Job Title: Animal Services Director

Salary range: $47,355-$80,160.70

Department: Animal Services

Hours: Full-time, Exempt

Job Description:

SUMMARY

The Animal Services Director oversees the City’s shelter and animal service operations, including intake, care, and disposition of animals. Designs and implements community programs to strengthen the human–animal bond, reduce shelter intake, and keep animals with their families. Works directly with the public to build positive nurturing relationships between animals and people. Builds partnerships with residents, nonprofits, and other agencies to support pet care and adoption. Position is deemed essential personnel and safety sensitive.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the following Essential Duties satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of the position:

• Plans, organizes, schedules, and manages departmental services and operations.

• Reviews and approves leave time, timesheets, and submittal of required documentation for payroll.

• Supervises departmental employees, work schedules/work activities and training.

• Ensures mandated compliance with Federal/State, Municipal statutes, rules, and regulations; implements required action(s) to remain in compliance. Ensures adherence to state and federal animal welfare laws and maintain certifications such as Animal Service Officer Level II (Arkansas State Animal Control Association) and specialized law enforcement training in animal cruelty investigations.

• Work to reduce animal-related public safety issues while promoting humane treatment of animals.

• Design and implement community programs to strengthen the human–animal bond, reduce shelter intake, and keep animals with their families.

• Work directly with the public to build positive nurturing relationships between animals and people.

• Build partnerships with residents, nonprofits, and other agencies to support pet care and adoption.

• Use intake and outcome data to guide program improvements and resource allocation.

• Receives and responds to citizen concerns/complaints.

• Oversees required records of supplies used in euthanasia. (i.e. safekeeping and strict utilization accounting)

• Apprises Mayor, either verbally or in writing, regarding incident reports as necessary.

• Oversees distribution of City animal licenses/tags with area veterinarians for animal identification purposes.

• Ensures rabies specimens are transported to the Arkansas Department of Health in a timely manner as required; maintains reports on test results for dog bites.

• Prepares and submits annual Animal Services budget; monitors budget expenses.

• Must respond to the 911 call center within 1 hour of receiving a call.

• Assists departmental employees in the field as necessary.

• Oversees collection of fees and issuance of receipts.

• Operates a City vehicle.

• May perform any duties of the department in the absence of personnel.

• Issues citations and warnings to violators; testifies in court as required.

• Performs other duties as necessary or assigned.

This job description and the enumerated Essential Duties are intended to provide general guidelines for job expectations and the employees’ ability to perform the position described. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned or assumed by the incumbent as necessary to fulfill the requirements of the position.

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY

The position of Animal Services Director is responsible for the supervision of all department employees and carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the Company’s policies and applicable laws, ensuring adherence to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines. The position performs personnel actions, including performance appraisals and disciplinary actions, including discharges; interviews and selects candidates for employment; supervises the daily activities of the department, including, but not limited to, effectively delegating assignments, developing work schedules, and providing necessary training. The position demonstrates knowledge of and adherence to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; promotes a working environment free of harassment of any type; and builds a diverse workforce.

ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The incumbent will spend most of the time performing this position in a professional office-type setting. The incumbent, while performing this position, spends time writing, keyboarding, speaking, listening, driving, seeing (such as close, color and peripheral vision, depth perception and adjusted focus), sitting, pulling, walking, standing, squatting, kneeling, and reaching. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. The office environment also has exposure to fumes, dust, toxic or caustic chemicals. The position requires regularly driving a motorized vehicle.

The incumbent for this position may operate any or all of the following: telephone, smart phone, copy and fax machines, adding machine (calculator), scanner and image systems, computer terminal, laptop computer, personal computer, tablet, printers, or other equipment as needed and/or directed.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk or hear; frequently required to walk, sit, reach with hands and arms; and frequently required to stand, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision; and color vision.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MENTAL DEMANDS

The incumbent in this position must remain current and informed on related regulatory updates, City ordinances/resolutions/policies and applicable Federal, States, Municipal statutes, rules, and regulations. He/she must be able to read and understand documents, instruments, and highly technical reports; perform detailed work; and problem solve. Incumbent must also display proficiency in analytical reasoning, math, language, presentation skills, and verbal and written communication with internal and external customers. He/she must educate citizens and the general public regarding City ordinances/resolutions/policies and the consequences of not adhering to them. Incumbent must be able to effectively manage deadlines, multiple concurrent tasks, and constant interruptions. He/she shall conduct departmental services/operations in a professional, effective and efficient manner. Incumbent shall schedule work activities during employee’s absences (due to sick/vacation time) and distribute workflow appropriately. Incumbent must be able to work in a constant state of alertness and concentrate for long periods of time and foster a quality work environment by building employee trust and confidence.

SAFETY SENSITIVE

This position is designated as a safety sensitive position because it requires the regular handling of highly sensitive and confidential City and customer information and operating a motor vehicle on a routine basis. Performing this job in a discreet and professional manner requires alertness at all times. Any lapse of attention could have a significant financial impact on the City and its customers, or on others while operating a motor vehicle.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT & COMPETENCIES

Basic experience, knowledge and training in Animal Services typically resulting from a combination of education or years of experience in Animal Services or the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the positions.

Basic Qualifications:

• High school diploma, or equivalent

• Must possess a valid Arkansas Driver’s license

• Two (2) years supervisory experience

• Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in the general care, handling and feeding of domestic animals.

• Current Arkansas Certification of Training for Animal Euthanasia by lethal injection, or must be able to obtain certification within six (6) months of employment.

• Current Certification of training for taser immobilization of animals, or must be able to obtain certification within six (6) months of employment.

• Current National Animal Control Officer Certifications, or must be able to obtain within one (1) year of employment.

• Basic proficiency in Microsoft 365

Knowledge

• Knowledge of humane capture, general care, handling and feeding of domestic animals.

• Knowledge of regulatory requirements, City ordinances, applicable state and local laws regarding departmental services/operations (e.g., rabies, animal cruelty, euthanasia, animal control).

• Knowledge of budget processes, management principles and practices.

Skills

• Skill in working directly with the public to build positive relationships

• Skills in nurturing partnerships with residents, nonprofits, and other agencies to support pet care and adoption.

• Skill in supervising personnel, services, and operations.

• Skill in communication orally and in writing.

• Skill in organization and scheduling of work activities.

• Skill in technical/regulatory/safety issues related to department functions.

• Skill in reading/interpreting statutes, regulatory requirements and City ordinances governing departmental operations.

• Skill in operation of personal computer and MS Word.

• Skill in operation of City vehicle to perform essential functions.

Abilities

• Ability to communicate in a positive, friendly manner to employees, supervisor, coworkers, clients, etc at all times.

• Ability to provide effective leadership/supervision to personnel, and services/operations.

• Ability to develop policies/procedures to ensure safe, efficient operations of facility.

• Ability to develop and maintain rabies control programs.

• Ability to develop and accurately maintain departmental records as mandated or necessary.

• Ability to explain new or amended City ordinances/policies regarding departmental operations.

• Ability to monitor collection of fees and issuance of receipts.

To fill out an application online, please click here...Online Application

Or you can fill out a PDF version City of Benton Application .  Please email these applications to human.resources@bentonar.gov or they can be dropped off at City Hall.