Adoption Specialist

maricopa; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 58,025,000 - 93,126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition reimbursement

Work-life balance

Growth opportunities

Healthcare for you

Paid vacation

Parental leave

Wellness program

Job summary

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control is seeking an Adoption Specialist to connect adopters with pets, conduct animal meet-and-greets, and guide customers through the adoption process with open dialogue. You will ensure animal bios and photos are up to date, advocate for longer-stay animals, and maintain a friendly, professional demeanor while processing adoptions in-office.

This in-person, front-desk role requires flexible hours including weekends and holidays, with a focus on customer

Qualifications

• Two years of experience in a retail or similar customer service role.
• High school diploma or GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse customers and volunteers.

Responsibilities

• Conduct animal adoption meet-and-greets and advise potential adopters.
• Greet and assist customers at the adoption counter with a professional demeanor.
• Perform data entry for adoptions, fees, and animal and adopter records.
• Maintain kennel area cleanliness and update animal bios and photos.
• Coordinate with staff and volunteers to support adoption events.

Skills

Customer service

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Posting Date

09/02/26

Application Deadline

09/05/26

Pay Range

• Anticipated Hiring Range: $20.25 - $26.38 hourly
• Full Pay Range: $20.25 - $32.50 hourly

Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification. This position is eligible for overtime compensation for all hours worked over 40 in the designated workweek.

Job Type

Unclassified

Department

Animal Care and Control

About the Position

Are you passionate about connecting adopters with pets and providing an excellent customer experience?

As an Adoption Specialist, you will play a critical role in matching animals with customers looking to adopt. You will conduct animal meet-and-greets and facilitate a conversational adoption approach through open dialogue. This position holds an essential role in promoting animals by ensuring animal bios and photos are updated regularly and advocating for animals with longer-term shelter stays by utilizing MCACC programs and processes. As one of our champions, you will take the lead in identifying customers' needs and guiding them through the entire adoption process. This position requires the employee to be in the office and or customer-facing for all hours worked.

What better way to contribute to our mission than to be on the front line, bringing together the people and pets of Maricopa County!

Don't miss out on this opportunity to support our shelter! Apply today!

About Us

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control employees are committed to animal welfare and strengthening the human-animal bond in our community, and we are always looking to add talented individuals to our team, either at our West or East Valley Animal Care Centers. As one of the nation's largest open-admission shelters, we work with our community to serve the animals and people of Maricopa County. Our adoptions, shelter, clinic, and animal services officer teams learn firsthand about proper care of homeless and stray animals and work hard to help find them new homes.

Proud to Offer

• Work with a greater purpose
• Tuition reimbursement
• Exceptional work-life balance
• Opportunities for growth and development within Maricopa County
• Low-cost, high-value healthcare for you and your qualifying dependents
• Child care benefits, including access to our on-site center Maricopa County Kids Club, dedicated to serving Maricopa County families
• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave
• Extensive wellness program, including an incentive
• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 11.98% per paycheck contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1

We Require

• Two years of experience in a retail or similar customer service role
• High school diploma or GED
• A combination of post-secondary education and/or job-related experience may substitute for the minimum qualifications on a year-for-year basis

Other Requirements

• Candidates must be flexible and able to work all shifts, including starting as early as 8 am and finishing as late as 9 pm, working weekends and holidays. Adoption Specialists are assigned on any shift, with any combination of days off, determined by the needs of the Department.

We Also Value

• Animal adoption experience in an Animal Care and Control type environment
• Experience with processing financial transactions
• Bilingual skills in English/Spanish

Job Contributions

• Conduct animal adoption meet and greets and review information and adoption materials with potential adopters
• Greet and assist customers at the adoption counter, effectively address inquiries, and provide accurate information, all while maintaining a professional and helpful demeanor
• Perform accurate data entry, including adoption processing, fee collection, entering animal, person, and medical information, and creating and updating animal bios and photos
• Maintain a kennel floor presence and actively engage with the general public and the animals to facilitate matchmaking
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written skills, including clear and effective communication with others (staff, public, volunteers) that is professional, respectful, and positive
• Ensure adoption areas are clean and tidy throughout the day by mopping floors, wiping surfaces in the meet-and-greet and lobby areas, and maintaining kennel signage/cards and play yards
• Conduct additional animal handling as needed, including restraint, walking, playgroups, and other duties
• Maintain and update adoption packet information and supplies to ensure new adopters have all the appropriate documentation and resources needed for their new pet
• Run reports and perform related duties. Provide support with kennel cleaning, animal evaluations, events, enrichment, and other duties as assigned

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a busy, often noisy, of