A Note About Commitment:
We would appreciate a six-month pledge of time from our volunteers. The act of volunteering is a self-less one, allowing us to gain new skills, new friends and a new perspective. It has been said that volunteering is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, reliability, learning and commitment. When you volunteer, you give a part of yourself, your time, your energy and your skills. It can be a one-time event or a life-time activity.

Positions based out of our operations centre in east vancouver:

• Medical Team: Managing the health of our kitties. Experience as a vet assistant/tech or nurse is strongly preferred. (2-4 hours a week, available weekday mornings or weekends)

• Driving: A variety of hours with a requirement for flexibility in times. We really need reliability here to drive kitties to vets/fosters or deliver supplies to fosters (flexible hours)

• Front Desk of the Operations Center/Reception: Keeping the front desk of the VOKRA Ops Center running efficiently including some reception and organizational duties (2-4 hours a week)

• Cat Care: Feeding of cats and cleaning of the facility for cats housed temporarily at the VOKRA Ops Center. Reliability is essential (2 hours per week).

Adoption related positions:

• Adopter Counsellors (work from home): Help interview potential adopters, match them with kitties, contacting fosters (regarding kitties, personalities, matching pairs, etc.) and then sending adopters to papers for papers/payment completion (5-10 hours a week)

• Adoption Contract Counselors: work from home and the contracts are done by phone with adopters. The contract is gone over carefully, payment is received and documents are sent via email or download from the database. The counselor schedules their own available time, 4 hours a week is required. Good communication skills and a good knowledge of computers is necessary.

• Adopter Support Email (work from home):  Help answer adopters’ questions about newly (or not so newly) adopted kittens/cats from VOKRA.  Questions about problem behaviour arrive via email and should be answered within a few hours, definitely the same day.  Support documents are available to assist in answering a large variety of feline behaviour problems, but the ability to search online for information would be an asset.  Six to 12-hour commitment per week.  Good written communication skills required.

Foster related positions:

• Foster Interviewers (work from home): Interviewing potential fosters to ensure that they will provide a safe and happy home for our kitties. Training and standard interview questions will be provided (3-6 hours per week).

• Foster Coordinator (work from home & Operations Center): Responsible for foster homes in your area, helping to manage kitties and get them adopted. Dealing with problems while in the foster home and following up after adoptions and arranging new kitties (6-20 hours per week, depending on the amount of fosters assigned).

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS positions:

• Social Media Manager: Manages social media accounts, creating and scheduling content, and engaging with the online community.

• Social Media Video Producer / Content Creator: Brainstorms and develops creative video ideas, creates & edits videos specifically for social media, and works with VOKRA volunteers & fosters to gather video footage.

• Email Marketing Specialist: Manages email campaigns, including segmentation, content creation, and performance tracking.

• Marketing Manager: Develops and executes marketing campaigns, manages the integration of the marketing team & the rest of VOKRA organization, and creates marketing reports.

• SEO Specialist (Blog & Website): Generates compelling content for the website and blog, creates engaging stories, articles, and blog posts to connect with supporters.

• Graphic Designer/Visual Content Creator: Designs visually appealing graphics, infographics, and videos, ensuring the brand's visual identity is consistent.

• Copywriter: Crafts persuasive copy to promote cat adoption and support fundraising efforts, ensuring consistent brand messaging.

• Web Developer/Designer: Maintains and updates the organization's website, creates user-friendly landing pages for campaigns.

• Communications & PR Manager: Leads internal and external communication efforts, maintains a consistent brand voice, and manages media relations.

• Project Manager (Marketing): Leads and coordinates the marketing team's projects and initiatives, ensuring effective project planning and execution.

fundraising positions:

• Grant Writer: Researches grant opportunities, writes compelling proposals, and maintains a grant calendar to meet deadlines.

• Major Gifts: Focuses on cultivating relationships with individual donors, implements stewardship programs, and develops donor acquisition strategies.

• Corporate Giving & Engagement: Seeks and nurtures relationships with local businesses, develops sponsorship opportunities, and cause-related marketing campaigns.

• Annual Giving: Provides donor stewardship through personalized communications, manages inquiries and acknowledgments, and implements recognition programs. Leads annual giving campaigns.

• Planned Giving: with a deep-set foundation of nurturing and fostering relationships, the Planned Giving Officer will focus on engaging prospects and donors through various activities and initiatives to achieve annual revenue objectives.

Walk For the Kitties - June 9th, 2024

Are you passionate about making a difference for cats in need? Do you have experience running events or fostering relationships? Join our team as a volunteer and help us continue our mission of ensuring the success of our annual walk and future events! These are our available positions:

• Major Gifts Officer: If you enjoy building relationships and have sales experience, this might be the role for you. The Major Gifts Officer will continue building and growing a portfolio of prospects and donors, developing engagement strategies and solicitation plans supporting VOKRA's strategic priorities.

  Commitment: 5 hours per week

• Planned Giving Officer: With a deep-set foundation of nurturing and fostering relationships, the Planned Giving Officer will focus on engaging donors through various activities and initiatives to secure legacy gifts.

  Commitment: 5 hours per week

• Grant Writer: Are you talented in writing and storytelling with an attention to detail? Help us tell VOKRA's story and secure additional funding through completing grant proposals.

  Commitment: 5 hours per week

• Event Manager: Are you a seasoned professional with a track record in event management and coordination? Join us to ensure every aspect of our annual walk and other events runs smoothly. Onsite management required.

  Commitment: 10 hours per week

• Event Coordinator: Join our team of creative Event Coordinators and help elevate our annual walk and other events to the next level. Responsible for planning, organizing, and onsite management.

  Commitment: 5 hours per week

To apply for any of these positions, please contact Taylor Berube for more information.

We ask that only those who can make a serious commitment to volunteering with VOKRA apply for these roles. Together, let's make a difference for cats in need!

Managing Director Position:

For over 20 years, Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA) has been living our mission to end cat overpopulation and homelessness and you can be part of that! We're looking for a Managing Director to join our team of enthusiastic, compassionate staff and volunteers. This is a full-time 1-year contract working 35 hours per week. This position will be based at our Operations Centre in East Vancouver with some flexibility for hybrid work.

WHO WE ARE

At VOKRA, we rescue, heal, then place cats - first in our network of foster homes, then in carefully matched, loving, forever homes. We are a passionate, volunteer-driven charity with extensive cat care experience. We believe that no kill is the only responsible approach to rescue, that Trap-Neuter-Return works and that cats are AWESOME! Each year we rescue over 1,400 kittens and cats in the Lower Mainland. To learn more about VOKRA and the impact we make, we encourage you to visit

www.vokra.ca.

ROLE IMPACT

The Managing Director will advance the goals of VOKRA by providing effective operational leadership while guiding and engaging a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. The Managing Director will report to the Board of Directors and work closely with them on strategic planning and execution, as well as financial sustainability. This individual will build and maintain external relationships and foster internal relations and collaboration to align operational goals and organizational objectives. They will also think beyond the confines of traditional ways of doing things to recognize opportunities and find new and better approaches. The Managing Director values and encourages diverse perspectives to achieve impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations Management

• Direct oversight of operations, including the coordination of day-to-day operational activities, services, and programming.

• Develops, reviews, and revises operational (i.e. non-medical) policies and procedures for Board approval, acting in collaboration with direct reports and team leads when appropriate, and implementing an ongoing policy review process at the Board and Operations levels.

• Develops, delivers, and controls various projects needed to decrease expenses and increase efficiencies.

• Monitors regular ongoing activities of the organization through review of reports and attendance at various team meetings.

• Ensures the Board is informed with respect to all operational issues, including providing the Board with monthly progress reports.

Organizational Mission and Strategy

• Works collaboratively with the Board in the development and implementation of the strategic plan, providing monthly status updates

• Creates an operations plan outlining the actions required to meet the strategic plan goals.

• Communicates effectively with the Board of Directors and provides, in a timely and accurate manner and in collaboration with the Board Chair, all information necessary for the Board to function properly and to make informed decisions. 

People Management

• Cultivates and embodies a culture that values collaboration, effective communication, accountability, and solution-based approaches to shared challenges.

• Identifies priorities and clearly articulates expectations to employees and volunteers.

• Manages, mentors, and coaches VOKRA employees, providing ongoing support, development, and performance feedback.

• Provides exemplary leadership and support to volunteers, working closely with team leads to ensure a positive volunteer experience.

• Conducts regular volunteer team and staff meetings to ensure VOKRA's vision and direction is carried out.

• In conjunction with the Board, implements and administers human resource policies.

Financial Planning and Development

• Proactively seek new avenues of support and identifies mission-appropriate earned revenue-generating opportunities for VOKRA.

• Leverages new and existing relationships to create new sources of revenue for the organization, including sponsorship proposals and assisting with grant writing.

• Assists in stewarding and building relationships with donors and supporters.

• Identifies opportunities to increase VOKRA's brand awareness and coordinates attendance at various events.

• In coordination with the finance team, oversees the organization's financial and business activities.

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

The role requires an experienced business professional familiar with the not-for-profit sector, who is passionate and committed to the work of VOKRA and animal welfare. The candidate must possess strong leadership, business management, people development and not-for-profit skill and experience. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential.

The successful candidate must demonstrate experience building and managing a team of capable and committed leaders. With a proven ability to retain, develop and engage with staff and volunteers, the candidate must have a strong ability to connect with people at all levels within VOKRA to gain true insights into the challenges the organization is facing in order to assist with affecting positive change.

The preferred candidate will have a minimum of five (S) or more years of leadership and management experience, preferably in the non-profit sector, including human resource, operations, financial, change, and conflict management. A combination of education, competencies, and experience will also be considered.

The successful candidate must bring the following attributes:

•  Strong leadership skills and management presence with an ability to interface across all levels of the organization. Able to exhibit wisdom and good judgment.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; be an open and candid communicator; deals calmly with stress and establishes trust and respect with staff, volunteers, community members, suppliers, and other rescue groups.

• Exhibit flexibility to adapt to change and heavy workloads; adaptable to different situations by relating well to a wide variety of diverse styles and types of stakeholders; open to differences; effective at managing up, down and/or sideways; ability to build diverse networks; quick to find common ground; one who responds to differences fairly and equitably and treats everyone as a preferred customer.

• An outstanding relationship-building capability and a collaborative working style - be a strong team player with the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people with varying levels of experience offering timely and solution-focused practical advice and consultation.

• Is skilled at getting individuals, teams, and an entire organization to perform at a higher level and to embrace change; negotiates skillfully to achieve a fair outcome or promote a common cause; able to achieve "win-win" deliverables; communicates a compelling vision and is committed to what needs to be done; inspires others; builds motivated, high-performing teams; understands what motivates different people and work towards an atmosphere of inclusion.

The Managing Director position may require attendance at early morning, evening, and occasional weekend meetings. A valid driver's license and access to a car are required.

We welcome diversity, value differences and foster inclusion in our employment practices. We invite applications from all qualified individuals who are philosophically aligned with our mission and guiding principles.

No telephone calls, please. We thank you for your interest in VOKRA; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume, preferably in a single Word document or PDF to Brian Blamey, Board Member, at bblamey@vokra.ca. Your salary expectation must be included in your cover letter for consideration.

We are committed to accommodating applicants' needs throughout the recruitment process. If contacted, please indicate accommodations as required.

Download pdf description.

Other available positions:

• Special Events Coordinator (flexible work environment): Please note some of our events take a month or more of preparation, so we need to know you will be available from start to completion of the project. Duties include organizing, publicity, site checks, set up and tear down (variable hours)

• Trapping of stray and lost cats (work in the field): A variety of hours – catching cats is never easy so you will need to be flexible with times and be available when it is dark. You must have your own car (variable hours)

• Recruitment Coordinator (work from home): Reviewing volunteer applications, conducting phone interviews, responding to email and phone inquiries. Matching volunteers with suitable positions based on skills/experiences and their interests. (4 hours per week).

• Photography/Videography (travel to foster homes): Take pictures/videos of our cats, events, etc. – variety of locations (Flexible hours)

• Feral Cat Sanctuary (located in South Vancouver): Cat care for feral and semi-feral cats in an enclosed, controlled environment (3 hours a week)

• Administration (work from home): A variety of positions available, including processing donations, surveys and statistics (Hours range from 2-10 hours per week based on position)

• Vaccinator (work in the field) - Vaccinate kitties at foster homes within a designated area. May include evenings/weekends with time to be mutually agreeable to foster and vaccinator. Medical/Veterinary background an asset. (2 - 4 hours per week)

• Behavioural Team: The Behavioral Team focuses on understanding and addressing the behavioral needs of our rescued cats. They assess and provide enrichment to help cats overcome challenges and thrive in loving homes.

• Surrenders Team: The Surrenders Team manages cat intake, offering support to individuals surrendering cats. They assess health, provide care, and find suitable homes, ensuring cats in need are well cared for.

• Recruitment Team Lead: oversees volunteer recruitment, matches skills to positions, and builds a dedicated volunteer base, vital for VOKRA's cat rescue mission.