Animal Care Provider - Kennel

Job TitleAnimal Care SpecialistJob DescriptionPlays a direct role in achieving Manatee County's no-kill mission and goal by providing hands-on care for animals in the shelter, working with internal departments to find those animals homes wherever possible, and serving as ambassadors for county residents, volunteers, and adopters who visit the shelter. Contributes to the health, wellbeing, and general care of dogs and cats. Plays a unique role as the direct day-to-day connector between the animals in our care and our residents.Essential FunctionsAssists with all aspects of the adoption process. Provide excellent customer service to visitors, volunteers, and adopters.Positively interacts with volunteers and promotes a team environment.Greets visitors to the shelter, answers questions, and assists visitors with their needs.Delivers excellent, non-judgmental customer service to all visitors, adopters, fosters, and transfer partners in a friendly, informative and professional manner.Provides basic and routine care for animals per department guidelines, including feeding, watering, and light grooming.Supports animals with medical issues, which may include zoonotic disease, by medicating, treating, preparing special diets, observing and reporting, and assisting in the maintenance of required records.Provides socialization, enrichment, and exercise for animals as directed.Identifies behavioral issues and shares observations with team members and leaders. Follows behavior or training plans developed for specific animals.Cleans work areas and preserves physical appearance of buildings and grounds, including scooping, raking, sweeping, mopping, and trash removal. Notes maintenance or repairs needed and reports per protocol.Follows policies, procedures, and task lists for daily lifesaving outcome assignments, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.Strictly adheres to established safety procedures to protect self, co-workers, and the general public.Attends job-specific training classes as assigned by supervisor.Performs other related duties as assigned, including participation in emergency or disaster response activities, as required and consistent with the employee's qualifications, essential job functions, and applicable federal and Florida law, including work in the Emergency Operations Center and pet friendly shelters.Minimum QualificationsHigh school diploma or equivalent.One or more years of experience as an Animal Care Specialist or similar position.MorePrevious work or volunteer experience with an animal shelter or similar organization desired.Previous customer service experience desired.Knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed for Animal Care Specialist I and II.Veterans PreferencePriority consideration in employment will be given to eligible veterans and spouses of disabled veterans.EEO/ADA StatementManatee County Government is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.Drug-Free WorkplaceManatee County Government is a drug-free workplace in accordance with Federal and Florida Law.Emergency Response/Recovery ActivitiesAll employees may be required to work before, during, or after an emergency. During an emergency, employees may temporarily be assigned to work and perform duties outside the normal scope of their position, location, and work schedule to fit the needs of the County and its citizens.