Position Information

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• A hybrid telework schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County paid 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance of up to $1,700 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
• May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment

About the Position

The County of Sonoma's Department of Health Services is seeking an innovative, experienced individual with exceptional leadership qualities to be the next Director of Sonoma County Animal Services (SCAS). Reporting to the Public Health Division Director, this position is responsible for providing key leadership for the comprehensive Animal Care and Control program; including oversight of the budget. The Director exercises independent judgment and initiative to achieve program goals and objectives. The Animal Services Unit is a staff of thirty-one Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions and the Director position has three direct reports, including the Supervising Animal Control Officer, the Shelter Supervisor, and the Operations Manager.

The Director of SCAS has responsibility for a wide array of Animal Care and Control services, including but not limited to, those provided in the Field, Shelter, and Operations Units. The position manages innovative programs and maintains a presence in the community, serves as an educator, and is a resource to a variety of organizations as well as the general public. This position will carry out an action plan that is based on community engagement, best practices, and continuous quality improvement. Keys to success will be providing excellent customer service, a culture of transparency and trust, and forming strong community relationships with organizations and municipal partners.

The position may be asked to work on evenings, weekends, and holidays by being available to make decisions for Animal Control Officers in the field. Work is occasionally outdoors in various weather conditions. The position is expected to respond to the activation of the Department Operations Center in the event of an emergency and coordinate the provision of aid to households with animals affected by an emergency.

The ideal candidate for this position will possess:

• Thorough knowledge of animal shelter management, standards of animal care, and medical and behavioral concerns
• A solid understanding of best practices in animal field and shelter services, and be able to research "best practices" and benchmark organizations to better understand the benefits of different operational and service delivery models
• An understanding of the needs of Animal Care and Control's customers with the ability to lead the development of streamlined and user-friendly customer services
• Excellent and effective communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
• A demonstrated ability to build cooperative and collaborative relationships with the local community and interest groups, the leadership of state and local agencies, other County departments, and key city and county officials
• The ability to motivate and lead a group of dedicated, knowledgeable, and talented staff through organizational transformation
• Strong administrative, analytical, and supervisory skills
• Proficiency in utilizing data to plan and evaluate programs
• Intermediate level proficiency in Microsoft Office programs
• Certification in PC 832 Arrest and Seizure, and Firearms, euthanasia certification, and disaster response experience and training are desired, but not required

• Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that would provide for the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally this would include:

Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in public or business administration, or a related field.

Experience: Five years of full-time experience in a management or administrative capacity in an organization with responsibilities comparable to those needed to manage the size and complexity of the Animal Care and Control Division. This experience should also have involved substantial public contact, public relations, and supervisory responsibilities. Experience with animal care, control, or welfare, and particularly the management of any of these functions, is desirable.

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of: modern concepts, practices, and methods of general management principles to effectively plan, organize, evaluate, and direct programs, administrative functions including fiscal and human resources management, and business systems and processes; research methodology, report writing and basic statistics; project management techniques and methods; and effective public relations strategies and techniques; principles and practices of supervision, staff development, and performance management.

Knowledge of: public administration; physical and behavioral characteristics of common domestic animals and livestock; symptoms of animal abuse and diseases; rules of evidence, investigative and enforcement techniques, and court procedures.

Ability to: quickly learn animal care and control programs; effectively plan, administer and direct comprehensive programs related to animal care and control; analyze management problems and recommend effective solutions; develop and update division rules, regulations and policies; establish and communicate appropriate employment standards; monitor and evaluate the performance of subordinates; develop and implement training plans and programs; communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with public officials, departmental staff, other county departments, community groups, volunteers, other agencies, and the general public; conduct a variety of promotional and public relations activities including speaking to public groups, to the news media, advocacy groups, and in court; interpret, explain and ensure compliance with applicable state, federal and local guidelines, policies, goals, rules, laws, and regulations; work independently and make sound decisions; handle multiple tasks simultaneously and effectively; analyze data, draw logical conclusions and implement effective changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness; establish and adjust priorities as needed; negotiate and administer service contracts; and develop and monitor division budget.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted on-line at: www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.