Animal Adoption Specialist Lead

Posting Date

10/29/26

Application Deadline

11/01/26

Pay Range

Anticipated Hiring Range: $21.25 - $27.88 hourly
Full Pay Range: $21.25 - $34.50 hourly

Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification. This position is eligible for overtime compensation for all hours worked over 40 in the designated workweek.

Job Type

Unclassified

Department

Animal Care and Control

About the Position

Are you a passionate animal advocate with a desire to nurture and improve the lives of homeless animals? As one of the largest animal shelters in the nation, we need your support to make a difference!

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control is seeking a motivated and diligent Senior Adoption Specialist to lead our adoption team in the animal matchmaking process. You will provide leadership and guidance to our team of Shelter Adoption Specialists while advocating for the animals in our care and promoting the health, safety, and welfare of Maricopa County's people and animals. This position requires the employee to be in the office and/or customer-facing for all hours worked.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support our shelter and your community! Apply today!

About Us

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control employees are committed to animal welfare and strengthening the human-animal bond in our community, and we are always looking to add talented individuals to our team. As one of the nation’s largest open-admission shelters, we work with our community to serve the animals and people of Maricopa County. Our adoptions, shelter, clinic, and animal services officer teams learn firsthand about the proper care of homeless and stray animals and work hard to help find them new homes.

Proud to Offer

• Work with a greater purpose
• Tuition reimbursement
• Exceptional work-life balance
• Opportunities for growth and development within Maricopa County
• Low-cost, high-value healthcare for you and your qualifying dependents
• Child care benefits, including access to the Maricopa County Kids Club , dedicated to serving Maricopa County families
• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave
• Extensive wellness program, including an incentive
• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 11.98% per paycheck contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1
• Want to learn more about the County’s Qualifying and Compensation Philosophy? Follow this link to learn more!   Work With Us | Maricopa County, AZ

We Require

• Three years of experience with domestic animals in an animal welfare organization, veterinary facility, humane society, or similar animal care facility
• One year of in-person customer service work experience
• High school diploma or GED
• A combination of post-secondary education and/or job-related experience may substitute for the minimum qualifications on a year-for-year basis

Other Requirements

• Candidates must be flexible and able to work all shifts, including starting as early as 8 am and finishing as late as 9 pm, working weekends and holidays. Staff are assigned to any shift, with any combination of days off, determined by the needs of the Department.

We Also Value

• One year of in-person customer service work experience
• Experience working in an animal shelter
• Experience acting in a lead capacity.
• Bilingual skills in English/Spanish

Job Contributions

• Provides support, guidance, and regular feedback to the Adoption Specialist in the performance of their duties and ensures daily tasks are completed efficiently and accurately. Provides feedback on staff performance to leadership.
• Leads and participates in the adoption process, including setting up and conducting meet and greets, releasing and processing all adoption-related paperwork, writing animal bios, money handling, and opening and closing duties
• Maintains and ensures the adoption team's presence on the floor and actively engages with the general public to facilitate matchmaking and a positive customer experience
• Assists with ensuring staff are onboarded and trained and follows set policies and practices
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written skills, including clear and effective communication with others (staff, public, volunteers) that is professional, respectful, and positive.
• Ensures adoption areas are clean and tidy throughout the day by mopping floors, wiping surfaces in the meet-and-greet and lobby areas, maintaining kennel signage/cards, and cleaning play yards and kennels as outlined.
• Participates in transferring animals from location to offsite through loading and unloading transports and updating animal locations and records
• Maintains detailed and accurate records, conducts audits of critical areas, and provides results to the adoption supervisor.
• Participates in drafting staff schedules and ensuring adequate and proper coverage
• Conducts additional animal handling as needed, including restraint, walking, playgroups, and other duties

Working Conditions

• Work is predominantly performed in an animal shelter with exposure to extreme and varying temperatures, excessive noise, dogs and cats with unknown temperaments or behaviors, animal waste and fluids, deceased animals, cleaning chemicals, and zoonotic diseases
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk on all types of surfaces, some of which are slippery, uneven, or rough
• May be assigned to work at other shelter locations based on operational needs
• Exerting 50-100 lbs. occasionally, 10-25 lbs. frequently, or up to 10-20 lbs. constantly

Selection Procedure

• Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit online applications

• Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile

• Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing requirements for positions designated as safety-sensitive

Maricopa County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process or to perform the essential functions of the position under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact MHRFeedback@maricopa.gov to initiate the interactive process.

Apply Now!