Program Manager (Animal Care Services) - Public Works

Job Description:

Program Manager (Animal Care Services) - Public Works

Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at [email protected] .

About the Department

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration. The City's Department of Public Works (DPW) is seeking an individual whose values align with the values of the City's employees.

The Department of Public Works is responsible for delivering capital improvement projects for a wide variety of City facilities and infrastructure, maintaining City facilities and fleet assets, facilitating and regulating development activities, and providing animal care and services.

Position Duties

San Jose Animal Care Services, a division in the Public Works Department, is currently seeking to fill a Program Manager position who will serve as a key member of shelter leadership, responsible for overseeing the shelter’s administrative operations, human resources functions, budget oversight and select external-facing programs. This position directly reports to the shelter’s Deputy Director and works closely with shelter management to ensure effective shelter operations.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Supervising the administrative team, including Senior Office Specialists, in the day-to-day functions of animal licensing, fee collection, rabies vaccination renewals, front desk operations and related regulatory compliance activities.
• Coordinating shelter HR functions and performance management; serving as a point of escalation for personnel issues.

• Providing oversight of the shelter’s budget; monitoring expenditures, reviewing budget reports, and ensuring fiscal accountability across shelter programs and operations.
• Create budget reports and present budget-related items as warranted.
• Preparing and overseeing contracts, including sheltering contracts.
• Coordinating external facing shelter programs such as spay and neuter clinic, trap-neuter-return (TNR) program, and other community-based initiatives
• Engage with external stakeholders, as appropriate, to communicate shelter needs, describe services, and align interests. Assist in the development, implementation, and review of shelter related policies and procedures.
• Preparing and presenting reports and analyses of shelter operations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Utilizing Chameleon or similar shelter enterprise software systems.
• Working closely with shelter operations, medical, and field teams on shelter-wide matters and cross-functional initiatives.

The ideal candidate will possess a high level of professionalism, excellent customer service skills, and a supreme work ethic. This position requires excellent judgement, initiative, perseverance, integrity, organizational skills, flexibility, and written and verbal communication skills.

The salary range for this classification is $134,490.72 - $174,851.04 annually. This includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in a closely related field.

Experience: Five (5) years of directly related experience, including two (2) years of supervisory experience.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

• Knowledge of legal liability and responsibilities related to operations of a municipal animal shelter. Familiarity with animal licensing requirements, rabies vaccination regulations, and related compliance functions is desirable.
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, HR processes applicable to a municipal shelter environment.
• Ability to prepare and maintain accurate administrative records and statistical reports.
• Working knowledge of budget oversight practices, including the ability to monitor expenditures and interpret budget reports.
• Familiarity with community-based animal services programs such as spay/neuter clinics, trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, and/or similar external facing programs.
• Experience fostering partnerships and maintaining working relationships with external organizations, including animal rescue groups and other animal control agencies.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel.

• Experience in using Chameleon or similar animal shelter enterprise software is desirable.

Customer Service - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

• Ability to handle sensitive or emotional charged interactions with member of the public with composure, empathy and professionalism.
• Experience overseeing front-facing staff and ensuring consistent delivery of quality customer services is desirable.

Conflict Management - Uses appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people, by presenting the facts, analysis, and conclusions or solutions that show command of content and perspectives and interests of the audience.

• Ability to serve as a point of escalation for personnel issues and work collaboratively with departmental HR staff to assess and resolve personnel conflicts or disciplinary matters.

Supervision - Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

• Experience supervising administrative or operations staff in a municipal animal shelter or similarly structured environment.

Reliability - Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Leadership - Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational support and direction.

• Ability to effectively oversee staff with specialized technical expertise by providing direction and accountability.
• Ability to build and sustain a positive, cohesive team environment within a high-volume municipal shelter setting.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

In addition to the online application, please upload a resume and cover letter. The cover letter should describe how your education and experience makes you the best candidate for this position. Please be sure to include your experience in the following areas:

• Managing and directing an Animal Shelter operation program; and,
• Leading a work unit to achieve a common goal.

Your cover letter should be no more than two pages in length, single spaced and in at least 10-point font.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions or the selection and hiring process, please contact Britney Mesa at [email protected].

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email [email protected] and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 5/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$134,490.72 - $174,851.04 Annually