What are the responsibilities and job description for the Animal Shelter Technician position at Kent County, MI?

Salary : $19.38 Hourly

Location : Animal Shelter 740 Fuller Ave NE Grand Rapids

Job Type : Part-time

Job Number : 2411-430-3060 - PT REF

Department : Animal Shelter

Opening Date : 01 / 03 / 2025

Closing Date : 1 / 17 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern

Job Responsibilities

Are you skilled in animal care and looking to make a difference on a grander scale?

Join our team at the Kent County Animal Shelter as a Part-Time Animal Care Technician. This role utilizes your passion and animal care skills to provide excellent care and support to our furry friends and their future families.

What You'll Do :

Animal Care : Provide daily feeding, enrichment, and limited physical examinations of animals to ensure their well-being.
Clerical Duties : Assist clients and handle various administrative tasks including adoptions.
Observation : Monitor animals for any signs of illness or injury, ensuring prompt attention and care.
Sanitation : Maintain kennels, cages, and surrounding areas in a clean and sanitary condition.

Key Responsibilities :

Perform a variety of animal care tasks, including feeding and providing enrichment activities.

Conduct limited physical examinations to monitor animal health.

Handle clerical tasks such as assisting clients with inquiries.

Observe animals for signs of physical illness or injury and report any concerns.

Keep kennels, cages, and surrounding areas clean and sanitized to ensure a healthy environment.

Apply knowledge of internal and external rules, regulations, and protocols related to animal shelter operations.

What We're Looking For :

Passion for animal welfare and a strong commitment to providing excellent care.

Ability to perform clerical duties with attention to detail and professionalism.

Knowledge of animal care practices and protocols.

Strong observational skills to monitor animal health and behavior.

Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a dynamic environment.

Make a Difference : Play a vital role in the health and happiness of our shelter animals.

Join Our Team : If you're enthusiastic about animal care and have the skills to support our shelter operations, we want to hear from you!

Apply today to join a team that values compassion, dedication, and making a positive impact on the lives of animals.

Minimum Qualifications

Requires : High school diploma or equivalent along with one year of experience in the care and feeding of animals and one year of successful clerical experience. Please note : care of personally owned animals at home does not meet the one-year minimum requirement.

Must possess considerable knowledge of animal handling and the ability to handle animals of a vicious nature. Must have the ability to lift / carry heavy and awkward animals, large barrels and sacks of kennel supplies weighing up to approximately 60 lbs.

Must possess basic computer literacy, including some familiarity with word-processing, spreadsheet and database applications. Must possess effective communication skills, both oral and written along with the ability to positively interact with clients from a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Bilingual ability preferred.

Additional Information

Notices will come via email so please be sure to monitor the email address indicated on your application

Don't take our word for it that Kent County is a great place to work and thrive. Watch this video on why our staff have made us their employer of choice.

Kent County Human Resources

Benefit Summary

UAW - General

Full-Time

Effective January 1, 2024

Medical and Prescription Plans / Health Care Premium

Health Care Providers - BCBS Wellness PPO, Blue Care Network HMO or BCMS Wellness High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA)

Prescription Provider - Capital Rx

PPO or HMO : 20% of total healthcare premium per month - pretax

HDHP w / HSA : 15% of total healthcare premium per month - pretax

HSA - One-time new enrollment County contribution of $1,000 single or $2,000 family,

max HSA contribution $4,150 single / $8,300 family

Eligible for wellness incentives by completing program requirements through Virgin Pulse.

Medical benefits effective first day of the month after hire.

BENEFIT ELECTION FORM MUST BE RETURNED TO

HUMAN RESOURCES WITHIN 4 DAYS OF HIRE.

Dental Plan - Varipro

Class I - 100% of incurred charges (2 cleanings and 1 x-ray per person, per year)

All other Services - 50% of reasonable costs (including Orthodontics)

Up to $2,500 annually per family

Vision Plan - VSP

No charge for WellVision Exam; $20 materials co-pay or up to $60 co-pay for contact fitting with participating doctors

Life Insurance

50,000 County paid Term Life Insurance

Supplemental Life Insurance / Dependent Life Insurance

Self-pay in increments of $5,000; Minimum-$15,000 / Maximum-$450,000

Spouse term life = $25,000, Child term life = $10,000

Flexible Spending - Varipro

Pre-tax contributions for Health and Dependent Care - not eligible for Health Flexible Spending if you are in the HDHP plan

Vacation Leave

6 hours 40 minutes each month - after initial month of hire (0-3 years)

See union contract for further details

Sickness & Accident Plan

1st day of injury or hospitalization or 8th day of illness

67% of gross wages; 26 week benefit

Eligible 1st of the month following date of hire

Long-Term Disability

60% of wages up to age 65; waiting period 180 days

Holidays

11 Scheduled Holidays

8 Hours pay at regular straight time rate)

Paid Time Off

Pro-rated amount of 80 hours based on number remaining months in the year at time of hire.

80 hours on the payroll at start of the year.

May accumulate up to 120 hours

Unused paid time off in excess of 120 hours will be added to the employee's reserve sick leave bank up to 182 hours. Hours in excess of 182 will be placed in employee's retirement bonus bank.

Paid Parental Leave

80 hours of paid time off for birth of a child or temporary placement of the child for adoption. Eligible the 1st of the month following date of hire, runs concurrently with FMLA

Probation Period

First 6 months of employment

Shift Differential

1.00 per hour for regularly scheduled shifts beginning at 2 : 00 PM or later

Weekend Differential

1.00 per hour for regularly scheduled shifts beginning at 11 : 00 PM Friday and ending at 7 : 00 AM Monday

Overtime

1 1 / 2 times regular straight-time rate for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week

Merit Increases

See contract for merit levels

Tuition Reimbursement

365 per credit hour; maximum of 9 credit hours per year (see policy for eligibility)

Mileage

Published IRS Rate

Deferred Compensation

Enrollment first of each month with a minimum investment of $25 per pay period

Retirement / Defined Pension

Mandatory participation in a Contributory Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

Employee contribution is 9.21% of pre-tax earnings

Retirement Bonus Bank

Employees who retire under the Kent County Retirement Plan (other than a deferred retirement) will receive pension service credit for all hours in their Retirement Bonus Bank at the time of retirement.

Supplement to Medical Benefits Premium

Based on years of service, employees may be eligible for a medical benefits premium supplement.

Kent County Human Resources

Benefit Summary

UAW - General

Part-Time

Effective January 1, 2024

Medical and Prescription Plans / Health Care Premium

Eligible to purchase at a group rate, less $35.00 per pay period contribution paid by the County. Eligible for wellness incentives by completing program requirements through Virgin Pulse.

Dental Plan

Not eligible

Vision Plan

Not eligible

Life Insurance

Not eligible

Supplemental Life Insurance

Not eligible

Flexible Spending - Varipro

Pre-tax contributions for Health and Dependent Care

Vacation Leave

4 hours 50 minutes each month - after initial month of hire (0-3 years)

See union contract for further details

Sickness & Accident Plan

1st day of accident or 8th day of illness

67% of gross wages; 26 week benefit

Eligible 1st of the month following date of hire

Long Term Disability

60% of wages; waiting period 180 days

Holidays

4 Hours pay at regular straight time rate for each recognized holiday

Paid Time Off

Pro-rated amount of 40 hours based on number remaining months in the year at time of hire.

40 hours on the payroll at start of the year.

May accumulate up to 120 hours

Unused paid time off in excess of 120 hours will be added to the employee's retirement bonus bank.

Probation Period

First 9 months of employment

Shift Differential

1.00 per hour for regularly scheduled shifts beginning at 2 : 00 PM or later

Weekend Differential

1.00 per hour for regularly scheduled shifts beginning at 11 : 00 PM Friday and ending at 7 : 00 AM Monday

Overtime

1 1 / 2 times regular straight-time rate for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week

Merit Increases

See contract for merit levels

Tuition Reimbursement

Not eligible

Mileage

Published IRS Rate

Deferred Compensation

Enrollment first of each month with a minimum investment of $25 per pay period

Retirement / Defined Pension

Mandatory participation in a Contributory Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

Employee contribution is 9.21% of pre-tax earnings

Retirement Bonus Bank

Supplement to Medical Benefits Premium

Based on years of service, employees may be eligible for a medical benefits premium supplement.

The above is a summary of benefits. For specific benefits information consult the collective bargaining agreement and the summary plan descriptions.

This position is part-time - are you currently seeking a part-time position?

Are you willing and able to work some nights / weekends?

Do you have one year of work experience in the care and feeding of animals?

If you answered yes to the Animal Care question, please briefly describe your related experience. If you answered no, please write "N / A".

Do you have one year of clerical experience?

If you answered yes to the Clerical Experience question, please briefly describe your related experience. If you answered no, please write "N / A".

Please briefly describe your understanding of compassion fatigue and how it can lead to burnout in the animal care industry.

Required Question

Salary : $2,500

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