The County of Riverside Department of Animal Services is seeking to fill one Senior Animal Services Counselor vacancy. This role will be assigned to the Jurupa Valley shelter and may require travel to other shelter locations depending on operational and departmental needs.

The Senior Animal Service Counselor is responsible for coordinating the recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing support of foster volunteers who provide homes for shelter animals. The role manages animal placements by matching pets with appropriate foster homes, monitoring their medical and behavioral progress, and coordinating veterinary care and adoption readiness. This position also works closely with staff, rescue partners, and the community to expand foster participation through outreach, training, and engagement efforts .

Qualified candidates will demonstrate experience educating the public and staff on animal laws, regulations, legal rights, and proper animal handling. Competitive candidates will possess experience with foster tracking, animal outreach, foster recruitment programs, onboarding foster volunteers, and coordinating the intake and placement of animals. Familiarity with County of Riverside animal services processes is desirable.

The Senior Animal Services Counselor is the advanced working level classification in the Animal Services Counselor series and reports to a supervisory or management level classification. Incumbents may perform lead level responsibilities for animal intake and program staff involved in adoption and improvement of animal outcomes for the Department of Animal Services.

The Senior Animal Services Counselor is distinguished from the next lower-level Animal Services Counselor by the more difficult assignments handled, i.e., pet support for clients, difficult animal outcomes, behavioral evaluation of challenging animals, and the presence of lead level responsibilities.

The Senior Animal Services Counselor is distinguished from the next higher-level classification of Supervising Animal Adoption Counselor by the latter's responsibility with the full range of supervisory duties. The Senior Animal Services Counselor works with the Supervising Animal Services Counselor in planning and presenting staff training and public educational program activities. The Senior Animal Services Counselor is charged with independently executing and developing plans of action in difficult situations.

Schedule: This position follows a 5/40 schedule Wednesday - Sunday.

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.• 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. 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.

ALL OPTIONS

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.).

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: E xposure 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.For questions regarding this recruitment:
Please contact Valeria Ramirez at 951-955-1943 or varamirez@rivco.org . Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.

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