Behavior and Enrichment Associate (Mesa)

Overall Job Objective

Position Overview

The Behavior and Enrichment Associate provides assistance in attending to the emotional and behavioral well-being of the shelter animal population.

Position Qualifications

We recognize your time is valuable, so please apply if you meet the following required qualifications:
 
Education:

•  High school diploma or GED 

Experience:

• One (1) year of animal welfare or shelter experience.

 
Other Requirements: 

• Must currently possess or have the ability to obtain a valid Arizona driver's license by the time of hire in good standing with no DUI convictions within the past 5 years.

Our Preferred Candidate has:

• Advanced years of animal welfare or shelter experience.

Essential Job Tasks

• Assists with coordinating and managing the behavior assessment process for incoming shelter dogs.
• Assists with coordinating environmental and social enrichment for shelter dogs and facilitating adopter support.
• Assists with rotation of all qualifying dogs through daily enrichment playgroup.
• Assists with communicating promptly and effectively with other shelter staff in order to assure consistency of dog handling based on changing needs and to provide updates on individual behavior.
• Assists with maintaining adequate signage and documentation (on kennels, around the building and within electronic records) for the entire canine population.
• Assists with providing adoption counseling to potential adopters as needed and behavior related follow-ups.
• Assists with enrichment activities and dog and cats assessments.
• Assists with training of volunteers.
• Ensures that canine enrichment areas (Play Group yards) are properly cleaned and maintained.

Working conditions:
Work is performed in a high volume animal shelter. The ability to sit, stand, walk, drive a vehicle, speak, hear, see, read, distinguish colors, bend, kneel, reach, twist, crawl, crouch, and balance. Environmental factors can be indoors or outdoors and range from below 40 to over 90 degrees, dusty, smoky, wet areas or confined areas, using chemicals (fumes), high noise level, dim or bright lighting. Lifting floor to waist fifty (50) pounds, lifting waist to shoulder of thirty-five (35) pounds, lifting shoulder to overhead of thirty-five (35) pounds, carrying a weight of fifty (50) pounds for a distance of twenty (20) feet, and pushing/pulling a weight of fifty (50) pounds a distance of fifty (50) feet.  Frequently handles and will be exposed to dogs and cats with unknown temperament or behavior.

Maricopa County is an EEO/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Selection Procedure

The hiring authority will select the successful candidate based on departmental needs.
 
All offers of employment made to new hires and rehires at Maricopa County are contingent upon successful completion of a post-offer, pre-employment thorough background investigation.  A background investigation is conducted on a current employee who changes to a Safety Sensitive Position or one having the potential for serious adverse impact on the integrity or efficiency of the County.  These requirements do not pertain to employees of elected officials who undergo background investigation processes administered through their respective offices.

Typically successful candidates are hired at a salary rate, up to midpoint of the range, based on applicable experience, internal equity and budgetary allowances.