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Title: Animal Service Deputy Director

Organization: Health: Animal Control

Department: Animal Control

Location:

Rate of Pay: $75,197.73 - $112,282.92 - DOQ

Job Summary

The Animal Services Deputy Director serves as a senior leader within the Department of Health, Wellness & Animal Services and plays a critical role in advancing humane, ethical, and effective animal services for the City of Brownsville. This position provides strategic, operational, and compassionate leadership across all animal services functions, ensuring high standards of animal welfare, staff development, and community trust. The Deputy Director directly supports the Director of Health, Wellness & Animal Services and serves as a participatory, values-driven leader who balances accountability with empathy while fostering a culture of professionalism, resilience, and service. The Animal Services Deputy Director is responsible for the planning, directing, coordinating, and monitoring of all public health and related projects. This position is responsible for assisting the director in developing goals, preparing reports, providing related recommendations, coordinating with officials, and ensuring compliance with health regulations.

Competencies

• Competence & Compassion
o Caring, compassionate, empathetic, and understanding toward staff, animals, and citizens.
o Demonstrates perseverance in challenging operational, emotional, and high-stress environment.
o Leads with integrity, patience, and professionalism.
• People-Centered Leadership
o Actively advocates for staff needs while maintaining accountability and performance standards.
o Is firm and decisive when necessary, with staff and citizens, while remaining respectful and fair.
o Practices kindness without personal bias and treats all individuals with dignity and equity.
o Builds trust through transparent communication and consistent decision-making.
• Organizational Leadership
o Strong communicator skilled in building coalitions and cross-functional collaboration.
o Demonstrates ethical judgment, problem-solving, and systems-thinking abilities.
o Understands and applies change management principles to guide teams through organizational growth and modernization.

Key Functions/Knowledge/Skills

• Assists the Director of Health, Wellness & Animal Services in the development, administration, and implementation of departmental goals, objectives, policies, and long-range operational strategies.
• Develops and manages grants and long-range funding strategies by identifying and securing funding sources; overseeing grant compliance and allocation; and supporting capital improvements, major equipment acquisitions, and implementation of new technology systems that advance departmental and City objectives.
• Develops and implements the Shelter Operations Business Plan and Annual Budget, as approved by the City Commission, and assists in the preparation, monitoring, and submission of related reports.
• Provides management and operational oversight of municipal animal control services and the City-operated pet clinic, including supervision and coordination of Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians; ensuring spay and neuter services support shelter population management; and maintaining compliance with applicable laws, professional standards, and City policies.
• Evaluates shelter operations, animal control services, and related programs, recommending revisions through the Director of Health, Wellness & Animal Services and implementing approved changes to improve efficiency, compliance, and outcomes.
• Manages and oversees overall animal inventory and population flow, ensuring the shortest reasonable length of stay for animals housed at BARCC Shelter.
• Works with staff to develop, implement, and enforce operational protocols and procedures, including but not limited to euthanasia, adoptions, animal behavior evaluations, animal health, and humane care standards.
• Evaluates, supervises, and directs staff, fostering professional growth, accountability, and operational effectiveness while maximizing employee potential and supporting day-to-day operations.
• Assists the Director of Health, Wellness & Animal Services with the selection, development, and retention of qualified shelter operations staff, modeling effective leadership behaviors and promoting positive morale and teamwork.
• Ensures appropriate supplies, equipment, and resources are available to support effective shelter, animal control, and clinic operations.
• Ensures all activities within facilities and field operations are conducted safely, promoting the health and well-being of employees, volunteers, visitors, customers, and animals.
• Remains current on best practices in shelter operations, animal welfare, behavior, public education, and municipal animal services, incorporating applicable improvements into operations.
• Provides on-call leadership support to respond to shelter and animal services emergencies on an as-needed basis.
• Conducts required advisory board meetings in accordance with City ordinances, regulations, and applicable laws.
• Assists with the development and refinement of departmental administrative procedures to ensure operational consistency and compliance.
• Supports public-facing initiatives, including shelter tours, lectures, public education programs, special events, and fundraising activities, as needed.
• Assists staff with job-related tasks when operationally necessary to ensure continuity of services.
• Ensures all required operational and performance reports are submitted to the Director of Health, Wellness & Animal Services in a timely and accurate manner.
• Performs other reasonably related business duties as assigned by the Director of Health, Wellness & Animal Services.

Minimum Education & Experience

The minimum educational requirement for this position is a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from an accredited college or university. At least five years of supervisory or management experience in an animal care facility is required (i.e., a governmental agency, community group, or animal welfare organization). A combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge and skills will be considered.

Special Certifications & Licenses

Valid Texas Driver’s License.

Independence & Judgement

Receives instructions as to work results to be attained; responsible for recognizing moderately complex problems and taking responsibility for resolving them; refers very complex problems to supervisor; otherwise just reports on problem and solution after the fact; results monitored for soundness and judgment.

Initiative & Ingenuity

Progressive level of specialization requiring a large amount of interpretation and non-standard responses to varied situations; must know where to go for answers (not all sitting there in procedures manual); must take multiple factors into account; control over priorities.

Supervisory & Responsibility

Organizes, plans, and controls the work of assigned employees; coaches and advises subordinates on job performance; responsible for disciplinary actions; participates in hiring and discharge interviews and/or recommendations on hiring and discharge are given substantial weight. Supervises and directs a group of sufficient size or complexity to require the use of supervisory subordinates.

Financial Responsibility

Invests and manages large amounts of money according to specific instructions or guidelines; approves expenditures or disbursements within general guidelines; has substantive input into budget.

Level & Frequency of Outside Contact

Lots of contact with highly varied groups involving sensitive or difficult interactions that require persuasion and negotiations.

Physical Demands

Office job with little or occasional light physical effort.

Responsibility for Equipment & Property

Responsible for assigned equipment/property used outside of office; responsible for handing out to and retrieving property/equipment from employees and keeping inventory; use of agency vehicle.

Working Conditions

Office job, no adverse conditions.

Other Requirements

The City of Brownsville requires all employees to successfully pass a Drug & Alcohol and a physical examination and a Background Check.

ADA Requirements

The City of Brownsville is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

Benefits

The City of Brownsville offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support its employees' well-being and future. Employees participate in a robust retirement plan through the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) City to Employee Matching Ratio 2:1, with eligibility for retirement after 5 years of service at age 60 or 20 years of service at any age.

The City provides exceptional health benefits, including medical, dental, and life insurance plans for employees and their families, along with vision coverage for employees enrolled in health insurance through MetLife. Employees and their dependents can also access care at Frontier Clinic at no cost when covered by the City's health plan. Additionally, pet insurance is available as a voluntary benefit.

Employees have access to deferred compensation plans through Equitable and supplemental insurance options from AFLAC and Colonial Life. Full-time employees accrue 10 sick days and 15 vacation days annually.
The City offers parental leave concurrent with FMLA for eligible employees, longevity pay, and 100% tuition assistance up to $5,000 annually. Furthermore, Brownsville observes 14 holidays per year, plus two floating holidays, giving employees a balanced and rewarding work-life experience.

Starting in fiscal year 2025, employees will have access to flexible scheduling options as part of our commitment to work-life balance.

EEOC Statements

The City of Brownsville does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.