Job Details

Animal Services Technician

The City of McKinney is seeking an Animal Services Technician to play a vital role in supporting the operations of the Animal Services team. This position serves as a primary point of contact for residents, handling intake for service requests, monitoring court processes, and dispatching officers in response to calls for service. With a focus on efficiency and excellent customer service, the Animal Services Technician ensures accurate documentation, effective communication, and streamlined support for field operations. This position does not involve direct animal care or handling but requires knowledge of municipal operations, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to maintain high-quality public service.

Essential Functions/Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

In order for us to continue to achieve our primary function of making McKinney a better place to live, work, and raise a family, we hold these expectations for all employees:

• Learn and demonstrate an understanding of how team, department, and City goals are interconnected.
• Contribute to a positive work culture.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to assess his/her work performance or the work performance of the team.
• Contribute to the development of others and/or the working unit or overall organization.
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team, to demonstrate team skills, and to perform a fair share of team responsibilities.
• Ability to continuously learn and develop through a mix of internal and external training opportunities, and if applicable, encourage subordinates to do the same.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Serving as the primary point of contact for residents between Animal Services and the community, providing information and assistance regarding animal-related inquiries and concerns.
• Responsible for maintaining and submitting requests for Animal Service inventory and supplies.
• Handling and delegating correspondences from residents, including processing service requests, complaints, and reports of animal-related issues; providing education to residents about city ordinances related to animal services.
• Simultaneously listen to and comprehend both telephone and radio traffic often under loud and stressful conditions.
• Operate multi-channel public safety radio system.
• Functions as primary liaison across departments as well as with outside entities, such as the Collin County Animal Shelter and neighboring Animal Services Departments.
• Maintains a professional and courteous demeanor while handling sensitive or potentially emotional interactions with residents.
• Communicates effectively, courteously, and clearly in English, particularly in performance of dispatch duties, verbally and in writing; includes speaking distinctly, responding promptly, and hearing in the normal range.
• Accurately document and maintain records related to resident's interactions, service calls, and ongoing cases in the city's case management system.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all documents, radio and phone transmissions and other sensitive information handled through the Animal Services Department.
• Monitors court processes related to animal services cases, ensuring proper documentation and adherence to timelines.
• Prepares and distributes notices, citations, and legal documents as directed by Animal Services Officers or supervisory staff.
• Receives and triages calls for service, determining the appropriate response level and dispatching Animal Services Officers accordingly.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date logs of dispatched calls and officer-activities for reporting and accountability purposes utilizing city-approved dispatch software or systems to manage service calls and assignments.
• Compiles and analyze data from service calls, court cases, and departmental activities to assist in preparing reports for management or city leadership.
• Ensures the accuracy and confidentiality of records related to animal-related incidents and enforcement actions.
• Assists with public education initiatives, such as creation of information materials about animal safety and city regulations.
• Maintains comprehensive and current knowledge about city ordinances, state laws, and best practices related to animal services operations; reads professional literature; attends workshops and training sessions as appropriate.
• Maintains accurate records, preparing documents, and ensuring compliance with court processes.
• Analyzes trends in animal services calls and develops response strategies.
• May assist Management in development of Standard Operating Procedures for field operations.
• May assist in training new employees in relevant department protocols.
• Coordinates emergency response in the case of disaster or high-risk disease outbreak.
• Attends annual continued education opportunities in order to maintain relevant certifications or recertifies as needed.
• Utilizes GIS systems for service call mapping, resource allocation analysis, and trend identification
• Makes independent determinations on service priority and resource allocation.
• Testifies in court proceedings as department representative.
• Exercises discretion in determining enforcement priorities based on public safety factors

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Behaviors

• Ability to embrace and embody the City's core values of Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence (R.I.S.E.).
• Ability to communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, subordinates, and people to whom service is provided.
• Ability to produce desired work outcomes, including quality, quantity, and timeliness.
• Ability to plan and organize work, time, and resources, and if applicable, that of subordinates.
• Ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, compute, locate, and analyze data and/or information. Includes the ability to perform subsequent actions in relation to these computational operations.
• Ability to provide guidance, assistance, instruction and/or interpretation to citizens, regarding the requirements of procedures and standards to specific situations.
• Familiarity with animal behavior and ability to give reliable situational guidance to citizens in relation to aggressive animals, behavioral issues in domestics, and wildlife.
• Familiarity with database management for case records, inspections, and case tracking.
• Proficient in data entry, filing systems, and record-keeping; Common programs used include EnerGov, dispatch software, Microsoft Word, Access, and Excel.
• Comprehensive understanding of state and local law.
• Familiarity with Rabies Control Act and related public health codes.
• Familiarity with wildlife regulations including Texas Parks and Wildlife species specific recommendations.
• Familiarity with legal procedures related to citations, court filings, and compliance enforcement.
• Basic understanding of data security practices, ensuring sensitive information is handled responsibly.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to handle difficult or emotional interactions with professionalism and patience.
• Ability to manage conflict and operate efficiently in high stress situations.
• Ability to assess service requirements and determine the appropriate response, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving a variety of generally pre-defined duties that are often characterized by frequent change.
• Ability to perform coordinated movements, such as operating a computer terminal, printer, calculator, copier, and various other office equipment.
• Ability to consistently display a high level of professionalism in interactions with residents, officers, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work in a team environment; contribute as a team member and treat co-workers, subordinates, and customers with respect.

Required Qualifications

Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent, supplemented by three (3) years of relevant experience in fields such as animal services, code enforcement, or public safety, emphasizing customer service, and handling of regulatory or compliance processes. Preferred qualifications include an associate's degree in animal science, Veterinary Technology, Biology, Zoology, or in Public Administration, Business, Communications, or a related field.

• Associate's degree in animal science, Veterinary Technology, Biology, Zoology, or in Public Administration, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• Current Basic, Advanced, and/or Administrative Certifications in the role of Animal Control/Services Officer, demonstrating familiarity with municipal ordinance, regulatory compliance, and effective communication with the public.

Conditions of employment include passing a drug screen and background check, and having a Class C Texas Driver's License.

Physical Demands/Supplemental

Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and