CANINE BEHAVIOR AND ENRICHMENT COORDINATOR

City of Columbia SC; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

Dental

Vision

Retirement

Deferred compensation plans

Flexible spending accounts

Life insurance

Long-term disability

Holidays

Vacation

Sick leave

Job summary

City of Columbia SC seeks a Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator to lead behavioral plans and enrichment for dogs in our shelter. You will develop and implement behavioral protocols, oversee play groups, and train kennel staff and volunteers.

The role requires physical activity and experience in shelter behavior/enrichment, with a commitment to humane care; you will work under supervision and contribute to shelter-wide programs.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Minimum 1 year of shelter or related environment experience.
• Minimum 1 year of professional dog training or shelter behavior/enrichment experience.
• Experience with organized dog playgroups, preferably Dogs Playing for Life.
• Valid South Carolina Class D Driver’s License.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with management to create, update, and implement behavioral protocols for individual animals.
• Assist with training of kennel staff in animal handling and enrichment.
• Assist with training of volunteers in behavior and enrichment programs.
• Identify dogs that could benefit from rescue or foster placement rather than adoption.
• Oversee daily play groups for enrichment and ensure daily enrichment occurs.
• Create individualized enrichment plans and observe animals for kennel stress or behavioral decline.
• Maintain records, perform clerical duties, and participate in training and meetings.

Skills

Dog handling

Enrichment program development

Staff training

Volunteer training

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

South Carolina Class D Driver’s License

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator Team is responsible for the behavioral health and wellness of dogs in the care of Columbia Animal Services by crafting and implementing behavioral plans, providing enrichment, and behavioral programs for individual dogs and shelter-wide via assessments and play groups. This position performs and provides leadership in and participates in the activities and operations of the Animal Services Department, and performs related technical and clerical work as required. The incumbent works within a general outline of work to be performed, and develops work methods and sequences under general supervision.

The work is considered medium-to-heavy in nature and involves walking, standing, stooping, lifting, climbing, pushing or raising objects and also involves exerting between 20 and 50 pounds of force on a recurring basis and 50 to 100 pounds of force on an occasional basis. The work requires the following physical abilities to perform the essential job functions: crouching, feeling, handling, kneeling, lifting, reaching, repetitive motion, and verbal communication. Work environment may involve exposure to bright/dim light, animals/wildlife, fumes and/or noxious odors, disease/pathogens, toxic/caustic chemicals; and is dynamic that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs.

Essential Job Functions

• Communicates with management to create, update, and implement behavioral protocols for individual animals;
• Assists with training of new kennel staff, primarily in regards to animal handling and enrichment;
• Assists with training of new volunteers interested in participating in our behavior and enrichment programs;
• Identifies dogs that could benefit from alternative placement planning, such as rescue and foster, as opposed to adoption;

Enrichment

• Coordinates and oversee daily play groups for out-of-kennel enrichment opportunities;
• Works with Animal Services Supervisor and Volunteer Coordinator to ensure enrichment takes place each day;
• Creates individualized enrichment plans for dogs needing special care;
• Observes, identifies, and immediately addresses animals showing signs of kennel stress and/or behavioral decline;
• Is prepared to offer opinion or assessment when an animal is being considered for behavioral euthanasia based on observed behaviors;

General

• Performs other routine clerical duties as required, including but not limited to preparing forms, reports and correspondence, entering and retrieving computer data, copying and filing documents, etc.;
• Maintains assigned equipment; may participate in the daily cleaning and maintenance of the facility;
• Maintains records of daily work activities;
• Attends training, meetings, workshops, etc., as necessary to maintain job knowledge, skills and required certifications;
• Conducts inventory and restocks supplies as needed; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned;

Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• High School Diploma or GED;
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience in an animal shelter or related environment;
• A minimum of one (1) year professional dog training or shelter behavior/enrichment team experience;
• Experience with organized dog playgroups, preferably with the “Dogs Playing for Life” model;
• Valid South Carolina Class “D” Driver’s License;

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and/or calculating ratios, rates and percentages;
• Ability to deal with irate citizens;
• Ability to gather, organize, analyze, examine or evaluate data or information and may prescribe action based on such data or information;
• Ability to provide information, guidance or assistance to people to directly facilitate task accomplishment; may give directions or assignments to helpers or assistants;
• Ability to handle or use machines requiring moderate instruction and experience such as computers and software programs, animal restraints, medical equipment and instruments, etc.;
• Ability to perform semi-skilled work involving set procedures and rules but with frequent problems;
• Ability to read technical instructions, procedures, manuals and charts to solve practical problems; composing routine reports and specialized reports, forms and business letters with proper format; speaking compound sentences using normal grammar and word form;
• Ability to perform clerical, manual or technical tasks requiring a wide range of procedures and requiring intensive understanding of a restricted field or complete familiarity with the functions of a unit or small division of an operating agency; requires normal attention with short periods of concentration for accurate results or occasional exposure to unusual pressure; and
• Ability to guide others, requiring frequent decisions affecting co-workers, customers and others who depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but with many variations from the routine.

The City of Columbia is proud to offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees.

• health care
• dental
• vision
• retirement
• deferred compensation plans
• flexible spending accounts
• life insurance
• long-term disability
• holidays
• vacation
• sick leave

To Learn More Details, Visit Our Benefits Page At

https://hr.columbiasc.gov/benefits/