Senior Animal Services Counselor

County of Riverside; California; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of Riverside is seeking a Senior Animal Services Counselor for the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus. This lead position guides staff, volunteers, and partners to promote humane animal outcomes through adoptions, enrichment, and rescue placements.

You will conduct outreach to promote adoption initiatives, coordinate with rescue partners, participate in off-site events, and respond to animal-related emergencies as needed, ensuring safe and compassionate care.

Qualifications

• 1 year of animal services experience in a public or non-profit setting.
• 2 years in animal services with customer service and animal care.
• Valid California Driver's License; ability to travel to shelter locations.

Responsibilities

• Advise public of legal rights and interpret laws related to intake and adoption.
• Coordinate with rescue partners and plan outreach events.
• Train staff and volunteers on handling and adoption procedures.
• Prepare progress reports and presentations on program activities.

Skills

Leadership

Outreach

Public communication

Tools

Chameleon software

Job description

About The Position

The County of Riverside Department of Animal Services is seeking to fill a Senior Animal Services Counselor vacancy at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus.

Travel to other shelter locations depending on operational and departmental needs may be required.

This posting may be used to fill future vacancies.

The Senior Animal Services Counselor will serve in a lead-level capacity, providing guidance and support to ensure positive animal outcomes, including adoptions, enrichment, and rescue placements. This position is responsible for conducting outreach to promote adoption initiatives, coordinating with rescue partners, and developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with animal rescue organizations to facilitate appropriate placement of animals. The role also involves participation in off-site events, animal transportation, and response to animal-related emergency incidents.

The most competitive candidates will have experience working with staff, volunteers, and the public to provide education on animal laws and ordinances, regulations, legal rights, and proper animal handling and care. Candidates will also possess experience in community outreach, developing partnerships with rescues and other agencies, and coordinating the intake and placement of animals. They should be able to utilize proper techniques and procedures for the safe and humane handling of animals; adhere to laws and ordinances governing the licensing and treatment of animals; demonstrate knowledge of animal behavior and common domestic breeds; and understand appropriate practices for the care and feeding of animals. Additional qualifications include knowledge of symptoms of common animal diseases, experience with Chameleon software, and lead-level experience.

Meet the Team!

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services believes the character of their organization is best reflected in the strong dedication of each one of their employees who strive to meet the highest standards of performance and compassion on behalf of the animals and people that they serve.

The Department of Animal Services operates four shelters located in Blythe, Jurupa Valley, San Jacinto and Thousand Palms.

Examples Of Essential Duties

• Advise public of legal rights and interpret appropriate laws, regulations and policy as they relate to the intake, adoption, pet support for clients, or transfer of animals to adoption partners; tactfully handle complaints and remedy the problem by offering services and making recommendations, as necessary.
• Work cooperatively with other department programs when joint action is required.
• Pick up and transport sick, injured or dead animals for foster families or from adoption outreach activities; plan, schedule, set up, and assist with community events or adoption outreach activities.
• Conduct training sessions for program and other staff or volunteers on the proper handling, evaluation, intake process, adoption of shelter animals, and improving animal outcomes.
• Prepare reports on the progress of trainees; make presentations at schools and to community groups.
• Complete forms and prepare reports on program activities; assist with the maintenance of equipment and vehicles used in program activities; may be assigned to any shift and required to be available on standby or on-call basis.

Minimum Qualifications

OPTION I

Experience: One year performing animal services in a public or non-profit animal welfare program.

OPTION II

Experience: Two years of paid experience in an animal services field such as a veterinary office, animal grooming, animal board and kennel facility, or similar setting which included serving in a customer service capacity and involvement in the care of animals.

License/Certificate

Possession of a valid California Driver’s License is required. The selected candidate must be able to travel and drive to various shelter locations, outreach sites, and community event locations as needed to support departmental operations.

Physical Exposures

Exposure to animals which may include animal noise, excrement, smells, and dander.

Physical Requirements

The responsibilities require setting up Easy-Ups, tables, and chairs for outreach and community events. In addition, individuals may be required to carry animals, dog food, crates, and other supplies for events with or without reasonable accommodations.

Knowledge Of

Laws, ordinances and regulations related to shelter animals; the characteristics and behavior, care and feeding of animals; common animal diseases; the causes, symptoms and required procedures for rabies; the equipment and methods used in the capture and restraint of animals.

Ability To

Investigate situations, gather relevant information, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; work independently on special assignments; schedule, assign, train, and review the work of other personnel engaged in animal services activities; work cooperatively with the public, adoption partners and other animal agencies; read, comprehend and interpret laws and regulations pertaining to animal intake and outcomes; oversee the management of difficult to place animals; function in stressful situations, exercising good judgment; care for and safely handle animals so as to avoid injury to persons and animals; operate a variety of basic Information Technology office desktop appliances, programs, systems, and applications (e.g., PCs, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.).

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference

The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here: https://rivcocob.org/board-policies

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability

Schedule, Overtime, Standby/On-Call, and Travel Obligations

The County of Riverside offers a variety of alternative work schedules, dependent upon department operations and needs. Certain assignments may involve overtime, standby/on-call shifts, and/or travel; however, scheduling, shift assignments, overtime work, standby/on-call duty, and travel obligations are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding the schedule, overtime and standby/on-call expectations, and travel obligations.

Proof of Education

If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).

Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

Pre-Employment

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

Probationary Period

As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

General Information

Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies.

Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

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