Director Of Animal Services

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

The purpose of this class is to plan, direct, and organize the operations of the Animal Services Department, including the Animal Care and Vector Control divisions. The position oversees the enforcement of County ordinances and applicable State of South Carolina laws related to animal control, disease prevention, and public health. The Director develops and implements complex policies, goals, and objectives; establishes operational strategies; designs and improves departmental processes; and allocates resources to ensure effective service delivery. Work is performed with broad latitude for independent judgment and decision-making, consistent with County policy and state law.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions:

• Plans, organizes, and directs the activities of the Vector Control and Animal Care divisions through assigned managers and supervisors, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and maintaining accountability to the public.
• Provides executive oversight of departmental staff through the chain of command, including workforce planning, work assignment and review, employee selection, performance management, and approval of discipline and discharge actions.
• Leads the development and implementation of complex policies and procedures in collaboration with Division management to protect public health and safety, and to ensure alignment with County goals.
• Reviews and evaluates the work of assigned employees for quality, accuracy, and timeliness; provides guidance and corrective direction as needed. Monitors complaint management systems to ensure appropriate responses and response times.
• Develops, administers, and monitors the Department’s budget, ensuring the effective and efficient use of funds, personnel, equipment, and time; recommends budget adjustments as necessary.
• Directs the procurement, maintenance, and inspection of Department facilities, supplies, and equipment to ensure operational readiness.
• Establishes short- and long-range goals, strategic priorities, and operational plans for the Animal Services Department to support mission achievement.
• Monitors legislative and regulatory changes affecting departmental operations and ensures timely compliance and operational adjustments.
• Receives and responds to public inquiries, concerns, complaints, and requests for assistance within areas of responsibility.
• Oversees enforcement activities, including investigations of complaints and animal bites; ensures compliance with laws related to animal control, quarantine, placement, euthanasia, and disposal; and oversees fee collection activities.
• Coordinates and facilitates regular meetings with Animal Care and Vector Control leadership to support communication, accountability, and program alignment.
• Prepares and oversees the preparation of correspondence, narrative reports, statistical analyses, and other materials for Administration related to Department operations and performance.
• Directs emergency preparedness and response planning for Animal Services and oversees Department operations during emergency situations.
• Collaborates with local animal welfare organizations, law enforcement agencies, legal counsel, and court officials to support enforcement, compliance, and community outcomes.
• Provides strategic direction and oversight for specialized programs administered by the Vector Control Manager and biologist, monitoring outcomes and contributing to annual reporting.
• Develops and implements management systems, performance measures, and evaluation standards to assess departmental effectiveness and guide continuous improvement.
• Ensures ongoing compliance with applicable codes, regulations, and professional standards; monitors industry trends and best practices; and implements policy and procedural improvements as appropriate.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• Four year or graduate degree with emphasis in business administration, public administration, criminal justice, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of related work experience.

-or-

• Any combination of education, training, and experience that meets the requirements for performing the essential functions of this job.

Licenses/Certifications/Other:

• Must possess a valid state driver’s license.
• Holds (or obtains within one year once hired) the following certifications: Professional Animal Control; Humane Euthanasia; Chemical Capture; and Animal Cruelty.
• Must be appointed a Richland County Code Enforcement Officer upon hire.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Data Involvement: Requires synthesizing or integrating analysis of data or information to discover facts or develop knowledge or interpretations; changes policies, procedures, or methodologies based on new facts, knowledge or interpretations
• People Involvement: Requires negotiating, exchanging ideas, information and opinions with others to formulate policy and programs or arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions or solutions.
• Involvement with Things: Requires handling or using machines, tools, or equipment requiring brief instruction or experience, such as computers for data entry, fax machines, copiers, telephones, or similar equipment; may service office machines, including adding paper and changing toner.
• Reasoning Requirements: Requires performing work involving the application of logical principles and thinking to solve practical problems within or applying to a unit or division of the organization.
• Mathematical Requirements: Requires using addition and subtraction, multiplication, and division; and/or calculating ratios, rates, and percentages
• Language Requirements: Requires reading journals, manuals and professional publications; speaking informally to groups of co-workers, staff in other organizational agencies, the general public, people in other organizations; presenting training; composing original reports, training and other written materials using proper language, punctuation, grammar, and style.
• Mental Requirements: Requires: doing professional-level work requiring the application of principles and practices in a wide range of administrative, technical, or managerial methods in the solution of administrative or technical problems; coordinating entry-level managerial work needing a general understanding of operating policies and procedures; and applying these to complex administrative problems with continuous, close attention for accurate results or frequent exposure to unusual situations.
• Computer Requirements: Requires using MS Office Suite programs, code enforcement case software, Workday accounting and human resource software, and knowledge and skills in general computer and web-based database systems.
• Judgments and Decisions: Makes decisions as a significant part of the job, affecting a large segment of the organization and the general public; works in a dynamic environment; and assists in developing policy and practices.

Physical Requirements:

The work is medium work which requires the person in this position to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Manual Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. Shouting in order to be heard above ambient noise level.
• Visual Acuity: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading. Including color, depth perception, and field vision. Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures. Have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment. Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays. Periodically involves responding to phone calls and other communications at night and on weekends. This position requires regular and reliable attendance and the employee’s physical presence at the workplace. The job may risk exposure to bright/dim light, dusts and pollen, extreme heat and/or cold, wet or humid conditions, animals/wildlife, fumes and/or noxious odors, traffic, heights, disease/pathogens, toxic/caustic chemicals, and violence. Work is performed regularly where decisions are made that could lead to major community or organizational consequences if there is a failure to make the appropriate decision at the time.

EEO AND ADA MESSAGE

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.

Richland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

Richland County has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.

Compensation Range: $106,912.06 - $170,914.99