CANINE BEHAVIOR AND ENRICHMENT COORDINATOR

City of Columbia; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Columbia is seeking a Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator to oversee the behavioral health and enrichment of dogs at Columbia Animal Services. The role involves creating and implementing behavior plans, supervising play groups, and guiding staff and volunteers in enrichment activities.

The position requires shelter experience, dog training, and a valid SC Driver’s License, with responsibilities spanning clerical duties and daily facility operations.

Qualifications

• Minimum one year of experience in an animal shelter or related environment.
• Minimum one year 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

• Communicates with management to create, update, and implement behavioral protocols for individual animals.
• Assists with training of kennel staff, primarily in regards to animal handling and enrichment.
• Assists with training of volunteers involved in behavior and enrichment programs.
• Identifies dogs that could benefit from alternative placement planning, such as rescue and foster.
• Coordinates and oversee daily play groups for out-of-kennel enrichment opportunities.
• Works with Supervisor and Volunteer Coordinator to ensure enrichment takes place daily.
• Creates individualized enrichment plans for dogs needing special care.
• Observes kennel stress and behavioral decline and addresses issues promptly.
• Provides input for behavioral euthanasia assessments based on observed behaviors.
• Performs routine clerical duties and maintains facility records; assists with inventory and supplies.

Skills

Dog handling

Enrichment planning

Leadership training

Behavior assessment

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Computer software

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.

Behavioral Protocols:

• 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.

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 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.