Animal Services Officer

Summary

Performs entry-level work. Work involves protecting residents from and educating the community about stray or vicious animals and related diseases, capturing, impounding, relocating, and when necessary, disposing of animals; and maintaining records. Works under moderate supervision with expectation to ask questions and to work toward more independent use of initiative and independent judgment.

Required Additional Documents

Applicants will need to download the below required documents (Hiring Process Letter, Background Waiver and Physical Ability Waiver) to be submitted with the online application: Applications without these documents will be considered incomplete and may result in disqualification.

• Hiring Process Letter

• Background Waiver

• Physical Ability Waiver

Those forms will need to be completed, signed and notarized (where applicable), and then uploaded/attached with the application. Please do not submit other documents (including resumes, cover letters, transcripts, DD214s, etc). To submit the forms after your application has been submitted, send to this email lpdrecruiter@leandertx.gov . All forms need to be completed and submitted prior to the closing date.

Once you have submitted all required forms, you will be sent an invitation link to create an account with Guardian Alliance; Complete the online personal history statement via the Guardian Alliance platform. You cannot proceed in the process without completing and submitting your personal history statement. A preliminary basic background check will be conducted and you will be notified if selected to continue to the written/physical test.

Essential Duties & Required Qualifications

• Patrol an assigned area for stray, vicious or injured animals and respond to citizen complaints regarding same.

• Enforce laws and ordinances and protect citizens and property.

• Share information and work with other law enforcement agencies as directed and appropriate.

• Maintain current knowledge of applicable laws and statutes, pending legislation, and conduct research to address new issues and their impact.

• Work shift as assigned.

• Maintain 24 hour on-call status as assigned.

• Maintain vehicle and equipment in accordance with state regulations.

• Assist with maintaining up to date registration of animals.

• Issue warnings and citations.

• Conduct animal bite investigations and place animal into quarantine.

• Pick up live and dead animals to keep the city free of road obstructions, health hazards, and stray animals.

• Process and submit animals for rabies testing, including the decapitation of animals as necessary.

• Proceeds with legal action against violators and testify in court in animal related cases.

• Employees are required to work on call and overtime as the need arises, may have to answer subpoenaed appearances in court on employee's day off or before and/or after a regularly scheduled work shift.

• May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

• High school degree or its equivalent.

Required Certificates and Licenses:

• Valid driver's license from any state. Must be able to obtain a Texas driver's license within 90 days of hire. Approximately 60% driving time in city vehicle.

• Complete basic animal control course within 12 months of employment.

• Maintain required continuing education hours required the Texas Department of State Health Services.

• Maintain rabies vaccination or current "titer."

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Six months to twelve months related experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of city departmental policies and procedures.

• All appropriate applicable state; and local laws; city ordinances

• Use and care of vehicles, and specialized facilities and equipment.

• Skill and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other law enforcement agencies, judicial officials, and the public.

• Analyze situations and adopt a quick, effective, and reasonable course of action.

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Perform computer tasks effectively and maintain acceptable operational knowledge of standard software programs utilized by the department to prepare required reports.

• Maintain appropriate necessary certifications.

• Ability to operate animal services vehicles, police radio, first aid equipment, animal services tools and equipment, and other equipment as required.

• Limited agility exam, normal speech, normal or corrected vision, and normal or corrected hearing.

Physical Demands & Additional Information

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Working Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold; extreme heat; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud (moderate, loud, very loud).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position.

Job offer and continuation of employment with the City of Leander is contingent upon:

• Proof of education, certification(s) and experience as listed on the employment application based on the job posting requirements.

• Satisfactory results from a pre-employment criminal history background and driving record check.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship. *

• Compliance with the Selective Service Registration for male US citizens and immigrants, who are ages 18-25.

• The City of Leander participates in E-Verify! Information from each new employee's Form I-9 will be provided to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to confirm work authorization.

The City of Leander is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information in employment.

Applicants should communicate requests for disability-related accommodations during the application process to our Human Resources Department at hr@leandertx.gov or 512-528-2708. Deaf and hard of hearing applicants may contact our office via Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or 1-800-735- 2989 (TTY/TDD).

Your well-being and that of your family matters to you, and so it's important to us too. To support you and your loved ones through life's many challenges, we offer our full time employees access to a wide array of benefits including health, dental, vision, life, disability, accident, cancer, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, employee assistance, paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid emergency leave, longevity pay, golf course discounts as well as generous retirement and deferred compensation programs and social security participation.

Medical

We offer two types of medical plans (a traditional PPO plan and a high deductible health plan) so that you can choose the one that best fits your needs. The premium you pay is based on which plan you select and who you cover. Covering just yourself? The City currently pays the entire employee-only premium for either plan. Covering qualified dependents in your family? Currently, we'll pay your employee premium and split the remainder of the spouse/child/family premium with you - we pay 60%; you pay 40%. That generous cost share reflects our philosophy that our employees and their families should have the best health care we can afford to provide.

Dental

Dental plans include a DMO option (no cost for employee-only coverage) and two more traditional plans whose premiums are also affordable. You can choose to cover yourself or any qualified dependents and choose which plan best suits your dental needs. Currently, for the DHMO option, we pay the employee premium and split the remainder of the spouse/child/family premiums with you - we pay 50%; you pay 50%. Under the more traditional plans, although we don't pay the entire employee-only premium, we still split the incremental dependent premiums with you 50/50.

Vision

Access to $10 eye exam co-pays and up to $150 frame and contact lens allowances make vision insurance a popular benefit among employees. Cover yourself for just a few bucks a pay period or all of your qualified dependents for not much more.

Life/AD&D

Your basic employee $15,000 term life insurance policy is paid for by the city. Accidental Death & Dismemberment under the plan would pay an additional $15,000 to your beneficiary if you die in an accident. More life insurance coverage is paid for by the City and provided through our Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) program. If that's still not enough coverage, you can purchase more life/AD&D coverage for yourself and your qualified dependents. Over the age of 65? These coverages are subject to an age reduction schedule.

Disability

Both short and long term disability plans which provide up to 60% income replacement are available to purchase at competitive rates.

Accident & Cancer

Need extra coverage for off-the-job medical injuries or a cancer diagnosis? Supplemental plans that pay cash for some of life's most unexpected events are available for purchase.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Want to set aside some pre-tax dollars for health care expenses or dependent care expenses? If you select the traditional EPO medical coverage, you can set aside pre-tax money for medical expenses through the City's Section 125 medical FSA plan, which is managed by an outside carrier. You can do the same for dependent day care expenses, regardless of which medical plan you select.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

The high deductible health care plan has its own provisions for pre-tax health savings (HSA) so you can set aside money for your qualified health care expenses. The City will add $1000 to your health savings account to get you started each plan year.

Employee Assistance Program

We know that sometimes your needs are much different than a doctor visit or a prescription, so the City pays for a generous employee assistance program through Alliance to help you or any household member with counseling, legal referrals or simply a safe ride home.

Holidays

The City has thirteen designated holidays each year.

Vacation Leave

Most full time, regular employees (excluding firefighters on a 24 hour shift schedule and department heads) accrue 3.69 hours of vacation time each pay period and are eligible to use that time after just six months of employment. The longer you work for the city, the more vacation time you receive, with those accrual rates going up at 4, 9 and 14+ years of service. Never use your vacation time? Don't worry; you can bank up to two times your annual accrued hours before you stop accruing.

Sick Leave

As a full time regular employee (excluding firefighters on a 24 hour shift), you accrue 3.69 hours of sick leave each pay period, which you are eligible to use after your first pay period with the city. You can also continue to build your sick leave balance up to 480 hours for those unexpected emergencies.

Emergency Leave

The City allows up to five days of paid leave (or two 24 hour shifts for 24/48 hour fire department) for regular employees in the event of the death of an immediate family member (as defined in city personnel policy).

Longevity Pay

Regular full-time employees after they've been employed for one year or more are eligible for an annual payout of $5 for every month of City service. So, while that first year $60 check might not seem like a ton of money, that $1500 check (minus taxes of course) for your 25 years of service which is paid around Thanksgiving will likely help you feel very thankful for a little extra cash for Christmas shopping.

Retirement

All regular full-time employees participate in our Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). Your 7% investment each payroll period is matched 2 to 1 by the City and is vested at 5 years. You can retire at age 60 with 5 or more years of service or younger if you have at least 20 years of service. You can also receive service credit for certain types of military service. The City's TMRS plan is one of the most generous retirement plans around.

Deferred Compensation

If saving 7% with a 2 to 1 match through TMRS isn't enough to meet your financial goals, you can stash even more on a pre-tax basis through the City's 457 plan. Start or stop saving at any time - up to $18,000 annually if you're under 50, and up to $24,000 if you're older.

Social Security

City of Leander employees also participate in the social security system under FICA regulations.

Golf Course

We have a gorgeous golf course. Want to learn how to play? As a City employee you can play for 50% off. Check it out!

01

Are you at least 18 year of age or older?

• Yes

• No

02

Are you authorized to work in the United States?

• Yes

• No

03

Have you graduated high school or the equivalent?

• Yes

• No

04

Do you have a valid, current, Driver's License?

• Yes

• No

05

In the past 3 years has your driver's license been suspended?

• No

• Yes

06

In the last 3 years have you had more than 5 moving violations, preventable collisions, or a combination of each?

• No

• Yes

07

In the last 5 years have you been convicted of reckless driving?

• No

• Yes

08

Do you currently have any outstanding warrants?

• No

• Yes

09

Have you ever been convicted, plead guilty (nolo contendere), or received court-ordered community service/probation or deferred adjudication for a Class A misdemeanor or a felony?

• No

• Yes

10

Have you during the last ten (10) years, been convicted, plead guilty (nolo contendere), been on community service/probation or deferred adjudication for a Class B misdemeanor in this state, other state, or while serving in the military.

• No

• Yes

11

Have you ever been convicted, plead guilty (nolo contendere), been on community service/probation or deferred adjudication for in any court for an offense involving family violence?

• No

• Yes

12

Have you engaged in the use of marijuana, within the three years preceding the application submittal, except under the care of a physician?

• No

• Yes

13

Have you ever had Involvement in the illegal delivery or furnishing of any controlled substance or drug to another and received payment?

• No

• Yes

14

Have you engaged in the use of any drug, narcotic, or controlled substance, not including marijuana, within the past 5 years, except under the care of a physician?

• No

• Yes

15

Do you have any tattoos, body art, or branding that display offensive designs or wording, or are located on your face, neck, head or hands?

• Yes

• No

16

Do you acknowledge understanding that additional documents (referenced in the job posting) need to be submitted with the application?

• Yes

• No

17

Have you read the entire job description?

• Yes

• No

Required Question

Agency City of Leander

Department Police Department Address 705 Leander Dr

Leander, Texas, 78641

Phone (512) 528-2800

Website https://www.leandertx.gov/police/page/recruiting-employment