Senior Animal Care Technician

Job Description:

Senior Animal Care Technician

Description

THE POSITION

The Senior Animal Care Technician performs, supervises, trains, assigns, reviews, and evaluates the work of Animal Care Technicians and volunteers engaged in the receiving, care, evaluation, enrichment adoption, and disposition of animals in the Animal Care Services department.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Senior Animal Care Technician is distinguished from the Animal Care technician in that the former performs the more difficult animal care duties, and exercises independent judgment and initiative in scheduling, assigning and coordinating the activities of Animal Care Services. The incumbent is expected to supervise, participate in the operation of the City Animal Care Services, and assure that the public are properly and tactfully served.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General supervision is provided by a higher level professional or management position. Responsibilities include the direct supervision of Animal Care Technicians, and supervision of Animal Care Technicians and volunteers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform related duties as needed.

• Schedule, train, supervise, assign, and evaluate the work of Animal Care Technicians and volunteers.
• Instruct subordinate personnel and volunteers in departmental policies, safety procedures, relevant laws and ordinances, the proper care of animals, canine and feline behavior, evaluation and modification techniques, adoption counseling, customer service, and euthanasia; provide medical treatment as directed by the Veterinarian.
• Monitor and ensure staff and facility compliance with established safety and training protocols; complete and process reports of injury forms for employees and volunteers.
• Answer the phone and communicate effectively with internal and external customers to provide needed services and coordinate the activities of Animal Care Services.
• Maintain accurate inventories and records of kennel supplies and equipment; order supplies; provide records as necessary to Division Manager for budget preparation.
• Supervise, inspect, and provide quality assurance, efficiency, and consistency in the feeding and care of animals, cleaning and sanitizing of animal cages, runs, kennel equipment, and facility areas. Participate in feeding, care, cleaning, and sanitizing activities.
• Visually inspect animals for signs of illness or unusual behavior; dispose of dead quarantined animals per standard practice.
• Manage fractious animals and break up animal fights.
• Consult with veterinarian regarding health of animals and assist veterinarian during animal examinations.
• Oversee and perform animal testing for common zoonotic disease; ensure booster vaccinations are administered per veterinary direction.
• Visually inspect animals surrendered for owner requested euthanasia and perform triage actions for veterinary team; prepare euthanasia for approval; dispense controlled drugs, including those used for euthanasia, and maintain accurate records of controlled drugs as required by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
• Supervise and participate in the euthanizing of animals; ensure euthanasia room and equipment are cleaned and sanitized and deceased animals are properly placed in the cold storage unit; maintain daily records of all animals euthanized.
• Inspect kennel facility for needed maintenance and repair; perform simple equipment repair; report and coordinate the necessary repairs and maintenance of kennel areas.
• Manage kennel inventory and ensure accurate records for each animal housed in the shelter; proactively plan for the movement and outcome of animals to optimize kennel space and improve outcomes.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Standard practices, methods, and equipment used in the operation of kennel facilities.
• Current best practices in customer service and adoption counseling.
• State laws and local ordinances relating to animal care and control.
• Principles and techniques of supervision and training.
• Practices and methods used in caring for animals.
• Principles and practices of customer service.
• The habits and characteristics of small and large animals.
• Occupational hazards and safety precautions of work around small and large animals.
• The common breeds of dogs and cats.
• The habits, care, sex characteristics, feeding, and shelter of various wild and domestic animals.
• The hazards and safety precautions involved in working with animals.
• The methods used to clean and disinfect animal housing areas and vehicles.
• The symptoms and first aid treatment of common diseases and injuries to animals.
• Basic math, including fractions.

Ability to:

• Supervise, train and evaluate subordinate personnel and volunteers.
• Schedule and coordinate kennel operations.
• Maintain accurate records and logs common to kennel facilities.
• Safely care for and physically control domestic and exotic animals and reptiles.
• Recognize and identify symptoms of diseases and unusual behavior in animals.
• Perform humane euthanasia of animals.
• Identify problems which develop in kennel facilities and equipment and take corrective action.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of business.
• Read, write, and speak English at a level necessary for efficient job performance.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Experience:

Two years of experience in the care, handling, and treatment of animals, six months of which must be in a lead capacity.

Education:

Possession of a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) equivalent.

Possession of a Registered Veterinary Technology License issued by the State of California is preferred.

Possession of an Associate or Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in an animal related science is preferred.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver License:
Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License is required at the time of appointment.
For positions where ability to drive is not an essential function, the employee must be able to arrange reliable and timely transportation through private or public transportation for attendance at off-site meetings, events, and trainings.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Work Conditions:
Must perform shift work as assigned, including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays. Overtime may also be required.

Environmental Conditions:
Work outside in various types of weather. Incumbents must be able to work in or around animal fur, dander, excrement, deal with and protect against infectious and aggressive animals. Incumbents may encounter customers who are emotionally distressed and confrontational, occasionally under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The Animal Care Services Center is a smoke free compound. As such, incumbents are required to leave the facility property to smoke. Additionally, incumbents are exposed to euthanasia solution and tranquilizer.

Physical Conditions:
Must be able to regularly lift, carry, restrain, and/or capture animals up to 60 pounds, animals heavier than 60 pounds with assistance. Incumbents will be required to walk, run, stand, or climb on wet concrete surfaces; must possess the ability to reach, bend, stoop, squat, hear, perform hand movements, and repetitive motions; have finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

P lease note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently , including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline ;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
  
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  

• If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week ).
  
• If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
  

• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
  
• If you’re requesting Veteran’s credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline . Information regarding the use of Veteran’s credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule 4.9C.
  
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.
  

2. Training and Experience Exam : (Weighted 100%) - The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
  
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.
  

3. Eligibility : Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate’s eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Senior Animal Care Technician examination.

4. Screening Committee : (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
  
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
  
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment ;
  
• Send an email to [email protected] ; or
  
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726
  

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 5/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$51,115.04 - $71,923.99 Annually