Front Desk & Customer Service Virtual Assistant

This is a remote position.

Rockstaris hiring a full-time Front Desk & Customer Service Virtual Assistant on behalf of an animal welfare nonprofit serving a large rural service area.

This organization currently fields all inbound calls and email inquiries through a small front desk team, calls that are often emotional and urgent: found animals, injured pets, behavior crises, lost and found reports, and general questions about shelter services. Many callers are older or don't have reliable internet access, so phone remains their primary way of reaching the organization.

This role is not a message-passing position. The VA needs to actually resolve inquiries on the call itself using established scripts and procedures, not just relay information back to staff. As the organization launches new proactive programs over the coming months, this role also has real potential to expand into supporting those initiatives directly.

About the Client

This organization is an animal shelter serving a large, primarily rural community, taking in thousands of animals each year. They are shifting from a reactive to a proactive model of care, actively developing new outreach and prevention programs so their in-person team can focus more directly on hands-on animal care.

Their culture is mission-driven, organized, and deeply compassionate, with clear documented procedures already in place to support a new team member coming in.

Key Responsibilities

Phone & Customer Service

• Answer all inbound calls related to lost and found animals, fostering, volunteering, general shelter procedures, and behavior or medical helpline questions
• De-escalate emotionally distressed callers with genuine empathy and a calm, professional tone
• Resolve inquiries directly on the call using established scripts and escalation guidelines, rather than simply taking a message
• Direct calls appropriately across departments according to documented SOPs

Email & Administrative Support

• Manage the organization's general inbox, responding to the same categories of inquiries handled by phone (fostering, volunteering, procedures, lost and found)
• Maintain accurate records and documentation within the shelter management system (ShelterLuv), with training provided

Program Support (Growth Opportunity)

• As new organizational programs launch, potentially support scheduling for community outreach initiatives, such as trap-neuter-return voucher distribution and owned-pet retention support

Tools & Systems

• Sangoma (VoIP phone system)
• ShelterLuv (shelter management software, training provided)
• Email

Requirements

• Strong phone-based customer service experience required
• Genuine empathy and strong de-escalation skills, callers are frequently in emotional distress
• Comfortable resolving issues independently rather than simply forwarding messages
• Animal welfare background or a genuine love of animals is a strong plus
• Comfortable learning new administrative software
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to follow documented procedures closely

Non-Negotiables

• Strong empathy and de-escalation skills
• Ability to solve problems on the call rather than just relaying messages
• Reliable and consistent, this organization depends on the front line being covereda

Benefits

Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Opportunities for professional development and growth.

Work in a dynamic and supportive team environment.

Make a meaningful impact by helping to build and strengthen families across the Globe

Originally posted on Himalayas