Shelter Behavior and Enrichment Manager

Applications must be submitted through the governmentjobs.com website. You will need to create an account to apply.  Resumes are not accepted instead of applications.  Click on the following link to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/oc/jobs/5317689-0/shelter-behavior-and-enrichment-manager 

Shelter Behavior and Enrichment Manager

(Operations and Maintenance Administrator)

SALARY INFORMATION

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate’s qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

Open to the Public
 This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future Operations and Maintenance Administrator positions within the OC Community Resources/OC Animal Care. The eligible list established may also be used to fill similar and/or lower-level classifications throughout the County of Orange.

 DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will remain open on a continuous basis until 11:59 pm (PT) on the day the needs of the County are met. 

OC ANIMAL CARE

OC Animal Care's mission is to provide refuge and care for animals, foster the human-animal bond and promote safety in our community to ensure a safe compassionate community for all. OC Animal Care promotes responsible pet ownership; health and safety of people and animals and spay/neuter programs. OC Animal Care provides temporary shelter and medical care for lost, owned, or stray animals and opportunities for adoption for these animals. OC Animal Care (OCAC) was founded in 1941 in the City of Orange in Orange County, California as a rabies control center with only 25 dog kennels. Since then, OCAC has expanded to play an important role in Orange County's animal care community. 

OCAC serves 14 cities and the unincorporated areas of Orange County with its expanded programs and services, and in 2024 alone, the agency accepted over 15,000 animals. OCAC's goal is to deliver prompt, temporary care and refuge to homeless animals, reunite animals with their owners, facilitate adoption, ensure public safety, and enhance the human-animal bond in the community. The shelter is designed to provide a positive experience for animals and people alike and is the backdrop for the adaptive animal programming continually developed by OC Animal Care to provide enrichment, engagement and adoption services for the animals in its care.
 
For more information on OC Community Resources click on the link.
For more information on the County of Orange click on the link.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Shelter Behavior and Enrichment Manager (Operations and Maintenance Administrator) is responsible for considerate and efficient evaluation, movement, and placement of animals in the care of OC Animal Care, and oversees all aspects of animal behavior and enrichment activities, supervises the Animal Adoptability Assessment team, and develops and maintains programs and procedures to ensure animals are cared for in a manner consistent with OC Animal Care’s evaluation, enrichment, behavior, and adoption programs. This position will report to the Operations Manager and will collaborate with the Shelter Care Manager and Shelter Programs Manager to develop and execute strategic positive pathway planning, aimed at enhancing the quality of care and outcomes for animals within OC Animal Care. The position plays a vital role in supporting a compassionate, informed and structured approach to animal welfare through proactive management, effective communication, and alignment with organizational goals.

Key duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Oversees the operation of OC Animal Care’s Animal Adoptability Assessment team.
• Manages behavior assessments and planned enrichment programs.
• Tracks, manages, and stays informed regarding all shelter animals enrolled in behavior support programs and makes recommendations towards next steps in pathway planning based on standard evaluation criteria and utilizing routine assessments.
• Under the guidance of the Operations Manager, expands or implements new programmatic initiatives to further OC Animal Care’s mission as it relates to behavior and enrichment programs with an emphasis on tailored programming for shelter animals whose residency may exceed the average length of stay for their species.
• Contributes to curriculum development and strategic planning for programs, including staff and volunteer trainings for animal handling, safety, and behavior.
• Develops, manages, teaches, trains and leads enrichment programs such as TLC, Click for Quiet, Playgroups, Pack Walks, Kong/Puzzle/Scent programs, etc.
• Manages and/or conducts animal intake behavior evaluations using standard evaluation criteria, consistent in-care behavioral assessments, and pre-adoption and post-adoption behavior consultations.
• Researches, develops and implements behavior and enrichment techniques in a shelter environment.
• Develops intentional positive pathway planning for animals in OC Animal care to maintain shelter capacity and support animal welfare.
• Facilitates structured and productive staff meetings to effectively communicate and address operational challenges and resource requirements.
• Supports the management team in evaluating procedures and identifying strategic solutions to operational challenges.
• Provides training, development, and goal setting for assigned staff, ensuring proficiency in daily animal assessments and the formulation of effective pathway plans.
• Develops and implements guidelines and checklists to support programming initiatives to be followed by staff and/or volunteers.
• Supports Fear Free principles and positive reinforcement training methods used and recommended by OC Animal Care.
• Performs the duties of any behavior personnel as necessary to ensure efficient and consistent departmental operations.

OC Animal Care provides service 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Incumbents should be prepared to work rotating shifts, including days, nights, weekends and holidays. Incumbents may be drafted for mandatory overtime in the event of an emergency, disaster, or during periods of unexpected staffing shortages.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES
The ideal candidate shall possess at least one (1) year of full-time equivalent work experience as a supervisor or manager working in an animal shelter program, overseeing areas such as behavior programming, shelter care and housing, intake and diversion, rescue or foster programs, or other public education programming related to humane animal care and sheltering. 
OR
At least four (4) years of full-time equivalent work experience in an animal shelter program in areas such as behavior programming, shelter care and housing, intake and diversion, rescue or foster programs, or other public education programming related to humane animal care and sheltering. A Bachelor's degree in a related field* may substitute for one year of the required experience. A Master's degree or higher in a related field* may substitute for two years of the required experience. 
 *Related fields include Animal Behavior, Animal Sciences, Animal Education, Shelter Management, or similar fields.
 
 
Additionally, the ideal candidate will be certified Animal Training Instructor/Behavior Consultant. Specific certifications may include: Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), or Certified Professional Dog Training-Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA), or Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA).