Shelter Behavior Specialist (Management Analyst I)

Job Announcement

Do you excel in animal behavior management using positive reinforcement? Fairfax County Animal Shelter is seeking a Shelter Behavior Specialist to coordinate the development and implementation of training and behavior treatment plans for Shelter animals and staff at both our Animal Sheltering Campuses: Lorton Campus (opening Fall 2023) and Michael R. Frey campus on West Ox Road in Fairfax.

At the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care to the animals in our Shelter, while also working to tackle the root causes of animal homelessness in our community.

Fairfax County Animal Shelter is the only open-access municipal Shelter located in Fairfax, Virginia, with a second Shelter location opening in Lorton this fall. Our Shelter has a live release rate of over 90% and we’re very proud of our excellent volunteer and foster programs, compassionate staff, progressive sheltering policies and practices, and our wonderful animal-loving community.

Responsibilities:

• Keeps abreast of state-of-the-art behavior treatment protocols and seeks training opportunities for staff and volunteers to enhance their effectiveness in working with animals.
• Participates in weekly animal round table meetings.
• Conducts animal introductions and counseling for potential adopters.
• Reports to Shelter management on animals’ treatment progress and makes recommendations for placement.
• Provides pre- and post-adoption and surrender prevention support to pet owners.
• Assists with dog play groups and other animal enrichment programs.
• Follows proper cleaning and sanitation procedures when working with animals.
• Oversees staff and volunteer interaction with animals and ensures that correct handling procedures are being used.
• Coordinates behavioral medical therapies with veterinary staff and animal care management as needed.
• Collaborates on the development of standard and individualized behavior treatment protocols for Shelter animals.
• May perform other related duties to meet the ongoing business needs of the organization.
• Works with animal care staff to ensure treatments are applied as scheduled and progress is documented in the Shelter management software system, PetPoint.
• Conducts behavior management and safe handling workshops for staff, volunteers, and the public.
• Assures all needed agency staff are trained to properly identify problem behaviors and assists with the modification of these behaviors.
• Assists staff with fractious and difficult-to-handle animals and animal behavior evaluations as needed.
• Coordinates the development and implementation of training and behavior treatment plans for Shelter animals using a positive reinforcement approach.

The assigned functional areas of this position are in providing animal welfare-related services and/or human services, and animal care.

Note: This position will start at the current Fairfax County Animal Shelter facility, located at 4500 West Ox Road in Fairfax and then time will be split between both campuses, as needed, when our second facility opens later this year in Lorton. All Fairfax County Animal Shelter positions are required to work shifts and/or be transferred to and DAS facility.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Salary: The salary offer will be in the minimum to midpoint ($57,382 to $76,509.26) of the advertised compensation range. Promotional rules apply for current Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools employees.

Schedule: This position requires flexible scheduling for program needs, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and to be available on occasional holidays.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

Conducts professional-level work in functions or activities, such as financial, budgetary, procurement, contract administration, human resources, training, information technology, and similar functions;
Assists with a variety of technical and professional work related to monitoring and reporting on departmental business processes, activities, and outcomes;
Performs designated segments of projects or programs with well-defined objectives, including activities such as data collection, synthesis of data gathered to support analysis, and documentation of findings and recommendations;
Performs data collection activities in support of existing studies, projects or programs, including conducting research; participating in interviews; administering customer, organizational or employee surveys; assisting in the facilitation of focus groups; participating in work group collaboration; and mapping or charting of workflow processes;
Assists with measuring and analyzing indicators of performance, quality, quantity and efficiency of services;
Compiles and provides business information to management;
Maintains index or log of standard forms for gathering information from a variety of audiences;
Formats data sets and performs qualitative and descriptive statistical analysis to aggregate and assimilate data for displaying potential patterns and trends;
Assists in implementing business improvements, such as changes to policies, work practices, processes and procedures;
Contributes to position papers, evaluation reports and presentations.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list).

Basic knowledge of mission, goals and objectives of the organizational unit, program or activities to which incumbent is assigned;
Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques governing management, organization, operations and programmatic services;
Knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques relating to the functional area of business operation (e.g. personnel, budgeting and financial management, contract administration and management);
Ability to identify possible solutions for solving business problems;
Ability to perform a variety of fact-finding techniques (e.g., interview, case analysis, observation, research, benchmarking) to gather information in support of programs, projects, studies, assessments and evaluations;
Ability to aggregate and assimilate data to identify major patterns, trends and themes regarding organizational and program effectiveness and efficiency;
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing;
Ability to use word processing and presentation software to prepare documents, and to use spreadsheet and statistical analysis software packages to store, manipulate, analyze and present data;
Ability to train, lead, and/or supervise paraprofessional staff.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in the field related to the assigned functional area.

BRIDGE CLASS EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS: Four years of increasingly complex technical experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Admin Assistant IV, or higher, level. This class can serve as a bridge class enabling individuals who do not meet the educational or professional experience standards listed above to qualify for this class by possessing four years of increasingly complex technical experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Admin Assistant IV, or higher, level. The purpose of this bridge class is to promote upward mobility within the Fairfax County workforce. However, persons qualifying for this class on the basis of their technical experience may not substitute this technical experience for education, or for professional experience, in order to qualify for other employment opportunities.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• Free Shelter Certification (Required within 3 months)
• Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) credential from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) (Required within 12 months)
• Valid Driver's License (Required at the time of application)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Driving Record Check
• Criminal Background Investigation
• The appointee to the position will be required to complete the following to the satisfaction of the employer:
  • Criminal Background Investigation
  • Driving Record Check

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with the Shelter management software system, PetPoint;
• Fear Free Shelter certified.
• At least one year of experience in an animal welfare-related organization;
• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and have the ability to communicate effectively with regard to animal care and treatment and Shelter policies and programs;
• Must be computer literate.
• At least one year of experience training staff, volunteers, and/or the public in animal behavior and treatment plans;
• At least one year of experience working with and safely handling, moving, and restraining animals of various species, sizes, conditions, and temperament including fractious animals;
• At least one year of experience managing volunteers, and experience with using the volunteer management software database, Volgistics;
• Must be able to work both independently and as a member of a team;
• Maintain a Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) credential from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT); and

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Safely handle, move, and restrain animals of various species, sizes, conditions, and temperament including fractious animals.
• Walk, stand, sit, bend, kneel, stoop, crawl, climb stairs, and be comfortable doing these activities for extended periods of time; lift, carry, and move up to 50 pounds; use hands to grasp, handle, and feel; and talk, see, and hear.
• Maneuver safely in kennels, dog play yards, cat rooms, small animal room, off-site events, etc.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Create materials and operate equipment necessary to complete work tasks. Visual acuity to read standard text and data on a computer monitor. Operate keyboard-driven equipment.
• Work a varied schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays.
• Drive county or personal vehicle to travel between Fairfax Shelter and Lorton Shelter Campuses to meet the ongoing business needs of the organization.
• Must not have allergies to animals or animal supplies (ex: hay, peanut butter, etc.) that will impede working in an animal environment.
• Pre-exposure rabies vaccination (Required within 3 months)
• Converse with volunteers, residents, visitors, staff, and others in person, via e-mail, and on the phone. Make presentations in person and virtually.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. [email protected]. EEO/AA/TTY.
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Requisition 23-02319