Care & Enrichment Technician

Care & Enrichment Technician

Are you passionate about helping animals in need and eager to advance the field of animal welfare? Do you thrive in a dynamic, complex, highly collaborative environment? If so, the role of Care & Enrichment Technician at the ASPCA's new Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (R&R Center) in Pawling, NY might be right for you!

The R&R Center in Pawling, NY, is a unique program dedicated to providing integrated sheltering, behavioral, and medical care for canine victims of cruelty. The R&R Center team works closely with ASPCA teams in New York City to help animals rescued in partnership with the NYPD.

The individual in this role is responsible for providing sheltering that is conducive to the behavioral and medical health of resident animals. Care & Enrichment Technicians ensure a safe, healthy, clean, and enriched environment, and assist in providing the mental and physical activities animals need to regain and maintain their wellbeing.

Successful candidates for Care & Enrichment Technician are adaptive, resilient, collaborative, curious, and capable of prolonged physical activity. The person in this role must be comfortable working with dogs with significant behavioral and medical needs.

This position is an on-site role and reports to the R&R Center in Pawling, NY. Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% of the time, as needed. Able to work a flexible schedule, including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays. Regular shifts are typically four 10 hour shifts per week and include at least one weekend day. Schedules are subject to change at the sole discretion of the ASPCA.

Compensation: Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range for this role is $24 - $25.68 hourly.

Benefits: At the ASPCA, you don't have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental, and optional vision coverage; flexible time off that includes vacation time, sick and bereavement time, paid parental leave, 10 company paid holidays, and paid personal time off; competitive financial incentives and retirement savings including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions; robust professional development opportunities including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field, and so much more.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: maintaining working knowledge of all Care & Enrichment daily protocols; maintaining working knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements, and keeps accurate records of compliance activities; cleaning, sanitizing, and preparing animal housing areas according to established protocols; performing repeated daily checks of animal holding areas, spot cleaning, feeding, watering, and providing enrichment according to relevant protocols; creating and maintaining safe and comfortable enriched kennels for all dogs; providing enrichment activities according to the daily enrichment schedule; providing food, water, and medication based on veterinary orders and behavior modification plans; monitoring the eating, drinking, and elimination habits of every animal; monitoring the population for signs of physical or mental decline, promptly reporting concerns through the appropriate channels; assisting in overseeing volunteers as they perform animal related tasks, providing coaching and encouragement; demonstrating respect and gratitude for volunteer support; assisting with handling and documentation during dog playgroups; assisting with the transport of dogs to and from emergency and specialty veterinarians, and between ASPCA facilities as needed; assisting with the physical movement of animals into and out of the shelter using low-stress animal handling techniques and following applicable organizational policies and protocols; collaborating with behavior and veterinary team members, working together to ensure open and ample communication, excellent care, and close monitoring of every animal in the shelter; sending timely medical and behavior observation reports and actively engaging within and across teams to implement interventions; attending all required huddles throughout the day, reporting on progress, asking for or providing assistance as needed; attending and participating in training classes as scheduled by the Manager, Care and Enrichment; continually supporting teammates, working together to stay on track in order to best serve the animals; keeping animal care and enrichment equipment and supplies organized, efficiently located, and in good repair, reporting missing, broken, or inadequate tools to management; monitoring the inventory and conditions of animal care and enrichment supplies, requesting additional supplies before stock is depleted; being willing to deploy locally or nationally as part of an ASPCA response when the opportunity arises and approved by the Manager, Care and Enrichment.

Operational and Administrative Duties include: maintaining meticulous records for every animal in appropriate databases; attending and meaningfully contributing to all relevant R&R Center and ASPCA meetings; accurately tracking and reporting time worked, time off, and work-related expenses; responsibly stewarding R&R Center assets.

Education and Work Experience: High School Diploma, GED or equivalent experience required; professional, academic or volunteer animal care experience with dogs is required; 6 months of professional or volunteer animal care experience with dogs is strongly preferred; animal shelter experience with dogs strongly preferred; dog boarding or veterinary clinic experience with dogs preferred; previous experience working in an animal shelter preferred; Fear Free® Shelter Program certification (approximately 5 hours) required or completed within 60 days of hire.