Community Outreach Associate

Description SALARY $31.60 - $37.76 Hourly $65,728.00 - $78,534.56 Annually Bilingual allowance, when applicable Are you passionate about helping animals and connecting community members with vital services? Join our Animal Services team and help improve the lives of pets and the people who care for them. As a Community Outreach Associate, you will engage directly with residents, provide public education, and help expand access to services throughout Santa Barbara County. This position coordinates programs related to owner surrender prevention and diversion, pet food assistance, licensing, community canvassing, humane trapping, and pet-owner support. The Community Outreach Associate also leads volunteer teams, builds relationships with community partners, and helps identify practical solutions that keep pets safe, healthy, and with the people who love them. We are looking for an enthusiastic, community-minded problem solver who can build trust, work collaboratively, and adapt to a dynamic, fast-paced environment. This is an opportunity to join a mission-driven team and make a meaningful difference for animals and families every day. We are accepting applications to fill one full-time Community Outreach Associate position in the Animal Services division at County of Santa Barbara Health. The incumbent will homebase at the Santa Maria Animal Shelter but will be expected to travel throughout the county. The County classification for this role is Health Education Associate. Animal Services has shelters in Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and Santa Maria, and this position can be home-based at any of those locations. However, applicants must be willing to travel to and work at all three shelters. Visa Sponsorship: Please note this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment. Benefits: The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits, Click Here to view more information. In addition, Applicants From Other Public Sector Employers May Qualify For Retirement reciprocity, Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate The 1414 position is eligible for full-time benefits. The Community Outreach Associate works at the intersection of public health, animal welfare, and community support, bringing a holistic approach to help pets and the people who care for them. Through public education, outreach events, and preventive care programs, the Community Outreach Associate helps reduce the spread of diseases such as rabies, distemper, parvovirus, panleukopenia, and rabbit hemorrhagic disease. The position also works to increase pet licensing compliance, microchip placement and registration, vaccination access, and awareness of available animal services. The Community Outreach Associate develops and implements strategies that help pets remain safely with their families. This may include coordinating pet resource centers, vaccine and spay/neuter clinics, community canvassing, educational materials, media outreach, and partnerships with public agencies and community organizations. This position works independently and collaboratively with Animal Control Officers, animal care staff, volunteers, veterinary staff, shelter leadership, and partner organizations. Responsibilities may also include pet-owner case management, disaster preparedness and response, and connecting residents with resources that address barriers to responsible pet care. Health Education Associate is distinguished from Health Education Associate, Senior by the Senior's additional responsibility for assisting a health professional with program administrative functions. The Santa Barbara County Animal Services (SBCAS) Division operates three open admission animal shelters serving nearly 6,000 pets annually across all of Santa Barbara County with the exception of the City of Carpinteria. We provide field and shelter services, adoption and lost and found programs, and have a very robust volunteer program. We also lead Project Pet Safe in coordination with partners, which promotes responsible pet ownership through vaccination, licensing, spay and neuter, and microchipping of pets. Animal Shelter Locations: Santa Maria Animal Shelter, 548 W Foster Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93455; Santa Barbara Animal Shelter, 5473 Overpass Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93111; Lompoc Animal Shelter, 1501 W Central Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436 The Ideal Candidate Will Possess: An understanding of the human-animal bond and the barriers that may affect a family’s ability to care for a pet; Two or more years of experience in customer service or community-facing experience; Two or more years of experience working or volunteering with an animal welfare organization, animal shelter, veterinary clinic, public health agency, social-service organization, or related program; Two or more years of experience leading volunteers, coaching teams, coordinating community groups, or supervising staff; Demonstrated experience planning, implementing, and evaluating programs or projects; Experience using Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, databases, or similar software systems; The ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and adapt to a dynamic environment; Fluency in Spanish, including speaking, reading, and writing, which is highly desirable. Examples of Duties: Plans, coordinates, and conducts community education, outreach events, orientations, workshops, clinics, and demonstrations related to animal health, responsible pet care, licensing, disaster preparedness, and available community resources. Coordinates programs that support pet owners and help animals remain safely with their families, including owner-surrender prevention and diversion, pet food assistance, vaccination and microchip clinics, spay and neuter services, humane trapping, and referrals to community resources. Conducts community canvassing and other outreach activities to increase pet licensing, microchip placement and registration, vaccination access, and awareness of Animal Services programs. Provides individualized support and case management to pet owners by assessing needs, identifying available resources, developing practical service plans, documenting contacts, and following up as appropriate. Recruits, trains, schedules, leads, and supports volunteers assisting with outreach, events, clinics, pet resource programs, canvassing, and other assigned activities. Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with community organizations, public agencies, veterinary providers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and professional groups to support the development and delivery of animal health and community-assistance programs. Assists with planning and operating vaccine clinics, spay and neuter clinics, pet resource centers, licensing events, and other public-facing services. Collects, enters, analyzes, and reports program data to evaluate participation, outcomes, community needs, and the effectiveness of outreach strategies and educational materials. Conducts surveys, reviews community data, and gathers feedback from residents, staff, volunteers, and partner organizations to identify service gaps and inform program development. Maintains accurate written and electronic records, including participant information, referrals, case notes, licensing activity, inventory, volunteer participation, program outcomes, and service statistics. Assists with media outreach and communication strategies that promote public health, responsible pet ownership, available services, and Animal Services programs. Works closely with Animal Control Officers, animal care staff, veterinary staff, volunteers, shelter leadership, and partner agencies on complex cases, community concerns, and coordinated service delivery. Supports animal-related disaster preparedness and response activities, including public education, volunteer coordination, resource distribution, community outreach, and emergency sheltering operations. Performs other related duties as assigned. Employment Standards: Equivalent to two (2) years of college including coursework in health education, sociology, home economics, biology, psychology, or education; AND One year of experience in community health or a related service; OR a combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to the employment standard listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities. Additional Qualifications: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License may be requested as Travel throughout the County is a requirement for this role. Knowledge of: community organizations and resources; group dynamics and human behavior; community outreach techniques; community health needs; the control of diseases; the methods of presenting educational materials; proper English usage and grammar. Ability to: effectively communicate program information to a wide range of people; gain support and cooperation from other agencies and the community; identify health education needs and projects; conduct and facilitate group presentations; establish and maintain working relationships with individuals from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Bilingual – Speaking Preferred: The ability to converse fluently in English and Spanish is preferred. Note: You must self-certify on your application that you are fluent in English and Spanish. Hiring departments may test you on your fluency. If you do not demonstrate sufficient fluency, your name may be withheld from future certifications that require bilingual skills, in accordance to Civil Service Rules. Supplemental Information: Application & Selection Process: Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment; Supplemental Questionnaire Rating – Responses to the required examination supplemental questions will be evaluated and scored. Candidates’ final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by the responses to these questions. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates. Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Supplemental Questionnaire Rating to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule 6. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the examination, rank on the employment list, and duration of the employment list. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement: The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a longstanding practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaire Deadline: 08/20/2026 at 4:59 p.m. PST; postmarks not accepted. Applications and job postings can be obtained 24 hours a day at Farrah Medrano, County Health Talent Acquisition Lead – View email address on click.appcast.io #J-18808-Ljbffr