Summary

The Volunteer & Safety Coordinator plays an important role in supporting the people, programs, and day-to-day operations of Parachutes for Pets (PFP).This position is responsible for building and maintaining a strong, welcoming, and organized volunteer program while helping ensure that PFP provides a safe environment for staff, volunteers, clients, visitors, and animals.

Description

Volunteer & Safety Coordinator

Parachutes for Pets
Hours: Approximately 30 hours per week
Position Type: Part-Time
Reports to: Executive Director / Designated Leadership
Location: Calgary, Alberta

Position Summary

The Volunteer & Safety Coordinator plays an important role in supporting the people, programs, and day-to-day operations of Parachutes for Pets (PFP).

This position is responsible for building and maintaining a strong, welcoming, and organized volunteer program while helping ensure that PFP provides a safe environment for staff, volunteers, clients, visitors, and animals.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, approachable, proactive, and comfortable working in a busy nonprofit environment where priorities can shift quickly. This person should enjoy working with people, be confident providing direction and training, and understand the importance of both compassion and accountability.

This is a hands-on role. The Volunteer & Safety Coordinator will regularly interact with volunteers, staff, animals, clients, and community members and will be expected to identify needs, solve problems, and help keep PFP running safely and effectively.

Key Responsibilities

Volunteer Coordination

  • Coordinate the day-to-day volunteer program at PFP.

  • Respond to volunteer inquiries and guide prospective volunteers through the application and onboarding process.

  • Conduct or coordinate volunteer orientations, training, and site tours.

  • Match volunteers with appropriate roles based on organizational needs, skills, interests, and abilities.

  • Develop and maintain volunteer schedules and ensure adequate coverage for priority areas.

  • Maintain accurate volunteer records, contact information, documentation, and hours.

  • Communicate regularly with volunteers regarding opportunities, expectations, organizational updates, and changes.

  • Provide volunteers with clear instructions, support, and feedback.

  • Work with PFP staff to identify areas where volunteer support is needed.

  • Assist with volunteer recruitment for programs, events, outreach activities, pet care, warehouse support, and other organizational needs.

  • Help develop volunteer leadership opportunities and identify reliable volunteers who may take on additional responsibilities.

  • Support volunteer appreciation, recognition, and retention initiatives.

  • Address volunteer concerns professionally and escalate significant issues to leadership when required.

  • Ensure volunteers understand PFP policies, confidentiality expectations, boundaries, and standards of conduct.

Safety Coordination

  • Support the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of PFP's workplace and volunteer safety practices.

  • Help ensure staff and volunteers receive appropriate safety orientation and training.

  • Maintain safety documentation, checklists, training records, and incident reports.

  • Conduct regular walkthroughs of PFP spaces to identify potential hazards or safety concerns.

  • Follow up on identified safety issues to ensure corrective action is completed.

  • Coordinate regular safety meetings, refreshers, and training where appropriate.

  • Ensure emergency procedures, emergency contacts, first-aid information, and evacuation procedures are current and accessible.

  • Monitor first-aid kits and other safety supplies and arrange replenishment when needed.

  • Support appropriate documentation and follow-up after workplace, volunteer, client, or animal-related incidents.

  • Work with leadership to continually improve safety procedures based on incidents, near misses, operational changes, and emerging needs.

  • Promote a culture where staff and volunteers feel comfortable reporting hazards and safety concerns.

Animal & Facility Safety

Because PFP is an animal-serving organization, this role will also help support safety practices related to animals within our facilities and programs.

Responsibilities may include:

  • Ensuring volunteers understand safe animal-handling expectations and boundaries.

  • Confirming that volunteers only participate in animal-related activities for which they have been appropriately trained.

  • Supporting procedures for cleaning, sanitation, animal areas, storage spaces, and public areas.

  • Identifying potential risks involving animals, equipment, facility conditions, or interactions with the public.

  • Helping maintain safe traffic flow and separation between animals, volunteers, staff, and clients when required.

  • Working with staff responsible for animal care when additional training or safety procedures are needed.

Policies, Procedures & Administration

  • Assist with creating, updating, and implementing volunteer and safety policies and procedures.

  • Maintain organized electronic and physical records related to volunteers and safety.

  • Ensure required forms, waivers, acknowledgements, and training documentation are completed.

  • Help create practical checklists, training materials, signage, and standard operating procedures.

  • Track relevant volunteer and safety statistics and provide updates to leadership.

  • Participate in staff meetings and operational planning when appropriate.

  • Assist with other operational duties that reasonably fall within the scope of the position.

Qualifications & Skills

The successful candidate will ideally have:

  • Experience coordinating volunteers, employees, community programs, health and safety, or nonprofit operations.

  • Strong organizational and administrative skills.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Confidence providing direction while maintaining a welcoming and respectful approach.

  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and follow through on tasks.

  • Strong judgment and the ability to recognize when an issue should be escalated.

  • Comfort working independently while collaborating closely with a team.

  • Experience developing procedures, training materials, or organizational systems is an asset.

  • Occupational health and safety knowledge or training is an asset.

  • First Aid/CPR certification is an asset or willingness to obtain certification.

  • Experience working around animals is an asset.

  • Comfort working in an environment where animals are regularly present is required.

  • Alignment with PFP's mission and compassionate, barrier-free approach to supporting people and their pets.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means PFP has a volunteer program that is organized, responsive, welcoming, and dependable. Volunteers understand where they need to be, what they are responsible for, and who they can go to when they need help.

It also means safety becomes part of everyday operations rather than something addressed only when an incident occurs. Hazards are identified early, incidents are documented and followed up on, training is current, and staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities.

Most importantly, this person helps create an environment where people feel valued, supported, accountable, and safe while contributing to the mission of Parachutes for Pets.

Schedule

This position is approximately 30 hours per week. The schedule will be established based on organizational needs and may include a combination of weekday, occasional evening, and weekend hours to support volunteer activities, programs, training, and special events.

Flexibility is important, as Parachutes for Pets operates in a dynamic community-service environment.