Volunteer Engagement Coordinator (Outreach, Administrative, Community Relations)

Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens • Jacksonville, FL

42d

About The Position

Do you enjoy building meaningful relationships, supporting volunteers, and creating positive experiences for guests and the community? The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens seeks a compassionate, organized, and proactive Volunteer Engagement Coordinator (Full-Time). This coordinator plays a key role in fostering inclusive, mission-aligned volunteer engagement across Adult Volunteers, Adaptive Services, group volunteer programs, and seasonal or special events. This role thrives in a dynamic environment where each day brings variety, teamwork, and opportunities to make an impact. It is ideal for someone who remains calm in a lively setting, enjoys coordinating people and projects, and values inclusive, relationship-based program support. You are someone who finds purpose in helping others succeed, building meaningful relationships, and creating positive experiences for volunteers and the community. You bring a calm, supportive presence to busy environments. You enjoy variety in your day, and feel energized working with people of different backgrounds, abilities, and generations. Success in this role is defined by how effectively you demonstrate the core competencies in action. This is your opportunity to engage and inspire a diverse community of volunteers to helping us to meet our mission: “Connecting our community with wildlife and wild places.”

Requirements

• Ability to work a schedule; Sunday- Thursday.
• 2+ years of experience in a similar role involving community outreach, engagement, and representing the organization to customers, the public, government agencies, and other external stakeholders. Equivalent experience: A combination of relevant education and/or professional experience that demonstrates the ability to successfully perform the responsibilities of the role may also be considered.
• 1+ year experience may include program management, customer support, hospitality, recreation, conservation, or other relationship-driven work.
• 1+ year demonstrated ability to manage multiple people, projects, and priorities simultaneously while maintaining professionalism, organization, and positive relationships.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and experience using volunteer management software such as Volgistics (or similar platforms), along with comfort working in databases, scheduling systems, and communication tools.
• Emotional intelligence to foster a positive and impactful volunteer experience for all participants.
• Proven ability to exercise discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment when handling sensitive information, conflict, or performance concerns involving volunteers or stakeholders.
• Ability to represent the organization in a professional manner during public engagement, outreach events, partner meetings, and volunteer interactions, reflecting the organization’s mission, values, and service standards.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and respect when working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments to coordinate volunteer needs, resolve scheduling or service concerns, and support shared organizational goals.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate information clearly, respectfully, and professionally in both verbal and written formats across diverse audiences.
• Candidates selected for this position must successfully complete all pre-employment screenings prior to their start date. Compliance with these requirements is mandatory to ensure the safety of staff, animals, and visitors. These include: Verification of professional references. Employment history verification. Level II Criminal background check. 5-panel drug test .Ability to maintain a valid driver's license and eighteen years (18) of age with a clear driving record.
• Ability to consistently remain on your feet for 6-8 hours on shift.
• Ability to consistently remain on your feet for prolonged periods of time.
• Manual dexterity for standing, reaching, flexibility, and body movement for bending, crouching, walking, kneeling, stoop, bend, lift, kneel, crawl, climb, jump, dig and prolonged standing/sitting.
• Ability to operate motorized cart, trucks, hand and/or power tools.
• Ability to work outdoors and indoors under all environmental conditions and temperatures.
• Ability to transport and move items occasionally up to 25 pounds without difficulty for short distance.
• Auditory ability for verbal communication/conversation/responses via telephone, telephone systems, two-way radio, and face-to-face interactions.
• Visual and auditory acuity appropriate for safety and discern differences in document.
• Available to fulfill disaster-response duties and responsibilities as needed.

Responsibilities

• Relationship Building & Community Engagement: Build trust, connection, and belonging with volunteers, staff, and community partners. Modeling a calm, collaborative presence in a lively, fast-paced environment and approach challenges with diplomacy, care, and consistency.
• Program & Project Management: Support and coordinate multiple volunteer programs and activities. Prioritize effectively, stay organized using checklists and structured workflows, and keep work moving forward while managing multiple responsibilities at once.
• Operational Awareness & Daily Coordination : The day varies and you stay adaptable. Anticipate needs, identify potential gaps early, and communicate proactively to keep people, plans, and expectations on track.
• Communication & Collaboration: Support a culture of teamwork and transparency. Approach communication as relationship-building not just information sharing
• Inclusivity, Generational Awareness & Adaptive Support: Demonstrate cultural awareness and understanding to reinforce an environment where everyone feels respected, capable, and included.
• Professional Growth & Continuous Improvement: Model growth-minded professionalism to balance initiative with collaboration and you approach improvement with curiosity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed