Shelter Technician 2

Spokane County

23h•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as a lead worker for Shelter Technicians, focusing on the care and treatment of animals, maintenance of the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS) Regional Animal Shelter, and the euthanasia and cremation of animals as necessary. The role functions as a working lead, responsible for feeding, caring for, euthanizing, and cremating animals, as well as cleaning and maintaining shelter equipment, the facility, and surrounding grounds under the general direction of the Shelter Operations Manager. The Shelter Technician 2 also trains and coordinates the work of other Shelter Technicians and may assist the veterinary medicine division. Work is performed with independence according to department regulations, Spokane County Code, the Revised Code of Washington, and department standards relating to animal protection and care. This position is distinguished from Shelter Technician 1 by its lead duties and responsibilities, and from the Animal Protection Assistant by its primary focus on animal care and facility maintenance rather than office support.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED equivalent
One (1) year of experience (paid or voluntary) which provides an understanding of the care and handling of animals
Successful completion of criminal background check
Must successfully obtain a certificate for legend drug/euthanasia as required by the Washington State Board of Pharmacy within 6 months of employment
Possession of a valid Washington Driver's License at time of hire and for the duration of employment
Knowledge of the care and handling of animals
Knowledge of custodial methods and procedures, including proper methods and procedures for the cleaning and disinfecting of animal enclosures
Knowledge of the operation, maintenance and repair of assigned equipment
Skilled in communicating effectively both orally and in writing, sufficient to exchange or convey information and to give and receive work direction
Skilled in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with supervisors, coworkers, volunteers and the general public
Ability to effectively train and monitor the work of others
Ability to perform moderately strenuous manual tasks
Ability to handle animals in a humane manner, under a variety of situations
Ability to exercise good judgment in handling potentially hostile animals
Ability to maintain records as they relate to the position
Ability to deal courteously and tactfully with the general public and maintain composure in difficult situations
Ability to operate general office equipment such as copies, faxes, telephones and personal computers

Nice To Haves

Prefer college coursework in animal husbandry, veterinary medicine or a related field and lead experience
When assigned to Veterinary Medicine: Veterinary Assistant or Technician education, licensure, and experience preferred

Responsibilities

Acts as lead worker, providing training and assistance to employees, volunteers, and/or other workers
Coordinates, organizes, prioritizes, assigns and monitors daily work activities
Inspects completed work of shelter technicians and troubleshoots problem situations
Provides input to the Shelter Operations Manager regarding employee performance
Builds a cohesive work team by helping resolve conflict, increasing mutual trust and encouraging cooperation, coordination, and identification with employees
Coaches team for effective performance
Implements team building concepts to create effective shelter technician team
Maintains confidentiality
Explains shelter operation policies and procedures; troubleshoots difficult situations involving animals or customers
Provides input to the Shelter Operations Manager on the development of policies, procedures and training to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of daily shelter operations
Provides care for impounded animals; observes, documents and evaluates to identify illnesses/injury; conducts disease testing
Isolates injured/ill animals as necessary; makes veterinary appointments as necessary
Treats animals and administers medications as appropriate; injections of medication, vaccinations, tranquilizer or other drugs
Handles, lifts, carries and moves animals, restraining as appropriate; handles frightened, fractious and injured animals; breaks up fights and segregates disruptive animals; isolate or move animals for public safety
May conduct behavior assessments
Assists in selecting appropriate animals for adoption, foster, transfer, euthanasia
Euthanizes and disposes of animals per prescribed guidelines and methods; records use of euthanasia drugs and monitors inventory levels; maintains records of euthanized animals; disposes of deceased animals and carcasses
Operates crematorium for disposal of dead animals
Performs administrative tasks in a lead role; prepares statistics, review reports for accuracy; reviews correspondence submitted by outside agencies; assists in developing procedures and forms relating to shelter operations
Receives various forms, reports, correspondence, logs, animal records, veterinary reports, material safety data sheets, policies, procedures, animal care books, medical books, manuals, directories, catalogs, reference materials, or other documentation; review, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate
Performs general/preventative maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment, vehicles, tools in clean and operable condition, which may include inspecting equipment, washing/cleaning equipment, changing air filters or cleaning work areas; monitors equipment, building operations to maintain efficiency and safety; reports faulty equipment
Monitors safety practices and ensure safety procedures are in place and observed in accordance with Federal, State, and County regulations or policies
Monitors shelter inventory
Orders hand tools, replacement parts for kennel machinery, chemicals, vaccine, disinfectants, dog and cat food, paint and other shelter supplies
Performs duties of lower level classifications, as needed to provide adequate coverage
Performs other related duties as required/assigned
When assigned to Veterinary Medicine: Pursuant to established protocols and in partnership with shelter and partner veterinarians, provides veterinary care to animals residing in the shelter and in foster care
When assigned to Veterinary Medicine: Performs physical evaluations and exams; administers medications and other medical care (e.g., subcutaneous fluids) and treatments; monitors the efficacy of treatment protocols; seeks guidance from shelter and partner veterinarians, as needed; organizes emergency veterinary care, when necessary
When assigned to Veterinary Medicine: Advises Shelter Technicians on appropriate medical protocols and the provision of veterinary care
When assigned to Veterinary Medicine: Amends current and implements new veterinary care and treatment protocols based on veterinary guidance
When assigned to Veterinary Medicine: Assists staff veterinarians with surgical procedures, as needed or requested
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Leads and coordinates the performance of behavior evaluations for shelter animals and the training and work of the staff and volunteer evaluators; reviews the results of behavior evaluations, directs and monitors behavior modification, works on behavior modification with individual animals, and determines appropriate placement options; oversees and coordinates the work of behavior team staff members
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Leads and coordinates the transfer program, facilitating the transfer of animals to organizational partners and rescue groups; serves as the primary contact for and works directly with organizational partners and rescue groups; recruits new partners with which to collaborate; develops and maintains positive relationships with organizational partners and rescue groups to aide in the placement of shelter animals
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Leads and coordinates the shelter's foster program; recruits, interviews, onboards, trains, serves as the primary contact for, and provides ongoing support to foster families; facilitates the provision of veterinary, follow-up, and other care to foster animals; leads, coordinates, and supports the efforts of the Shelter Technician assigned to Foster
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Keeps current on progressive trends in foster care, behavioral evaluation methods and tools, and shelter enrichment activities; facilitates shelter enrichment activities by designing programs, training behavior team staff members, and monitoring effectiveness
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Selects animals to attend outreach events and offsite adoption events/venues, and coordinates animal attendance/placement with the Outreach Program Coordinator; selects animals to be transferred to offsite adoption locations and coordinates transfer
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Educates and trains volunteers on animal behavior, appropriate animal handling, animal socialization; provides ongoing assistance and support to volunteers
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Handles and interacts with shelter animals to take photos, create videos, and construct biographies; leads efforts to facilitate the placement of animals through “special” adoptions
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Represents SCRAPS positively in all interactions; educates the community on the mission and purpose of SCRAPS
When assigned to Animal Behavior, Transfer, and Foster: Works a variable/flexible schedule, including weekends and evenings, as necessary to meet placement objectives