Job Type
Full-time
Description
This position oversees, as an assistant to the veterinarian, shelter surgeries and general medical care. Additionally as community cat coordinator this position will work to reduce the feral outdoor community cat populations in the areas served by West Valley City Animal Services.
In addition to working in the shelter and shelter environment, a large component of this position will be fieldwork; working with cats and caregivers in the field as well as transporting cats between the field and the shelter.
Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week
Benefits : Full benefits; health, dental, life insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, vision reimbursement plan
Retirement: Utah State Retirement Systems, pension and/or 401(k)
Starting Pay: $15.96 per hour
Posting Close Date: May close anytime after July 9, 2023
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Assistant to veterinarian during surgeries.
- Maintain control substance logs for medication during surgeries and aftercare.
- Recovery, pre-operative prep, vaccinating, grooming, etc.
- Oversee recovery of animals after surgery when Vet is no longer present.
- Perform fieldwork in the community: scheduling appointments, trapping free-roaming cats, returning and releasing cats, working with existing caregivers, recruiting new caregivers, responsible for conflict resolution between caregivers and complainants.
- Facilitate and coordinate surgeries for cats.
- Answer calls about community cats, nuisance resolutions, and other cat-related issues, offer advice, information, and help with resolution.
- Keep track of traps, clean traps, prepare traps, deliver traps, train new caregivers on use of traps, pick up traps.
- Drive a City vehicle.
- Enter information and update files in database.
- Communicate with and update management about the community cat program.
- Participate when possible in special activities that are scheduled with the purpose of education the public on the community cat program.
- Provide monthly community cat program statistics and reports.
- Maintain filing system, answer phones, and communicate professionally with the public.
- Work with computer and software.
- Familiar with all duties and responsibilities that fall within the office setting of the animal shelter and cover those positions as needed.
- Other duties as assigned.
Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and in a timely manner. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
- Ability to function both independently and well as with a team with little to no supervision and make good decisions.
- Self-motivated.
- Strong interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
- Takes initiative and uses tact and diplomacy.
- Computer and keyboarding skills to input data and generate reports – Microsoft Office, internet, and ability to learn proprietary software.
- Resourceful and able to adapt to a wide variety of different situations.
- Have the initiative to resolve problems and seek answers independently, demonstrate flexibility, be vigilant until goals are achieved.
- Ability to complete work in a timely manner.
- Excellent written and verbal skills.
- Ability to professionally advocate for West Valley City and the City of Taylorsville animal shelter on issues.
- Ability to work weekends, evenings, split shifts, and holidays when necessary.
- Must have a valid driver’s license and maintain a good driving record.
- Proficient in time management, organization, and problem solving.
- Ability to multi-task and work in a fast paced environment with a variety of people.
- Detail oriented and able to prioritize and perform duties efficiently and effectively.
- Ability to educate the public on the benefits of the Community Cat Program.
- Ability to apply common sense and to carry out instruction furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
Education and/or Experience:
- High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
- One-year job experience in the animal services industry.
- One-year education toward certifying as a vet tech (preferred).
Language Skills:
- Must be able to communicate effectively in English both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to read in English and interpret documents such as safety rules, operation and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
- Ability to write routine reports and correspondence in English.
- Ability to speak in English effectively to customers and employees and network with outside agencies.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
- Current Utah driver license.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here 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 functions.
- Must be physically fit.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform full range of movement: stretching, bending, squatting, climbing, etc.
- Must be able to climb in and out of a vehicle.
- Must have the ability to effectively interact with and handle all animals including cats and dogs.
- Must be able to work at a computer for extended periods of time with repetitive typing, arm and hand motion.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
Work Environment:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or odorous conditions.
- Much of this job will be outdoors year round with extended exposure to all weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
- There is possible exposure to intermittent stress as a result of human behavior.
- The noise level in the work environment is normal to an animal shelter setting being exposed to intermittent barking.
- There is potential exposure to vicious, injured, or diseased animals as well as animal waste, blood, sharp objects, cleaning agents, and potentially hazardous conditions including animal bites and scratches.