Supervising Animal Care Officer

SUPERVISING ANIMAL CARE OFFICER

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Supervising Animal Care Officer positions. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange. 

DEADLINE TO APPLY
This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will close on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. (PT).

OC ANIMAL CARE
OC Animal Care's mission is to provide refuge and care for animals, foster the human-animal bond and promote safety in our community to ensure a safe compassionate community for all. OC Animal Care promotes responsible pet ownership; health and safety of people and animals and spay/neuter programs. OC Animal Care provides temporary shelter and medical care for lost, owned, or stray animals and opportunities for adoption for these animals.
 
OC Animal Care (OCAC) was founded in 1941 in the City of Orange in Orange County, California as a rabies control center with only 25 dog kennels. Since then, OCAC has expanded to play an important role in Orange County's animal care community. OCAC serves 15 cities and the unincorporated areas of Orange County with its expanded programs and services.
 
OCAC's goal is to deliver prompt, temporary care, and refuge to homeless animals, reunite animals with their owners, facilitate adoption, ensure public safety, and enhance the human-animal bond in the community. The shelter is designed to provide a positive experience for animals and people alike and is the backdrop for the adaptive animal programming continually developed by OC Animal Care to provide enrichment, engagement and adoption services for the animals in its care.

Click here for more information on OC Community Resources.
Click here for more information on the County of Orange.

THE OPPORTUNITY
The Supervising Animal Care Officer will be responsible for supervising a group of Senior Animal Care Officers, Animal Care Officers, Animal Control Assistants, and other administrative positions and will assist the Field Services Manager in the administration of Animal Control Field Services. They will also act as liaison between the community at large, city officials, private agencies and Animal Control as part of Field Services.

Responsibilities and duties for this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervise a team of Senior Animal Care Officers, Animal Care Officers, Animal Control Assistants, and other administrative staff in the performance of their duties.
• Assist management with the day-to-day operations of various programs within Field Services.
• Train, mentor, and coach others in the profession of animal care and control.
• Evaluate employee performance, coach subordinate staff, encourage skill development and, when appropriate, participate in the disciplinary process.
• Enforce County and State laws and departmental policies that pertain to the field of animal care and control.
• Interact safely and professionally with the public during tense and at times hostile situations.
• Prepare written reports and other materials in a legible, concise and accurate manner for potential court cases.
• Interact safely and professionally with healthy, sick or injured domestic, wild and exotic animals.
• Investigate and document reports of animal cruelty or neglect, amongst emotional and sometimes disturbing situations.
• Investigate animal bites and reports of aggressive animals.
• Safely and effectively secure a variety of domestic and wild animals in various circumstances.
• Assist other officers by receiving and dispatching calls for service.
• Educate the public on County and State laws, animal care standards, and responsible pet ownership.
• Rescue animals from situations or circumstances which could endanger their health or well-being.
• Testify in court or administrative hearings as needed on a variety of cases.
• Pick up and remove deceased animals from public and private properties.

Work Assignments: Assignments in this classification may involve a variety of placements, such as field work, office work, including administrative oversight of various Field Services programs, coverage in our dispatch unit/call center, or assisting other sections of OC Animal Care, such as the kennel, veterinary, or clerical units, as determined by the business needs of the department.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule of this assignment will consist of rotating assignments that may consist of four to five day work weeks, depending on business needs. Shift schedules generally rotate every four months. OC Animal Care provides service 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, including weekends and holidays.

Field Services currently has four primary shifts providing continuous staff coverage throughout the day and overnight, although other assignments may be assigned or available. Incumbents should be prepared to work rotating shifts, including days, nights, weekends and holidays. Incumbents may be drafted for mandatory overtime in the event of an emergency, disaster, or during periods of unexpected staffing shortages.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES 
In addition to the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will also have extensive experience in the following core competencies:

Technical Expertise

• Significant experience in the animal control or animal welfare industry.
• Experience training, mentoring, and/or leading others in a professional setting.
• A college degree in communications, criminal justice, public administration, animal science, zoology, or other relevant subject matter.
• Training or work experience as a veterinary assistant or a veterinary technician.
• Training or work experience in an animal shelter, humane society, or animal control environment.
• Significant experience handling animals.
• Experience handling exotic animals or livestock.
• Training, knowledge or experience in the care and maintenance of domestic or wild animals.
• Training, knowledge or experience in animal behavioral evaluation or assessment.
• Prior training or experience in a professional enforcement setting.
• Knowledge of legal procedures, the criminal justice system, or the animal control industry.

Leadership & Supervisory Skills

• Provides leadership to ensure positive working relationships with others.
• Holds others accountable.
• Able to train, coach and mentor others providing appropriate level of feedback.
• Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalated complaints or disputes.
• Supervise the work of employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines and proper procedures, correcting errors or problems.

Oral Communication & Writing Skills

• Effectively able to accurately and concisely exchange information with peers and the members of the public both orally and in writing.
• Relay confidence when communicating information; clearly and concisely composes written documents to convey information with accuracy.
• Effectively interprets, follows, and applies written and oral instruction.
• Actively listens to others for full understanding of what is being communicated.
• Ability to recall and recreate detailed conversation or events.
• Training, knowledge or experience in conflict resolution or tactical communication.

Customer Service Skills

• Providing courteous and professional customer service to all clients and members of the public.
• Applying knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services including complex problem solving to manage stressful situations effectively.
• Anticipating and meeting customer (internal/external) needs in all situations.

Special Requirements
Must pass a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County of Orange.

Incumbents must maintain the ability to legally possess, utilize, and transport controlled substances for humane euthanasia and tranquilization. Note: Some criminal convictions may preclude applicants from legally possessing, utilizing and transporting controlled substances.

In compliance with California Code of Regulations, Title 8, §5144, Respirator Protection, incumbents will be required to utilize a respirator for certain aspects of their job duties to protect against odors, harmful respiratory contaminants and/or particulates. Incumbents will need to be able to work in a moderate to heavy physical capacity while wearing the respirator. Incumbents will need to pass a respiratory equipment fit test with Orange County Employee Health Services to ensure proper sizing and protection.

License/Certification
Must possess and maintain a current, valid California Driver’s License (Class C).
 
Incumbents must be able to obtain a certificate of successful completion for a California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Course, Penal Code §832 Laws of Arrest, within six (6) months of employment.
 
Incumbents are required to successfully complete training in compliance with California Business and Professions Code §4827(d) in order to obtain a certificate to perform humane euthanasia in the state of California within six (6) months of employment.
 
Incumbents are required to successfully complete training in compliance with the California Code of Regulations §2039.5 in order to legally transport and utilize controlled substances for humane euthanasia and tranquilization in the state of California, within six (6) months of employment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Please click here for details on the Supervising Animal Care Officer classification, including the physical, mental, environmental and working conditions.
 
NOTE: Foreign degrees require an evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (N.A.C.E.S.).

RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all application materials to identify qualified applicants. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.
 
Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)
Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.
 
Recorded Structured Oral Interview | rSOI (Weighted 100%)
The recorded Structured Oral Interview (rSOI) is a timed, recorded assessment conducted via an online platform. Applicants will answer job-related questions on video, which will be reviewed and rated by a panel of subject matter experts using standardized evaluation criteria. Only the most qualified candidates will move forward to the next step in the recruitment process or will be placed on the eligible list.

Only the most successful candidates will move forward to the next step in the recruitment process or will be placed on the eligible list. 

Eligible List
Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.
 
Based on the County's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.

Veterans Employment Preference
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION 
The County of Orange is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should notify the recruiter listed on the job posting as soon as possible. Documentation supporting the accommodation request may be required.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION 
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions. 
 
For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Jenny Kim at [email protected] or 714-480-2861.

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.