Animal Service Director

Overview

At the heart of our mission lies a powerful connection: when we surround our people with care, empathy, and support, we naturally empower them to extend that same extraordinary care to our animals.

The Opportunity

Multnomah County is seeking a progressive and visionary leader who brings a steady, compassionate presence and a deep passion for animal welfare and community service to serve as its next Animal Services Director. Positioned in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, this role offers an extraordinary opportunity to balance complex municipal operations with compassionate, community-centered care.

In this deeply impactful role, you will be a visible and trusted voice for our division, guiding a passionate team and shaping progressive animal welfare policies. Your ability to build authentic public trust and nurture community relationships will directly uplift both the people and animals we serve every day.

About Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS)

MCAS is an open-admission public animal care and control agency guided by a vital mission: to protect the health, safety, and welfare of animals and people throughout the county. Reporting directly to the Director of the Department of Community Services (DCS), you will lead a division backed by a  $13.8 million annual budget, 74 full-time employees, and an active, passionate network of over 100 volunteers and foster parents.

MCAS provides comprehensive regional services, including humane sheltering, emergency response, pet adoption, licensing, and reunification. As a founding member of the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP), our collaborative regional efforts allow us to regularly maintain a live release rate exceeding 90%. Looking forward, our shelter environment is evolving, presenting the incoming Director with a unique opportunity to advocate for modern shelter developments, update operating policies, and implement industry best practices.

Who you are

We are seeking an authentic, collaborative executive whose leadership shines through a seamless blend of high-level strategic acumen and deeply compassionate, people-first guidance.

Our guiding philosophy is simple: exceptional animal care begins with exceptional staff care. By investing in the well-being of our team, we empower them to bring their absolute best to the animals who need us most. Success in this role requires a visionary leader with strong management experience, preferably gained within a large, complex organization. 

Core Competencies

We're looking for a leader who embodies our core values, including:

• Leadership and Management Skills: An expert in change management, you translate high-level vision into measurable, accountable results. You bring rigorous oversight to a multi-million dollar budget, possessing the learning agility and creativity to develop modern enterprise solutions and collaborate with cross-agency community partners.

• Open and Inclusive Culture: You foster an approachable, open-door environment rooted in safety, equity, and trust. You lead with emotional empathy, empowering a diverse, passionate workforce and management team to excel. You take a trauma-informed approach to manage staff and difficult situations. 

• Community-Centered: You  understand the connection between people and their pets and honor the human-animal bond, particularly within underserved communities.. You are skilled at navigating political landscapes and building bridges with elected officials, and community leaders.

• Transparent & Decisive Communication: You build trust through collaborative communication. You possess the ability to navigate Board politics, manage public perception, translating complex strategies, and de-escalate sensitive conflicts.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills:

• A Bachelor’s degree in public health, business administration, public policy, or a related field or equivalent related experience.

AND

• Minimum of (5) years of senior-level management, preferably working in a Union (represented) environment, including fiscal management experience, developing and directing budgets, and managing capital expenditures.

• Strong preference for experience in the animal welfare industry.

• Experience communicating complex information clearly and persuasively through presentations to various partners, ranging from staff-level colleagues to external partners and the Board of Commissioners. 

• Experience coaching and mentoring management staff

• Demonstrated success in process implementation and performance measurement.

Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills: You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider some or all of the following when identifying the most qualified candidates. Please clearly explain on your application how you meet any of the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills.

• Master’s Degree 

• 5 years of Experience in Senior Level role

• Public Sector/Governmental Experience: Direct, substantial experience in a large county, state, or municipal government or other comparable complex public-sector entity.

*Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position

Screening and Evaluation

The Application Packet

Your completed application must include the following items:

1. Required completed online application.

2. Required resume covering relevant experience and education. Be sure your resume includes: name of employer, location, dates of employment, your title, a brief summary of your responsibilities, and the number of teams, managers and staff under your supervision.

3. Required cover letter that expands on your resume, addresses why you are interested in this position, and demonstrates how your experience and skill set have prepared you to succeed in this role.
   
   

Note: The application, resume and cover letter should demonstrate your work experience/skills and how it is related to those shown in the Overview and To Qualify sections of the job announcement. Please be thorough, as these materials may be scored and determine your eligibility for an interview.

Our Commitment to Safety, Trust and Belonging: Multnomah County is committed to developing, nurturing and continually improving workforce equity by identifying and addressing the structural and policy barriers to equal employment opportunity faced by our employees and communities. County employees across the organization have stepped forward to develop a strategic plan and help create a workplace where everyone can reach their full potential. Learn more by reading our Workforce Equity Strategic Plan and exploring our Core Competencies for all County employees.

Additional Information

The Selection Process: For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows:

• Initial review of minimum qualifications: We may do an additional preferred review and/or send out additional supplemental questions to identify those highest qualified.

• Consideration of top candidates: We will consider qualified candidates in order of rank and score from the list of eligible candidates. This may include but is not limited to panel interview(s), a hiring interview, meet and greet, and/or additional testing to determine the best candidates for a position.

• Background check and reference checks: All finalists must pass a thorough background and reference check. Finalists will also be required to fill out the County’s Code of Ethics Disclosure Form that lists any ongoing outside employment or other income producing activities and potential or actual conflicts of interest. 

Additional Information:

This recruitment may be used to fill full-time, part-time, temporary, limited duration and on-call positions.

Type of Position: This is an Unclassified Executive position that is at-will, salaried, FLSA Exempt, and not eligible for overtime pay.

Multnomah County offers an exceptional benefits package, including employer-funded retirement savings; health and dental insurance at very low cost to full-time employees and their dependents; paid parental leave; wellness programs; a focus on work-life balance; and much more. Find more details on our benefits website.

Equal Pay Law:  Please be advised that the pay range listed for this position is intended to provide general guidance on the earning potential for the role. However, actual compensation will be determined in accordance with the Oregon Equal Pay Law and will take into account factors such as the candidate's relevant experience, education, seniority, training, and/or tenure. Candidates should expect that initial offers will be made within the listed pay range and may not be at or near the top of the range.

Work Location: This position works onsite at Portland, OR 9720. All employees must reside in Oregon or Washington; the county cannot support ongoing telework from other locations.

Serving the Public During Disasters: All County employees have a role in serving the public during inclement weather, natural disaster, or other types of community emergency response. During these emergency responses, county employees may ultimately be reassigned from their current position to a role in the emergency response to support the critical needs presented by our communities.