Description

The Position
The Riverside County Department of Animal Services seeks an Assistant Director of Animal Services.

Under the general direction of the Director of Animal Services, the Assistant Director provides both strategic and hands-on leadership for the department’s Field and Shelter Operations. This role plays a key part in creating a unified approach to animal care, field services, and community engagement while promoting lifesaving initiatives and maintaining high standards for public safety and sheltering practices. The Assistant Director works closely with the executive team and shelter leaders to strengthen organizational culture, ensure consistency across operations, and develop programs and processes that advance departmental goals.

The Assistant Director will lead a culture transformation within the department by building cohesion, aligning practices, and fostering consistency in service delivery. The Assistant Director will help staff reconnect with their purpose by fostering a shared sense of mission, reminding teams of the meaningful impact their work has on the lives of animals and the community. Working collaboratively with shelter leadership, this position will ensure all staff are properly trained, certified, and united under shared goals and standards. Serving as a unifying voice across all shelters, the Assistant Director will promote best practices in animal welfare and lifesaving efforts.

With an equal focus on both field and shelter operations, the Assistant Director will oversee policy and procedure compliance, champion community engagement through education and outreach, and strengthen partnerships that emphasize prevention and compassion over enforcement. The Assistant Director may also be called upon to respond to emergency situations and assist with complex or sensitive legal cases requiring sound judgment and attention to detail.

The ideal candidate for Assistant Director of Animal Services will bring strong leadership and communication skills, a collaborative management style, and a passion for driving positive change.

Characteristics of the ideal candidate:

•  Strong people manager who inspires new ideas and creativity; leads and demonstrates diplomacy, inclusivity, and a positive attitude.
• An excellent communicator projecting high integrity and ethical conduct, who cultivates productive relationships with partnering agencies and community groups, County and department staff, and the general public.
• An outstanding manager of people who provides guidance and professional support to staff, offers regular feedback to employees, and serves as a mentor in providing training, development opportunities, and succession planning.
• A compassionate and humble individual with an understanding and awareness of the emotionally challenging environment that animal services can be, and motivates and inspires collaboration, is willing to listen, and makes decisions based on feedback, the needs of the community, and is willing to articulate those in a respectful and professional manner.

The Assistant Director of Animal Services will: 

• Inspire, mentor, and support staff while promoting a positive and cohesive organizational culture.
• Direct managerial staff to ensure productivity, culture alignment, and positive morale.
• Develop strategies that strengthen team performance and ensure clear understanding of expectations.
• Create and implement communication strategies that promote collaboration and alignment across all units.
• Lead and support a culture transformation focused on consistency, compassion, and operational excellence.
• Ensure consistent implementation of policies, procedures, and best practices across all shelters and field operations.
• Oversee training, certification, and professional development to maintain high performance and compliance standards.
• Direct and monitor all aspects of Field Services division and ensure the humane treatment and handling of sheltered animals.
• Develop and review departmental goals and objectives and identify areas for quality improvement.
• Participate in developing and updating policies, procedures, and standard operating practices to ensure alignment with best practices in animal shelter management.
• Collaborate with the executive team to ensure fiscal responsibility, process improvements, and effective resource allocation.
• Represent the department in meetings with contract cities, the Board of Supervisors, and at local, state, and national events.
• Promote community education and outreach that emphasizes prevention, compassion, and humane animal care.
• Build partnerships with community stakeholders to enhance understanding, collaboration, and support for animal services initiatives.
• Drive operational excellence while monitoring lifesaving and public safety objectives.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, animal services, or a related field to the assignment. (Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on the basis of 30 semester or 45 quarter units equaling one year of full-time experience.)

Experience: Four years of professional experience at a managerial level in a municipal or government-operated animal shelter, which must have included responsibility for directing the activities of subordinate staff, managing programs and budgeting.