Animal Welfare & Support

• Assess animals for foster suitability in collaboration with veterinary teams.
• Coordinate medical treatments, vaccinations, medications, and follow-up appointments for foster animals.
• Monitor animal health, behaviour, and welfare through regular communication with foster carers.
• Ensure foster homes understand shelter protocols, animal care requirements, and emergency procedures.

Adoption & Placement Support

• Gather updates, photographs, and behavioural information from foster homes to support adoption efforts.
• Ensure animals are returned to the shelter in a safe and organised manner.

Administration & Reporting

• Maintain accurate foster records.
• Manage foster supplies, equipment, and inventory distribution.
• Experience working with cats and dogs in a shelter, rescue, veterinary, boarding, or animal welfare environment.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of animal behaviour, enrichment, and health is an advantage
• Compassion and commitment to animal welfare.
• Strong relationship-building and volunteer management skills.
• Problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• High level of organisation and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Resilience and professionalism when dealing with challenging situations.
• Adaptability and flexibility in a dynamic shelter environment.
• Ability to handle and restrain animals safely and compassionately.
• Physical stamina to handle the demands of the job, including lifting and carrying animals and supplies.

Working Hours:

• Permanent, Full Time Role – 9am-5pm 5 days over 7

Benefits:

• Bring your pets to work policy
• Learning and Development Opportunities
• Staff discounts
• Health Cash Back Scheme

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Rathfarnham, County Dublin: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Language:

• English (required)

Work authorisation:

• Ireland (required)

Work Location: In person