Animal Services: Adoption Specialist

Reporting directly to the Operations Manager, responsible for providing excellent customer service with the intention to create positive outcomes for the animals within the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. Provides a positive quality of life to the animals in their care and creates materials and plans needed to transition them into homes. THIS POSITION IS DONATION-FUNDED AND FUNDED TO BEGIN ON/AFTER OCTOBER 1, 2023.

• Offers assistance to potential adopters; answers questions, transports animals to and from kennel areas, and assesses likelihood of matches for adoptions 
• Performs customer service duties related to the procedures of animals for adoption and fostering 
• Works with the animals to learn their behavior characteristics
• Reviews and processes applications and provides counseling for adoptions and fosters 
• Processes payments, issues receipts, and balances a cash drawer 
• Performs data entry and maintains electronic documentation files 
• Utilizes shelter software to record and communicate information about animals, including up-to-date medical and behavior histories 
• Helps identify animals that are candidates for outside rescue organizations or foster care 
• Transports animals to other facilities, as needed 
• Provides supervision and training to volunteer staff and community service workers by overseeing daily work tasks, offering guidance as needed 
• Follows all safety measures and policies, including proper animal restraints and reading animal behavioral cues, and promptly reports any safety incidents to leadership 
• Conducts daily cleaning and disinfection of kennel area and other shelter areas, to include laundry, washing animal dishware, and other custodial tasks as needed
• Supplies food, water, toys, clean bedding, socialization time, and routine enrichment care
• Attends all meetings and trainings, as required
• Performs special duties as assigned

ORGANIZATION RELATIONSHIPS

• Reports directly to – Operations Manager
• Direct Reports – No

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Position involves prolonged standing, walking, twisting, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, and other fine motor repetitive motions 
• Position requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine motor coordination 
• Position involves lifting and carrying of animals and equipment weighing up to fifty (50) pounds, or up to one hundred (100) pounds with assistance, and exertion of up to twenty-five (25) pounds of force to move objects 
• Ability to hear and/or see alert cues regarding animal and staff security 

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

• Work tasks are conducted indoors and outdoors 
• May work outside in inclement weather, including extreme heat, cold and wet conditions 
• Frequent handling of animals, including contact with waste and blood 
• Exposure to unpleasant smells and a noisy and wet environment associated with a shelter 
• Frequent exposure animals that are agitated or injured that may attempt to bite or scratch 

IRREGULAR HOURS

• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays is a schedule requirement
• May be deemed essential personnel for emergency situations, at discretion of Director

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position. This job description is subject to change as the needs and requirements of the job change.

• High school diploma/degree and six (6) months of experience working with animals in an animal hospital, shelter, or related animal facility; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience 
• One (1) year of demonstrated customer service and communication experience 
• One (1) year of cash-handling experience 

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Required within thirty (30) days of employment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Two (2) years of experience working with animals in an animal hospital, shelter, or related animal facility  
• One (1) year of animal welfare experience
• Bilingual (Spanish)
• Three (3) years of customer service experience

EMPLOYMENT TESTING 

Employment is contingent on passing any post-offer pre-employment screening as listed below:

• Criminal background check: Yes
• Motor Vehicle Record check: Yes
• Drug screening: Yes
• Physical exam: No
• Psychological exam: No
• Additional: N/A

TOBACCO FREE WORKPLACE POLICY

Williamson County is a tobacco free workplace. The use of tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, chew, etc.) and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) (e.g., vapor, e-cigarettes, etc.) prohibited on all Williamson County premises. Employees who violate this policy are subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Salary : $16 - $17