Animal Services Coordinator

City of Sacramento • Sacramento, CA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Animal Services Coordinator oversees the shelter’s behavior programs and supports the placement of animals with rescue partners and other shelters. They serve as a behavior expert, ensuring all animals experience the Five Freedoms and receive appropriate behavior modification for identified challenges. The role includes developing and maintaining staff and volunteer training to promote humane animal care. Additionally, the coordinator assists in evaluating animals for euthanasia decisions, ensuring thoughtful and ethical outcomes. Under general supervision, the Animal Services Coordinator organizes and coordinates a variety of community outreach activities, events and programs in support of the City's animal shelter; oversees and coordinates adoptions, fostering and/or rescues; develops, plans and implements procedures to increase adoptions, fostering, and/or rescues; assists and educates families and volunteers on pet selection, pet care, and responsibilities; interviews families and volunteers who want to adopt or foster a pet; and works with other shelters and animal organizations to place animals in specialized care. Increases awareness of the animal programs within the community by utilizing media contacts, newspapers, and promotional events; works with business managers and private community leaders to schedule marketing events to support the programs and promotion of the animal shelter.

Requirements

• Knowledge of principles, practices, and procedures used in developing and implementing pet adoption, pet fostering, and rescue programs.
• Knowledge of basic techniques of project and program management.
• Knowledge of pet breeds, typical dog and cat behavior.
• Knowledge of basic symptoms of common animal illnesses.
• Knowledge of proper methods and techniques used to care for, safely handle and restrain animals to avoid injury to persons or animals.
• Ability to speak, read, and write English at a level necessary for effective performance.
• Knowledge of basic principles of public relations, customer service and public speaking.
• Knowledge of record keeping and reporting practices.
• Skill in providing customer service.
• Skill in using modern office equipment including computers, computer applications and software.
• Ability to collect, compile, organize, analyze, and interpret data.
• Ability to learn the operation of the City's animal shelter programs and software systems.
• Ability to develop, conduct and/or coordinate adoptions and fostering, education, public relations, and outreach efforts, and organize community events.
• Ability to implement and coordinate animal programs suited to meet the needs of the community.
• Ability to understand, interpret, and explain program policies and procedures.
• Ability to plan and organize work to meet deadlines and changing priorities.
• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment.
• Ability to perform job tasks with minimal supervision.
• Ability to make presentations to citizen groups, employees, volunteers, etc.
• Ability to train and supervise volunteer and non-career personnel.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Ability to effectively represent the City to outside individuals and agencies to accomplish the goals and objective of the unit.
• Ability to work cooperatively with other departments, City officials, and outside agencies.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to respond tactfully, clearly, concisely, and appropriately to inquiries from the public, City staff, or other agencies on issues in area of responsibility.
• Two (2) years full-time experience in animal welfare, one (1) year of which must have included training, teaching, or providing animal services education.
• Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of appointment.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience working with both dogs and cats.
• Willingness to learn and work with additional species as needed.
• Applied Animal Behavior certifications or degrees.
• Strong networking abilities.
• Comfortable delivering one-on-one or group training to staff, volunteers, and members of the public.
• Prepared to work in an environment where euthanasia decisions occur and approach that responsibility with professionalism, compassion, and ethical judgment.

Responsibilities

• Provide onsite and offsite animal coordination and oversight.
• Confer, counsel and educate customers and volunteers on various pet breeds and City animal program policies and procedures.
• Explain state and local laws and ordinances, departmental policies and procedures, and information regarding pet ownership, licensing, adoption, fostering, rescuing and/or other animal issues to members of the public.
• Assist the public with animal adoption and fostering; collect information about animals and persons in accordance with department procedures; interview people and make decisions about the suitability for adoption, fostering, or volunteering.
• Coordinate and/or direct the selection of animals, collect necessary equipment, and arrange for transportation to offsite locations.
• Utilize appropriate websites, social media and other communication outlets to develop promotional campaigns regarding adopting, fostering and rescue programs, including activities and the need for volunteers and donations.
• Update and create volunteer opportunities for offsite community events for distribution on the shelter's automated volunteer system.
• Recruit, train and coordinate volunteer support for offsite community events.
• Facilitate and train volunteers in the areas of customer service, adoption, fostering, counseling, and safe animal handling.
• Assist in identifying grant and fundraising opportunities pertaining to adoption, fostering and rescuing.
• Maintain records and statistics for all offsite events; monitor and report results for performance measures.
• Collaborate with other agencies on jointly sponsored projects and services.
• Assist in the preparation of reports for presentation to City commissions and committees; assist in the preparation of federal/state reports; maintain files and records.
• Coordinate assigned activities and programs with other City departments and divisions, outside agencies, and service providers.
• Participate in meetings with public groups, clubs, organizations and agencies to explain, promote services offered by the animal shelter; participate in, activities and programs that encourage community participation.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees and the public using principles of good customer service.

Benefits

• Intermittent remote work may be eligible with supervisor approval.
• Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

What This Job Offers

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