Job Information
City of Norfolk, Virginia Animal Behavior Manager (Kennel Supervisor) in Norfolk, Virginia
Animal Behavior Manager (Kennel Supervisor)
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Animal Behavior Manager (Kennel Supervisor)
Salary
$45,858.46 - $52,623.63 Annually
Location
VA 23502, VA
Job Type
Permanent Full-time
Job Number
14007
Department
General Services
Division
Animal Care Center
Opening Date
04/16/2026
Closing Date
4/26/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Description
Benefits
Questions
Description
The City of Norfolk’s Department of General Services is seeking a Kennel Supervisor who oversees the day-to-day activities of the animal care center with an emphasis on functions related to the behavioral health of pets in custody. This includes provision of daily enrichment, evaluation, modification, and management of problematic or unsafe behaviors, and defensive, humane handling of difficult or dangerous animals.
Supervises animal shelter operations and in the absence of the Animal Management Supervisor acts as overall manager of Norfolk Animal Care Center. Oversees the day to day activities of the Norfolk Animal Care Center, processing of incoming animals including assessment with regard to adoption and euthanasia, application of appropriate medical attention and maintenance of adequate kennel supplies and equipment. Responsible for the proper care of animals during holding periods and the maintenance of sanitary conditions in the kennel areas. Responsible for building maintenance, equipment and supplies.
Essential Functions
Manages all animal caretakers, ensuring that animal care is delivered promptly, thoroughly, and humanely
Assigns daily duties to animal caretakers
Provides feedback to caretakers including administering progressive disciplinary action when necessary and conducting performance evaluations
Ensures daily provision of enrichment to all shelter animals
Creates enrichment schedules for all species and for individual animals who require supplemental behavioral interventions
Tracks behavior monitoring of all animals in care and creates adjustments to individual animal pathways accordingly
Oversees all incoming animals and ensures accurate processing and assessment of each animal with regard to shelter placement, temperament, health status, and shelter care plan
Administers vaccines and medications as directed by the Shelter Veterinarian
Performs euthanasia as necessary
Assists customers and addresses concerns, especially those regarding pets with atypical or challenging behaviors both in shelter and in foster care • Provides the highest quality animal care through feeding, watering, socializing, and offering various forms of enrichment
Observes animals for signs of illness, monitors sick or injured animals and assists with vet-prescribed treatment
Assists the public with selecting a companion for adoption or reuniting lost pets
Requires the ability to read and understand standard operating procedures
This is an essential position; the incumbent will be required to report to work during inclement weather when the City is closed.
Education/Experience
Work requires knowledge of a specific vocational, administrative, or technical nature which may be obtained with six months/one year of advanced study or training past the high school equivalency. Junior college, vocational, business, technical or correspondence schools are likely sources. Appropriate certification may be awarded upon satisfactory completion of advanced study or training.
Required:
- 2 years in a kennel environment or an animal care field as a supervisor.
Preferred:
- An Associate’s degree in veterinary technology, veterinary science, animal care or a closely related field.
Additional Information & Requirements
Valid Driver's License required.
State of Virginia Euthanasia Competency Certification within one year of employment.
Work Schedule:
Hours are scheduled Sunday through Saturday, 40 hours per week.
Hours may require additional flexibility, nights, holidays and weekends.
Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.
Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization.
Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.
Retirement
If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.
If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.
The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant’s school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.
NOTE:
The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type.
Non-City
Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.
01
The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.
I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.
02
If you were referred for this position by a current City of Norfolk employee, please provide the employee's full name, department, and job title, and your relationship to the employee. If not, please indicate by typing "N/A."
03
Please select the highest level of education you have completed.
High School Diploma/GED
Some College (6 months or more)
Vocational/Technical Degree
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree or higher
04
Do you possess a degree in veterinary technology, veterinary science, animal care or a closely related field?
Yes
No
05
Please indicate how you work(ed) in your current and previous positions:
Interpreted the daily needs based on regular input from my supervisor.
Interpreted the daily needs based on personal assessment and input from my supervisor.
06
Please describe your experience caring for animals in a professional setting. (Select all that apply)
Municipal Animal Shelter
SPCA/Humane Society
Veterinary Clinic
Zoological Park
None of the above
07
If you have experience in a Municipal Animal Shelter or in an SPCA/Humane Society, how large was the population of animals served yearly?
08
How many years of experience do you possess in the care and handling of animals in a professional setting such as an animal rescue shelter, veterinary office, animal care center, SPCA/Adoption center, Zoological Park, or a similar environment.
Less than 2 years
2 years
3 years
4 or more years
09
Please describe your experience working with or modifying animal behavior (training, enrichment, handling, etc)?
10
Do you have experience coaching subordinates and working in a team environment?
Yes
No
11
If yes, briefly describe your experience supervising a group of subordinates in a team environment. Include in your response the number of team members under your supervision, and how long you served in that capacity.
12
How many years of experience do you possess in the area of direct customer service?
Less than 1 year of experience
1-2 years of experience
2-3 years of experience
4 or more years of experience
13
Rate your experience with Microsoft Office (applicants may be subject to a skills assessment).
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
14
Do you have a valid driver's license?
Yes
No
15
Do you have the legal right to work in the United States and, upon employment, can you provide documentation to verify this?
Yes
No
16
Please provide an explanation of any periods of unemployment that are 30 days or longer. Indicate N/A if you have not experienced any periods of unemployment.
17
Are you a current or previous City of Norfolk employee?
Yes - I am a current City of Norfolk Employee
Yes - I am a previous City of Norfolk Employee
No - I am not a previous or current City of Norfolk employee
18
Please indicate your veteran status. (A copy of your long form DD-214 may be required)
I am not a Veteran
I am a Veteran
I am a Disabled Veteran
Required Question
Employer
City of Norfolk
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