Job Description

If you are up for the challenge and would like to be considered for this position, we would like to hear from you. The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) is looking to fill the following career opportunity:

POSITION: Animal Helpline Operator - Canada Summer Jobs (10 positions)
STATUS: Temporary; Full-Time – 8-16 weeks – May 1 to September 30
SHIFT: 40 hours per week – 9:30 am to 6 pm - Tuesday to Saturday or Sunday to Thursday
LOCATIONS: Remote - Applicants must live in either of the following constituencies: Esquimalt - Saanich – Sooke, Burnaby South, Saanich- Gulf Islands, Langford, or Cowichan-Malahat
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt
WAGE: Hourly
CLOSING DATE: Open Until Filled

We welcome diversity, value differences, and foster inclusion in our employment practices. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion by reading our Foundational Principles on our website. We invite applications from all qualified individuals who are philosophically aligned with our mission, vision and values.

Other Job requirements: The HRSDC Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program may fund some of these positions. Please feel free to apply even if you do not meet the Canada Summer Jobs requirements. CSJ criteria including:
• must be between 15-30 years of age at the start of employment and looking for career-related experience
• must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment; and,
• must have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations (proof required)
NOTE - The following groups are encouraged to self-identify, as this has been identified as a local priority in the constituency by Canada Summer Jobs.
o Indigenous youth
o Racialized youth
o Black youth
o Youth with disabilities
o Youth in a rural, remote, northern or fly-in community
o Youth in an official language minority community
o 2SLGBTQI+ youth

The BC SPCA is a dynamic organization with facilities and services across the province of BC. Join an expanding team in an exciting time of change in an organization that makes a difference! Please read below for additional details and let us know if you have the skills and experience we are looking for by submitting your application.

About the Position:
Providing exceptional customer service and accurate and timely advice and information as a call centre operator engaging in inbound and outbound calls to and from the public and internal stakeholders. The role is responsible for, amongst other things, entering animal cruelty complaints, handling general enquiries and transferring calls within the BC SPCA. In addition, the individual may be required to provide administrative support to various BC SPCA departments.

Some specific duties:
Our Call Centre is the first contact in the investigation and interview process, taking cruelty reports and dispatching Animal Protection Officers throughout the province. Reporting to the Manager, Call Centre Operations, this position handles general inquiries, entering animal cruelty complaints, and transferring calls within the BC SPCA. The successful candidate must have the flexibility to cover shifts on short notice – including weekdays, weekends and statutory holidays.

Working in a call centre is a demanding line of work, where success lies in combining skills. As a call centre operator engaging in inbound and outbound calls to and from the public and internal stakeholders, you will be responsible for providing exceptional customer service and accurate and timely advice and information. You will be finding solutions to problems and doing so on the spot. In addition, you may be required to provide administrative support to various BC SPCA departments.

You are a stellar communicator and can speak effectively to customers from a variety of diverse backgrounds. You are skilled and empathic to the caller's needs and have a calm and confident demeanour in uncertain circumstances.

Would you prefer to display Job responsibilities in bullet point-wise, or current layout looks acceptable to you?

Qualifications you need to have:
• Post-secondary education in social sciences, criminology/law preferred
• Displays honesty, integrity and ethical conduct at all times
• Is committed to professionalism and excellence in customer service
• Reacts quickly, logically, efficiently, and calmly in emergency situations
• Displays exceptional prioritizing and multi-tasking in an emergency, priority driven environment
• Active listening skills: critical listening, empathic, patient, gain clarity and understanding, judge the content not the delivery
• Exhibits excellent oral and written communication skills
• Remains flexible and adaptable in an ever-changing work environment while contributing to the teams’ goals
• Excellent computer skills with fast and accurate keyboarding including Microsoft Excel
• Research skills and navigating databases
• Must successfully pass BC SPCA testing which examines your skills in the areas of data entry, call summarization, decision making, map reading, memory recall and prioritization (training course to be provided by BC SPCA)
• Flexible work schedule and be able to work any day of the week.
• Philosophical harmony with the vision, mission, and strategic directions of the BC SPCA.

Desirable Skills:
• Experience working or volunteering with animals
• Experience working in a high-volume call centre environment is preferred
• Knowledge of British Columbia geography is an asset

How to apply:

If you are interested in joining our team and are legally entitled to work in Canada, we would like to hear from you. Click on apply now or use the link to apply https://spca.bc.ca/about-us/careers/

We are committed to a transparent, human-led hiring process. While we use technology to support application management, applications are not screened, scored, or ranked by AI systems. All hiring decisions are made by human hiring managers based on skills, experience, and alignment with the organizational values.

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

The BC SPCA is a Registered Charity BN 11881 9036 RR0001