Animal Caretaker NA-03

U.S. Army MWR; Fort Irwin (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

401k

Paid time off

Job summary

Paws & Claws Kennel at Fort Irwin, California seeks dedicated animal care staff to shelter and care for animals brought to the clinic, and to assist with feeding, cleaning, and general duties on site.

Responsibilities include lifting heavy items, maintaining care records, and following written instructions. This is an open continuous job posting, with various shifts and potential pre-employment checks.

Qualifications

• Be physically able to lift and carry heavy items weighing over 70 pounds.
• Stand and walk for long periods of time.
• Be able to follow complex written instructions.
• Be able to maintain animal care records.

Responsibilities

• Receives and shelters animals brought to the veterinarian clinic for treatment, temporary care or disposal.
• Feeds animals taking care to measure food portions according to feeding instructions.
• Cleans and disinfects animal feeding utensils and pen areas. Maintains stock of cleaning materials and other items used.
• Assists other workers to restrain and treat animals.
• Frequently lift and carry items and animals weighing over 70 pounds. Ability to handle animals and clean work areas.

Skills

Physical fitness

Lifting 70 lbs

Record keeping

Follow instructions

Job description

Summary
This position is located at: Paws & Claws Kennel - Fort Irwin, California.

Join the team at Paw's and Claws Pet Kennel offering our furry friends a comfortable and caring home away from home! With exceptional customer service and passion for animals, Paws and Claws supports our military families with loving care.

This is an open continuous announcement. All qualified applicants will be forwarded to management on a weekly or as needed basis.

This job is open to
Help
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency
United States (U.S.) Citizens and Non-U.S. Nationals who have resided in the U.S. or U.S. territory for three (3) or more continuous years immediately preceding the start of Federal affiliation.

Duties

• Receives and shelters animals brought to the veterinarian clinic for treatment, temporary care or disposal. Observes animals and notifies supervisor of abnormal appearance.
• Feeds animals taking care to measure food portions according to feeding instructions. Keeps records on animals in the facility. Assists other workers to restrain and treat animals.
• Cleans and disinfects animal feeding utensils and pen areas. Maintains stock of cleaning materials and other items used. Mows grass and cleans yard of animal litter. Clears drains in runs. Empties garbage.
• Performs assigned tasks independently. Exposed to unpleasant odors and noises, animal bites, scratches and contagious diseases. May he required to wear protective equipment.
• Frequently lift and carry items and animals weighing over 70 pounds. Ability to handle animals and clean work areas.

Conditions of employment

• Direct Deposit and Social Security Card is required.
• Meet qualification/eligibility/background requirements for this position.
• A one year probationary period may be required.
• Satisfactorily complete an employment verification (E-Verify) check.
• Subject to satisfactory completion of all pre-employment checks in accordance with AR 215-3, para.2 to include a Tier 1 background investigation.
• Shifts may include working, morning, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• May require a pre-employment physical.

Qualifications

Resumes must be two pages (or less). Resumes should clearly demonstrate the applicant's relevant experience, skills, knowledge and abilities as they pertain to this position.

Candidates Must

A qualified candidate must possess the following:

• Be physically able to lift and carry heavy items weighing over 70 pounds.
• Stand and walk for long periods of time.
• Be able to follow complex written instructions.
• Be able to maintain animal care records.

To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including full contact information (name, address, phone number, email, etc.) for professional and personal references on your resume.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Area of Consideration

• This job is open to candidates WORLDWIDE. (Military Spouse Preference (MSP) and Involuntarily Separated Military Preference (ISMP) eligible candidates are included in the area of consideration.)

Manual Application Option

• If you are unable to apply online, you can complete a paper application. To get started, contact servicing NAF Human Resources representative or office listed in the Agency Contact Information section (at the bottom of this announcement) to request a copy of the application form.
• Be sure to submit your completed application form, along with your resume and any required supporting documents, no later than 12:00 PST (Noon) by 09/15/2026 to ensure timely processing.
• Important: Incomplete applications, including missing responses to questionnaire items may result in an ineligible rating.

PCS Costs:

• Payment Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government's interest.

Incentives and Bonuses

• Incentives will not be paid.

Allowances and Differentials

• This job falls under the Federal Wage Schedule (FWS) pay system. FWS employees earn overtime pay for working more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week -- whichever gives the employee more benefit. Regular full-time, regular part-time, and regularly scheduled flexible employees may receive Sunday premium pay for working on Sundays. Employees may also be eligible to receive extra pay if the majority of their scheduled hours falls after 3:00 PM.

Important Information Regarding Access to Certain Federal Facilities

• Access to certain federal facilities may require a REAL ID-compliant driver's license/ID (marked with a star) or an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) from WA, MI, MN, NY, or VT. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for details.

Your Application may be Considered for Multiple Opportunities

• After you apply, your application remains valid for 90 days and may be referred to hiring officials as new vacancies arise. Additional referrals may occur for up to 90 days after the closing date.

Termination of Spouse Employment Preference

• Refusal of a military spouse to participate in established recruitment procedures for a Regular Full-Time (RFT) or Regular Part-Time (RPT) position (for example, interview, and so forth) is considered a declination of employment and is a basis for termination of Spouse Employment Preference (SEP) entitlement for the current Permanent Change of Station (PCS) of the sponsor.

Discover Your Path to Success

• Before you apply, take a moment to explore our Applicant Information Kit, your go-to guide for understanding our hiring processes and making your application stand out.
• Inside you will find helpful tips, insights, and everything you need to feel confident and prepared.
• Click this URL to view the kit: https://publicfileshare.chra.army.mil/Applicants/NAF_Applicant_Information_Kit.pdf.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

Working for Army Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) can offer numerous advantages. Army NAF employment can provide a sense of pride and fulfillment, as you'll be supporting communities comprised of military and civilian personnel, and their families, which contributes to the Department of Defense's overall mission. We offer a wide range of career opportunities, including jobs in childcare, recreation, hospitality, and more. Many employees have opportunities for professional development, including training, education, and certification programs to help towards career advancement. As an Army NAF employee, you'll have access to some on-base facilities, including fitness centers, libraries, and many other amenities.

Regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible for enrollment in health and life insurance, participation in 401k and retirement plans, and paid personal time off and federal holidays. NAF flexible employees, working in the United States or a U.S. citizen or spouse or child of a U.S. citizen working for a NAFI in a foreign area, are eligible to participate in the NAF 401(k) plan. Some flexible employees may also be eligible to receive health insurance.

For a slideshow presentation regarding these benefits, please click the link below.

Review our benefits

Required Documents

Help

About Your Resume

• Federal agencies are required to limit resumes to two (2) pages or less and it must support the general or specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes must adhere to the two-page limit and must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications, and other position requirements listed in this job opportunity announcement. For additional information on the two-page resume limit refer to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/
• Your resume must be 5 megabytes (MB) or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to preserve formatting and page count. Click this link for more tips: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit.
• Please do not include photographs, personal images or other inappropriate content in your application materials.

Expedite Your Hiring

• To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including contact information (name, email, phone number) for professional references in your resume.

Required Documents

• Required documents may vary based on the requirements for the position. The below document(s) are required and MUST be submitted with your application by the closing date of this job announcement:
• Resume

Other Accepted Documents

• Other accepted documents to support a qualification and/or claimed preference/priority eligibility may include:
• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Marriage License to support Spouse Employment Preference (SEP)
• DA 3434
• PCS Orders
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

How to Apply

Help

You may submit your application package using one of the two methods identified below: 2. Manual: Please refer to the "Additional Information" section of this announcement for instructions on how to request a paper application.

Agency contact information
NAF HR Office Fort Irwin
Email [e-mail] Address ET-NAF-W4E6AA NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER AND FT IRWIN
DO NOT MAIL
Fort Irwin, CA 92310
US

Next steps

Our Next Steps to Review Your Application and Keep You Informed 2. Keeping You Informed Your Next Steps to Stay on Top of Your Application 3. Ensure You Receive Updates 3. Sign Up for Text Alerts We're excited about your interest in this position and look forward to reviewing your application!