New

Animal Shelter Operations Officer

Maricopa County
parental leave, sick time, tuition reimbursement
United States, Arizona, Phoenix
2500 South 27th Avenue (Show on map)
Sep 05, 2025
Posting Date 09/04/25 Application Deadline 09/09/25 Pay Range Anticipated Hiring Range: $85,500 - $113,000 annually Full Hiring Range: $85,500 - $140,500 annually Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation. Job Type Unclassified Department Animal Care and Control About the Position Are you an innovative and versatile leader who is ready to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while serving the community and making a significant impact on animal welfare? As the Shelter Operations Officer, you will provide leadership and direction for the day-to-day operation of multiple divisions across Maricopa County's Animal Care and Control Department and ensure that quality services are provided in accordance with the department's mission, goals, and philosophy. We will look to you to drive positive change by leading staff, removing barriers, and managing high-pressure situations with emotional intelligence to enhance operational efficiency. Come apply to one of the largest animal shelters in the nation and help us make a difference! About Us Maricopa County Animal Care & Control employees are committed to animal welfare and strengthening the human-animal bond in our community, and we are always looking to add talented individuals to our team, either at our West or East Valley Animal Care Centers. As one of the nation's largest open-admission shelters, we work with our community to serve the animals and people of Maricopa County. Our adoptions, shelter, clinic, and animal services officer teams learn firsthand about proper care of homeless and stray animals and work hard to help find them new homes. Proud to Offer Work with a greater purpose Tuition reimbursement Exceptional work-life balance Opportunities for growth and development within Maricopa County Low-cost, high-value healthcare for you and your qualifying dependents Child care benefits, including access to our on-site center Maricopa County Kids Club, dedicated to serving Maricopa County families exclusively Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave Extensive wellness program, including healthcare premium discounts Maricopa County participates in the Arizona State Retirement System. This defined retirement benefit requires a 12% monthly contribution rate and includes a 100% employer match on Day 1 Learn more at Work With Us \| Maricopa County, AZ We Require Five years of experience in animal welfare or animal shelter operations, including two years of supervisory experience Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Communications, or a closely related field A combination of post-secondary education and/or job-related experience may substitute for the minimum qualifications on a year-for-year basis We Also Value Advanced management or supervisory experience Management within an animal welfare organization Certifications in animal welfare or animal control Extensive project management or logistics experience Job Contributions Directs large, multifaceted technical functions and programs with ultimate responsibility for more than 50 staff members, including supervisors, managers and volunteers across multiple divisions within the shelter and the Everyday Adoption Center. Champions operational excellence by streamlining processes, optimizing resources, and ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery. Drives organizational success by building highly effective teams-setting clear performance objectives and goals, providing regular and honest feedback, and creating individualized development plans that promote growth and accountability Leads the provision of exceptional customer services, monitors and evaluates customer service expectations, proactively addresses concerns, and manages complex customer service issues, addressing community partner and citizen complaints, and responding promptly to inquiries to ensure the public's needs are met with courtesy, efficiency, and professionalism Ensures the highest standards of animal care through regular audits, resource optimization (volunteers, partners, technology), and strategic capacity planning, ensuring smooth animal movement and operational flow to meet shelter demands Ensure execution of capacity plans by monitoring kennel population daily, applying data-driven practices to track length of stay trends, and directing the movement of animals through transfers, foster placements, or adoption promotions to maximize efficiency and outcomes Oversees the management of inventories, supply audits and donations, strategically balancing financial constraints with operational needs to ensure timely and efficient procurement and distribution of resources Governs the creation, maintenance and execution of operational documents and policies, establishing performance metrics, measuring trends, tracking trends, and making data-driven adjustments to align with organizational objectives Provide leadership to ensure operational excellence in shelter-wide events by standardizing workflows, maximizing staff and volunteer engagement, and ensuring compliance with shelter policies and procedures, while implementing lessons learned from after-action reports and recognizing key achievements Anticipates and forecasts community needs while staying current on emerging trends in division areas Working Conditions Must possess or have the ability to possess by time of hire a valid Arizona driver's license Exerting 20-25 lbs. occasionally, 10-25 lbs. frequently, or up to 10 lbs. constantly Position is typically office or administrative work and is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions Incumbent may be subjected to extreme temperatures, wetness/humidity, respiratory hazards and noise and vibration Incumbent may be subjected to moving mechanical parts, vibrations, fumes, odors, dusts, poor ventilation, chemicals, oils, extreme temperatures, inadequate lighting, workspace restrictions, intense noises, and travel Work is performed in an animal shelter with exposure to extreme and varying temperatures, excessive noise, dogs and cats with unknown temperaments or behaviors, animal waste and fluids, deceased animals, cleaning chemicals, and zoonotic diseases. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk on all types of surfaces that are sometimes slippery, uneven, and rough. May be assigned to work at other shelter locations based on operational needs Selection Procedure Only the most qualified candidates will be considered Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit online applications Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing requirements for positions designated as safety-sensitive Maricopa County is an equal opportunity employer. Apply Now!