Career Opportunity

Animal Care Supervisor – SF Animal Care & Control – Office of the City Administrator (3371) – (126111)

Recruitment: RTF0126054-01105550

Published: April 05, 2023

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About:

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: March 23, 2023 (Amended: April 5, 2023)
• Application Deadline: April 17, 2023
• Compensation Range: $71,448-$86,892 (annually)
• Recruitment ID: #126111

The filing period has been extended for additional recruitment.

The San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control (SFACC) is a taxpayer-funded, open-admission animal shelter. Since 1989, SFACC has provided housing, care, and medical treatment to wild, exotic and domestic stray, lost, abandoned, sick, injured, and surrendered animals. SFACC’s doors are open to all animals in need regardless of species, medical, or behavioral condition.

The shelter also enforces all state and local Animal Control and Welfare laws and is the first responder for animals in natural disasters and citizen emergencies.

• SFACC shelters homeless, neglected, and abused animals and provides humane education and many other services to the community.
• SFACC is the local agency that investigates animal cruelty, enforces animal welfare laws, rescues injured and orphaned wildlife and birds, and aids domestic animals in distress.
• SFACC aims to adopt, re-home, or reunite domestic animals with their guardians and to release wildlife to their native habitat.

Role description

Under the general direction of the Operations Manager of Animal Care and Control, serves with primary responsibility for planning, directing and overseeing the kennel operation of the Animal Shelter by supervising all Animal Care Attendants; ensuring the humane handling and proper husbandry of shelter animals, and safe, sanitary and secure facilities for shelter animals and the public.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties:

• Plans, directs and oversees the operation of the Animal Care Division: ensures the safe and humane handling, kenneling and identification of all animals; ensures provision of food, water and proper husbandry for all shelter animals; ensures that all kennels, wards, cages, equipment, runs and other areas of the facility are cleaned and disinfected in order to maintain a healthy, clean, safe and sanitary facility for shelter animals and the public.
• Assesses productivity, sets goals and establishes work-related priorities for Animal Care Division; identifies and implements solutions to problems which develop in kennel facilities including biosecurity measures; assists in the development of policies and procedures for the Division; coordinates work with other divisions.
• Schedules, assigns, and oversees the work of assigned staff and volunteers; trains, evaluates, counsels and disciplines staff; promotes a humane and compassionate attitude toward animals; completes and presents performance appraisals; facilitates bi-weekly Animal Care Division meetings; monitors staff interaction with volunteer programs.
• Establishes and maintains contacts with other City departments, SPCA and other outside groups and agencies in relation to the functions of the Animal Care Division including animal pathway management; oversees the transport of selected animals to wildlife rehabilitation, adoption partner organizations, and foster homes.
• Assists Shelter Veterinarian in developing and implementing a comprehensive disease prevention program; oversees basic health screening of all animals, including those that are isolated or quarantined, for signs of illness or unusual behavior; takes appropriate action and reports significant problems to Veterinary Medical services staff.
• Supervises and oversees training of Animal Care staff performing treatment procedures, vaccination, and microchipping, and performing euthanasia with shelter animals; ensures the safe and humane handling of all animals, which includes direct handling and care for potentially vicious, dangerous, and fractious animals.
• Evaluates animals, performs behavioral assessments, and participates in selection of animals for availability, rescue, adoption, transfer or euthanasia in accordance with established laws, departmental policy and procedures; schedules and performs euthanasia of selected shelter animals; coordinates and schedules spay/neuter surgeries or other specialty procedures as needed.
• Ensures availability of animal care supplies, food, office supplies and equipment, including ordering supplies, food and equipment, and maintaining contacts with outside vendors.
• Ensures maintenance of accurate and legible case files and records for each animal in the shelter; uses a computer to input, update and access information regarding shelter animals and to produce written documents.
• Provides information and assists members of the public who are relinquishing animals or in search of lost or adoptable pets; discusses and educates public on adoptions of domestic animals; interprets and explains laws, procedures and policies for subordinate staff and the public; answers questions and resolves problems as they arise.
• Participates in management functions, including bi-weekly management & supervisor team meetings, special events and representing the department in the media if necessary.
• Performs related duties as required.

Working conditions: Exposure to strong and/or unpleasant odors, including those from animal excrement, cleaning agents and chemical compounds, and frequent exposure to noise; lifting of equipment and objects up to 50 lbs.

How to qualify

Experience:
Two (2) years of hands-on experience as an animal care attendant or kennel attendant in an animal shelter, including one year training and supervising the work of staff, AND

License and Certification:
Possession of a valid California Driver’s License, AND

Successful completion of state-mandated euthanasia training and certification within one (1) year of hire.

Substitution:
Three (3) years of hands-on experience in the care, feeding and/or handling of animals in a facility that cares for and houses animals (e.g. veterinary hospital, boarding or pet day care facility, or pet store), working principally with dogs and cats, including two (2) years training and supervising the work of staff may substitute for the required experience, OR

Thirty (30) semester/forty-five (45) quarter units of coursework in an animal husbandry, veterinary science or a related program at an accredited college or university may substitute for one (1) year of the required non-supervisory experience.

Note(s):

• One-year full-time employment is considered equivalent to 2000 hours (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40 hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.
• A valid out-of-state driver’s license is acceptable during the application process. A valid California driver's license must be obtained prior to appointment and maintained throughout employment.
• Applicants must meet minimum qualification requirements by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Desirable Qualifications:
The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Experience in customer service including in-person interactions with customers and/or the general public.
• Experience working with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, including individuals who may be distraught, angry, hostile and/or in violation of the law.
• Possession of an Associate’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Suite (e.g. Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word).
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with ability to take initiative.

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

SELECTION PROCEDURE/EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight 100%):
Candidates deemed to meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a supplemental questionnaire designed to measure their relative knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas, which may include, but not be limited to knowledge of: principles for supervising, training and evaluating staff, methods for humane handling and restraint of a variety of animals, physical and behavioral characteristics of different species, occupational hazards and safety precautions, safe and effective industrial cleaning and sanitation, techniques of administering vaccinations and euthanasia by injection for various species, symptoms of diseases common to domestic animals and wildlife and zoonotic biosecurity measures; prioritization skills; analytical, supervisory, human relations, written and oral communication abilities.  Failure to complete the supplemental questionnaire may result in disqualification. A passing score must be achieved on the supplemental questionnaire in order to be ranked on the eligible list.

What else should I know?

Eligible List/Score Report:
A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see: https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2022-23.pdf.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY:
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov and begin the application process.

• Select the "Apply Now" button or “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this announcement and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses @sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst at Sean.Sexton@sfgov.org.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.