Assistant Director (Animal Center)

Position Description

Come be part of the City of Fresno's active Animal Center facility! The new Assistant Director of Animal Health Care will be part of the collective and strategic planning team responsible for staffing the center, developing programs and community engagement.

The City is looking for a dynamic and customer service-oriented leader. The incumbent should have a collaborative leadership style to ensure that a culture of customer service and care will be at the forefront of the center. With many key objectives to fulfill, it is imperative that the Assistant Director be a flexible, strategic thought leader, who can identify needs and provide sound recommendations to City leadership.

Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director will plan, organize and direct the activities of the daily operations of the center and manage licensed, professional, and support staff. The incumbent will assist and develop and implement policies and procedures; supervise; respond to public inquiries including those from government officials and advisory bodies; design and implement public information campaigns about the center; direct and administer the licensing and enforcement programs. In addition, the Assistant Director will assist in forecasting, preparing, and administering the department budget, preparing cost estimates for budget recommendations, and monitor and control expenditures; oversee preparation of and presenting agenda items to City Council when designated by the Director; and will be expected to communicate and collaborate with internal departments and external stakeholders, vendors, external agencies, regulatory officials, the general public, elected/appointed officials and/or other interested parties to coordinate department activities and resolve issues.

The ideal candidate will be an excellent problem solver, strong communicator and enjoy learning new processes and procedures.

This is an unclassified position in which the incumbent serves at the will of the Director.

Pay,Benefits, & Work Schedule

UNIT 2 Classification: Management Confidential - Unrepresented
HEALTH INSURANCE: The City contributes toward monthly premiums for PPO medical, dental and vision for employee and dependents.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT: IRS 125 Plan for health and dependent care expenses.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary 457 plan with Fidelity Investments to increase your retirement savings. City contributes up to $75 per month.
HOLIDAYS: Ten (10) City-observed annual holidays plus birthday and two (2) personal days.
MANAGEMENT LEAVE: 60 hours per fiscal year for exempt employees.
BILINGUAL PREMIUM: PAY: $100 per month
ANNUAL LEAVE: Accrue (15.5) hour per month of Annual Leave, with cash out provisions.
SUPPLEMENTAL SICK- 40 hours per fiscal year. 80 hours lifetime maximum
LIFE INSURANCE: Benefit equal to annual salary; premium paid by the City.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY: Benefit equal to 66.66% of monthly salary up to $7,500 per month after 30 days of disability; premium paid by the City.
HEALTH REIMBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENT: Eligible retirees can use remaining Sick Leave balance at 80% of hourly rate and other leave balances, if applicable, to reimburse medical insurance and qualified medical expenses, tax free.
RETIREMENT: City of Fresno Retirement Systems, one of the best funded public systems in the state. Reciprocity with other CA public agencies. Vested in Retirement benefits after 5 years of service. City employees do not participate in Social Security.
DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program): an optional, voluntary program that allows an employee to deposit retirement benefits in a special savings account within the Retirement System while continuing to work for the City of Fresno for up to 10 years. Participation minimum is age 50 and vested. Benefits includes ownership of accumulated funds, compound interest earnings, and alternative distribution options.

Additional information regarding the City of Fresno benefits is available at
https://www.fresno.gov/personnel/human-resources-support/#tab-1

The Requirements

Qualified candidates must possess:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in Business
Administration, Public Administration, or degree field(s) as deemed acceptable
by the Director of Personnel Services and the appointing authority.

AND

Five (5) years of management experience as deemed acceptable by the Director
of Personnel Services and the appointing authority.

Possession of a valid driver's license is required at time of appointment.

Special Note: This assignment includes daily interaction with a variety of animals. Selected individuals must be comfortable working around animals.

How To Apply

Interested and qualified applicants must submit an official City of Fresno application on-line at www.fresno.gov/jobs. Please upload to your online profile a letter of interest, resume, five references and verification of degree and/or transcript.
For information on how to complete an on-line application, please view "Instruction Guide" on the City's website, Personnel Services Career Opportunities page, or call (559) 621-6950 for assistance.
Only a limited number of candidates will be chosen to move forward to the interview stage.

Inquiries should be directed to:
Stephanie Rendon, Senior Human Resources Analyst
(559) 621-6950
Stephanie.Rendon@fresno.gov or Leshea.Tarver@fresno.gov

INSTRUCTIONS TO ATTACH DOCUMENTS- Transcripts/Degree/Cover Letters/Reference
1. Scan, save and upload your certificate to your personal drive.
2. Log back into your online profile on the City of Fresno Website at: www.fresno.gov/jobs
3. Under "Career Tools", click on Cover letters and Attachments.
4. Click on +Add attachments.
5. For "Attachment Type", choose Certificate.
6. For "Attachment Purpose", enter the name of the certificate
7. Click on Add attachment.
8. Click on Save and Return
The Selection Process
We will select a group of candidates to participate in the interview process depending on their qualifications.

The Community

The City of Fresno is the largest city in the San Joaquin Valley and the fifth largest city in California, with a population of more than 545,000 residents. Fresno is the financial core of the San Joaquin Valley, and its economy relies on its large-scale agricultural production. Revitalization of Downtown Fresno's core and the construction of High Speed Rail are two of many exciting projects that continue to successfully support Fresno's growing economy.

Located in the geographical center of California, Fresno offers many sights. From fertile agricultural fields, an abundance of lakes, and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountain range, the scenic variety in Fresno is large. Fresno also features a diverse selection of dining, shopping, farmers markets, vibrant arts and culture, wineries, as well as a variety of attractions. With 300 days of sunshine a year, the climate in Fresno is the source of its agricultural productivity, and allows year-round recreational activities including sailing, snow and water skiing, fishing, backpacking, and golfing.

Los Angeles is approximately four hours south and the San Francisco Bay Area is approximately three hours north. Fresno is located in proximity to three sites of natural beauty: Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia National Park. Residents and visitors alike enjoy these scenes and others, including the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Another advantage to living in Fresno is the exceptional housing that is available at lower price levels than California's other large metropolitan areas. The current median home price in Fresno is approximately $389,579. There are four large school districts in the Fresno area: Fresno Unified, Central Unified, Sanger Unified and Clovis Unified. Fresno is the home of California State University, Fresno, as well as a number of other colleges and universities.

The people of Fresno enjoy a wide variety of social, cultural, athletic, educational and recreational activities in an affordable and clean living environment.

City Government
Fresno is a full-service charter city operating under a strong mayor form of government. There are seven Council Members. The Council appoints the City Attorney and the City Clerk. The Mayor is elected at- large and does not serve on the Council but has veto power over certain actions taken by the City Council. The City Manager, who has been appointed by the Mayor, is responsible for appointing all other department heads in the City.

The City of Fresno offers an attractive and competitive salary and benefits package. The salary for the Assistant Director is $118,512 up to $204,648. The employee benefits package, as noted below, is subject to change and includes:

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Fresno is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information please refer to our Career Opportunities web page on the City of Fresno web site.

Closing Date/Time: 12/23/2025

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• City of Fresno

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