Temporary Animal Services Representative

The County of Riverside's Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) seeks to fill a Temporary Animal Services Representative to support the Department of Animal Services shelter operations, rescue and enrichment programs.

The ASR will work directly with rescue partners, facilitating the movement of animals within the shelter and/or coordinating transports to partners. The selected candidates will be responsible for maintaining open communication with rescue partners, networking animals through social media channels, including photos, short and long-form videos and live streams. Will lead the training and integration of the year-round volunteer program. This position will involve heavy customer interaction, in-person and/or on-phone.

The ASR will perform a wide range of behavior and enrichment duties including evaluating the mental and physical needs of new rescue animals, behavioral observation, alerting veterinary team members to medical needs, organizing and monitoring playgroups, conducting adoption evaluations and/or consultations and processing euthanasia assessments. Responsibilities will also include maintaining detailed notes, logs and inventories of animals utilizing Chameleon software.

Highly competitive applicants will have a customer service background, compassion, empathy and a desire to work in public service; animal care experience and/or college level veterinary courses.

The Animal Services Representative is a journey level classification and reports to an appropriate supervisor or manager level class.

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services has a vision for promoting an environment of responsible pet ownership through progressive animal welfare initiatives, community outreach, and humane education in a culture of compassion, creativity, and integrity. The Department of Animal Services believes the character of their organization is best reflected in the strong dedication of each one of their employees who strive to meet the highest standards of performance and compassion on behalf of the animals and people that they serve. The Department of Animal Services operates four shelters located in Blythe, Jurupa Valley, San Jacinto and Thousand Palms.

Perform clerical work requiring specialized knowledge of Animal Services programs and services; prepare and process materials/forms which require a thorough familiarity with department policies, procedures, terminology and applicable laws.

Provide excellent customer service to the public or interdepartmental representatives; answer questions regarding a variety of Animal Services programs or services including questions on adoptions, vaccination clinics, animal service fees, or licensing.

Review a variety of reports, forms, transactions, and records for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable ordinances; answer questions involving technical data, laws, policies, or procedures; process animal service fees using the Chameleon system.

Compile a variety of narrative and statistical reports, which requires locating sources of information, devising forms to secure the data, and determining proper format for finished reports.

Design or revise office forms; maintain complex filing systems for keeping track of animal licensing information, pet adoptions, clinic services, or other animal service transactions.

Reply to routine questions regarding specialized Animal Services and programs offered by the department; compose correspondence and other materials requiring the application of specialized subject matter knowledge.

Maintain animal service documents using the Chameleon system.

May handle animals by checking for microchips or placing animals into proper handling areas for vet staff; use special equipment as needed such as kennels or microchip readers.

Graduation from high school or attainment of a satisfactory score on a G.E.D. test.

Six months of providing customer service with responsibility for receiving, evaluating, and responding to inquiries or complaints. Customer service experience providing a variety of animal-related services including licensing, adoptions, clinic programs, rescues, or other related animal programs/ services is preferred.

Possession of a valid California Driver's License; independent body mobility to stand and move up to four hours daily, perform lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling up to 50 pounds in weight with or without reasonable accommodation

The principles, methods, and equipment used in providing Animal Services to the public; correct English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, format, and style; Department of Animal Services office procedures, including preparing correspondence and reports, filing, and operating standard office equipment.

Understand the capabilities and applications of specialized information processing equipment, such as the Chameleon system; use initiative and judgment in setting up formats for a variety of documents; provide guidance to and train staff; store and retrieve a variety of documents and subdocuments; meet departmental production and accuracy standards; establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public and with other county departments.

Other Requirements
License/Certificate: Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required.

Application Period
BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. All applicants must submit a complete application by the closing date of this recruitment. No late applications will be permitted.
Include relevant work experience details on your resume and/or application.
Degree Verification
Upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account. If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). If you are a qualified individual and need a reasonable accommodation to take this exam, contact the recruiter before taking the exam. For additional information and the accommodation form, visit the Disability Access Office web page at: http://dao.rc-hr.com
Veterans' Preference

The County has a Veterans Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 (or NGB-22) indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy https://rivcocob.org/sites/g/files/aldnop311/files/migrated/wp-content-uploads-2018-07-C-3-Veterans-Preference-Program.pdf (Download PDF reader).
Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of both a pre-employment physical exam, including a drug/alcohol test, and a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment).
Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.
What's Next?
This recruitment is open to all applicants. Applicants who are current County employees may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.
Applicants who fail to provide information demonstrating they possess the position requirements may not be considered further in the application process. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.
General Information
For specific questions regarding this position, please contact Sharlah Harvey at sharvey@rivco.org.
If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at support@governmentjobs.com or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.