Maintenance Technician

Maintenance Technician

APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no-kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no-kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non-traditional community-based animal rescue work. 

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project, a collaborative movement of more than 10,000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,900 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: 

The Facilities Maintenance Technician performs general maintenance and repairs around the assigned APA! facilities and grounds.  Key functions will include assigned work orders, emergency facility-related items, grounds maintenance, donation sorting/distribution, and other duties as assigned or identified by management.  The Tech reports to the Facilities Manager and regularly interacts with staff, members of the public, and volunteers working on site.

The Maintenance Technician plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s facilities team. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for shelter support.

The Maintenance Technician is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.

APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Maintenance Technician collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect.

This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need. 

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Actively contribute to a volunteer-powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment
• Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program
• Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work
• Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager
• Contribute to a positive culture by recognizing volunteer contributions through appreciation, gratitude, and shoutouts
• Help set volunteers up for success by clearly explaining tasks, providing hands-on guidance, and offering in-the-moment support
• General maintenance and repairs around the facility, under the supervision of the Facilities Manager, including but not limited to: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and general housekeeping for the centers, as assigned 
• Troubleshoot facilities needs and exhaust all in-house repair options prior to seeking outside assistance
• Responsible for on-site storage management of Facilities Team areas (general upkeep, sorting and donating unneeded items, decluttering, etc.) with assistance from team members/volunteers as needed or available
• Assist with large facilities-related projects (or volunteer work groups), as assigned
• Utilize APA! email and other resources to ensure responses and maintenance/repair updates are provided to staff, contractors, and/or volunteers
• Assisting the Facilities Manager/Customer Service with tracking, sorting, storing, & disbursing of program needs for donated goods in a timely manner, as needed
• Keeping all donated and purchased supplies stored safely and appropriately, taking charge and keeping storage areas clean, organized and cared for
• Tracking, confirming, and assisting with proper delivery of large or valuable in-kind donations, such as the monthly donated pet food supply and quarterly donation of cat litter, some medical supplies and equipment, and other valuable items
• Responsible for managing daily donations area and assisting Volunteer Team with training volunteers on donations sorting and storage into respective areas, as needed
• Beautification and groundskeeping tasks, as needed to help the community see APA! in a good light on the first impression
• Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
• Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
• Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
• Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines
• Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues, to include use of 2-way radio communications, email/text, and program/APA!-related apps or website interfaces 
• Able to prioritize tasks and be flexible as need change, daily

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS:

• Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
• Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
• Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission
• Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials
• Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
• Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
• Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience
• Intermediate knowledge of plumbing, electrical, and HVAC functions
• A high level of initiative and attention to detail; excellent time management and organizational skills are required
• Experience working in a mixed-use, indoor/outdoor environment, and managing needs across multiple facilities is a plus
• Intermediate verbal communication skills
• Basic computer skills, including the use of email and G Suite applications
• Must meet qualifications to drive company vehicles, including possession a valid Texas driver’s license
• Willing to offer help in other areas in times of need

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals
• Must be able to work in all weather conditions
• Must be able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day
• Lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling object(s) weighing up to 75 pounds
• If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Outdoor environment subject to changing conditions and temperatures
• Driving a vehicle and operating mobile motorized equipment to conduct work (hand and power tools, generators, pumps)
• Exposure to chemicals, fumes, noise from vehicle and equipment operation, dust, dirt, oil/grease, gasses, and pollen
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs

TIME COMMITMENT: 

• This is a full-time, nonexempt position with an average of 40 hours per week.
• Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed

PAY:

This position starts at $17.00 / hour. Eligible employees will be able to receive up to $2/hr stipend within approximately 6 months through successful completion of internal APATec certifications (applicable to shelter operations, customer service, and medical roles). *Certifications and stipends are discretionary and subject to change based on business need.

LOCATION: 

• APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703
• Travel to offsite locations as needed (Tarrytown location, Thrift Stores, Elgin, Clinic)

BENEFITS: 

Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment.  Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life-saving work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT

Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply. 

Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.

APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at [email protected]  at least one week in advance of your interview.