Part-Time, Animal Care Technician

Oregon Humane Society; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off + Sick Time + Holidays

401(k) with employer match

Professional Development Opportunities

One free Oregon Humane adoption / year

Perks & Discounts

Job summary

The Oregon Humane Society is seeking an Animal Care Technician 1 for the Portland campus. This part-time role focuses on daily animal husbandry, safe handling, and adherence to established care protocols in a busy shelter environment.

You will work with dogs and cats of various sizes, maintain kennel accuracy, and assist in customer service and client education. Weekend and holiday availability may be required.

Qualifications

• 1 year related work experience in customer service, retail, food service, animal care/handling, and/or a high-pressure, high-volume work environment.
• Basic working knowledge of computer software programs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills – able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, respectful, and professional manner.
• Knowledge and experience working with a wide variety of dog and cat breeds.

Responsibilities

• Act as a vital member of the Shelter Operations team by providing appropriate animal husbandry, handling, and screening according to established protocols and procedures.
• Work daily with animals of varying size and temperament, handling individual animals in a safe, caring and respectful manner.
• Provide continual coverage to animals and the public in assigned area, leaving area only upon request of supervisor or with adequate coverage to perform assigned tasks.
• Monitor all animal related information on kennel cards, correcting errors and adding new information upon observation.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively, provide excellent customer service – internally and externally.
• Reliable and accurately complete work by following up on requests, checking work for errors, completing requests on or before deadlines and assuming responsibility for success or errors.
• Provide timely and appropriate education to clients as needed.
• Assist with euthanasia services and handling animals for cremation services.
• Sort in-kind donations and distribute to appropriate departments.
• Assist in training new staff/volunteers.

Skills

Customer service

Computer skills

MS Office

Problem solving

Judgment

Communication

Animal handling

Tools

Outlook

Word

Excel

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: Portland Campus - Portland, OR 97211

Position Type: Part Time

Salary Range: $19.00 - $19.80 Hourly

About Oregon Humane

Founded in 1868, Oregon Humane is the Northwest's oldest and largest animal welfare organization with one of the highest adoption rates in the nation. We are working toward our vision of a world where all animals are treated with compassion, kindness, and respect. With campuses in Portland and Salem, Oregon Humane is an Oregon-based nonprofit that relies on donor support for its adoption, education, medical and humane law enforcement programs. Visit oregonhumane.org to learn more about how we’re creating an ecosystem where all of us – animals and humans – feel safe, valued and part of something bigger.

The Team

Animal Care is responsible for the daily care & husbandry of animals in the care of Oregon Humane. This includes cleaning, feeding, medicating and escalating behavior or medical concerns as they arise. Animal Care is the primary voice of the animal while at Oregon Humane.

The Position

The Animal Care Technician 1 is a vital member of the Oregon Humane Shelter Operations team responsible for providing the highest quality of care to animals in residence at Oregon Humane.

Eligible Benefits

• Paid Time Off + Sick Time + Holidays
• 401(k) with employer match
• Professional Development Opportunities
• One free Oregon Humane adoption / year
• Perks & Discounts

Essential Responsibilities

Personal Leadership

• Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintains high ethical standards, including exhibiting behaviors and actions that embrace and align to our organization and customer service values, while treating all people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrates an awareness of your individual personal strengths and development needs, modeling non-defensive behavior and openness to feedback; builds a culture of feedback and learning.

Learning

• Contributes to regular dialogue and accountability with the leadership team and across the organization to review progress and course correct if necessary.
• Utilizes data and insights to identify, understand and articulate the key inputs and metrics that tell the story of the organization/team strategy and its progress.
• Builds appropriate feedback loops to measure if we are meeting key milestones and if the impact planned is being felt across the organization.

Influence & Representation

• Communicate effectively to executive and other stakeholder groups to ensure they are informed and able to actively engage.
• Liaise with and maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, including other departments, and donors; build mutually rewarding professional relationships inside Oregon Humane at all levels.
• Leverage our best practices externally and grow Oregon Humane’ reputation as a leader in the animal welfare space.

Primary Responsibilities

• Act as a vital member of the Shelter Operations team by providing appropriate animal husbandry, handling, and screening according to established protocols and procedures. Stocking and housekeeping duties as assigned.
• Work daily with animals of varying size and temperament, handling individual animals in a safe, caring and respectful manner.
• Provide continual coverage to animals an the public in assigned area, leaving area only upon request of supervisor or with adequate coverage to perform assigned tasks.
• Monitor all animal related information on kennel cards, correcting errors and adding new information upon observation. Ensure that all animals are correctly identified and that all cages have accurate animal information posted.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively, provide excellent customer service – internally and externally.
• Reliable and accurately complete work by following up on requests, checking work for errors, completing requests on or before deadlines and assuming responsibility for success or errors.
• Provide timely and appropriate education to clients as needed.
• Assist with euthanasia services and handling animals for cremation services.
• Sort in-kind donations and distribute to appropriate departments.
• Assist in training new staff/volunteers.

Supervisor Responsibility

Supervises: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Animal Care Manager

Often Engages Directly With: Customer Care Department, Admissions Department, Shelter Medicine Department, Training & Behavior Department

Qualifications / Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

We are interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We welcome applicants who bring a diversity of identity, culture, experience, perspective and thought.

• 1 year related work experience in customer service, retail, food service, animal care/handling, and/or a high-pressure, high-volume work environment.
• Basic working knowledge of computer software programs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Able to solve problems in a constructive and positive manner during all interactions with the public, partner agencies, donors, staff, and volunteers.
• Able to exercise sound judgment during all interactions with the public, staff and volunteers.
• Basic working knowledge of computer software programs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills – able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, respectful, and professional manner.
• Knowledge and experience working with a wide variety of dog and cat breeds.

Work Environment Conditions & Physical Requirements

This position interacts and collaborates will all levels of the organization, including Oregon Humane staff, executive team members, donors, general public, external vendors, volunteers, and supporters. Contact and communication is carried out through face-to-face, telephone and digital interactions. Excellent customer service skills are essential to success. Communication must be clear, understandable, professional and respectful in all circumstances.

Working Conditions

• Work performed concurrently in an office and animal medical center/shelter environment.
• Pace of work is active and demanding, requiring a high degree of multitasking and ability to adapt to changing priorities while managing concurrent projects to completion.
• Weekend, evening work and holidays may be required.
• Animal contacts and related injuries may occur.
• Noise exposure in the work environment is moderate.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to lift objects weighing up to 50 lbs. on a regular basis.
• Frequent moving of equipment requiring lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling.
• Prolonged standing, walking, and/or stooping may occur.
• Frequent stair and ladder climbing, bending, stooping, crawling, lifting and carrying.
• Frequent pushing and pulling of carted items weighing up to 100 lbs.
• Frequent use of hands and arms at or above shoulder level.
• Must be able to grasp handles and hold tools.
• Frequent driving on public roadways in varying weather and traffic conditions.
• Must wear personal protective equipment including but not limited to gloves, eye protection, and ear protection.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and address and overcome complex challenges and barriers. We strive for a culture of integrity, respect and compassion where every member of our community contributes their perspectives and authentic selves and where everyone reaches their potential as individuals and teams. We recognize that striving for diversity, equity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Oregon Humane is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group.

At-Will Employment

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.