Behavior and Transfer Coordinator

Full Job Description

Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, known for its excellent quality of life and strong economy, while embracing its historic presence. Located 35 miles west of Washington DC, Loudoun County offers a diverse blend of cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. Loudoun County government has been included in Forbes magazine’s prestigious ranking of America's Best Large Employers. Loudoun is recognized for its outstanding commitment to fostering environments where employees can thrive based on various factors, including atmosphere, salary, diversity, working conditions, and workplace environment.

Loudoun County Animal Services resolves to serve our community by promoting public safety and the compassionate treatment of all animals through humane education, community outreach, sheltering, and law enforcement.

Requirements

Do you live by the words “click-treat?” Do you dig dogs who need a life coach, and cats who need some confidence-building? Do you see animal behavior and training as a team sport? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) is looking for a Behavior and Training Coordinator to join our expanding team. With over 70% of local intakes arriving at LCAS in need of medical or behavioral support, this position works closely with both staff and volunteers to find optimal outcomes for animals and emphasize the importance of mental health and enrichment for the animals in our care. Our team receives comprehensive training (both classroom and hands-on), competitive pay, exceptional benefits (including ongoing training and tuition reimbursement) and support from a community of over 450,000 residents.

LCAS is focused on creative and progressive lifesaving through pet retention as well as animal adoption, mental health support through in-kennel enrichment, foster care, and compassionate humane law enforcement. Receiving more than 2,300 animals a year, and achieving a live release rate of over 94%, no two days are the same. LCAS is dedicated to gold-standard animal sheltering and operates the first public animal shelter in the United States to meet 100% of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Animal Shelter guidelines, giving staff a rare opportunity to be part of a comprehensive and cutting-edge animal services team in a facility that opened in 2021.

This position works weekends with a schedule of Sunday through Thursday. Interested applicants are asked to provide a cover letter expressing their interest and qualifications in the position. We will be accepting applications now for this position with an anticipated start date in late spring.

Core components of this position include:

• Counseling and supporting community members to help them keep their pets when they are considering surrender for behavior-based reasons.
• Conducting public training classes to support a wide range of pet ownership experiences.
• Developing training and behavior modification plans for cats, dogs and small animals to improve adoptability and help them cope with the shelter environment.
• Making recommendations on animal placement and outcomes.
• Documenting animals’ behavior in the shelter and working with staff to identify animals at risk of stress or deterioration and mitigate that risk.
• Engaging with pet adopters to help them find the best match for their family.
• Training staff and volunteers to provide safe, humane, and compassionate handling, training and enrichment to shelter pets, and understand animal behavior and body language.

The successful candidate will:

• Have experience in animal sheltering, animal care, and animal behavior, to include a wide variety of companion animals.
• Be team-oriented and enjoy working with people as much as with animals.
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Recognize the role of public safety in an Animal Services agency and work with the team to promote safe and healthy adoptive placements.
• Understand and implement science-based humane training techniques.
  

Hiring salary is commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

Associate's degree with courses in a related field; three (3) years of related work experience in animal shelters, animal training or animal behavior; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Supervisory experience.
• Certified Professional in Talent Development.

Additional Information

The successful candidate:

• Will undergo a background check to include criminal and DMV checks and physical examination, to include drug screening.
• Will be required to obtain certification in Incident Command System 100, 200, 700, and 800 within 12 months of employment. Fear free training program and euthanasia certification to be obtained within 6 months of hire.
• Must have the ability to control large and potentially dangerous animals over 100 pounds and team lift animals weighing up to 75 pounds.
• Must be available to work shifts, including mornings, weekends, and occasional evenings and/or holidays.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and good driving record (driving records may be reviewed annually for continued qualification).
• Should not have unmanageable allergies to, or fear of, common companion animal species, including cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits.

Animal Services is a physically demanding occupation, with the potential for exposure to infectious diseases, viruses, noxious fumes and chemicals, as well as risk of injury. A rabies pre-exposure vaccination series will commence immediately upon hire unless proof of prior vaccination is provided.