Maryland SPCA
Job Description
Job Title: Animal Care Technician Lead
Department: Animal Care/Kennel
Reports to: Animal Care and Length of Stay Manger
Salary: $19.00 starting
Schedule: Sunday 8am-6pm, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am-7:30pm
FLSA Status: hourly/non-exempt, full-time
Date: 7/13/2026
Position Summary: To provide support to the Animal Care and Length of Stay Manager on day-to-day operations of the kennel. Provide positive mentorship for the staff, maintain proper care of the animals and a safe environment for the staff.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Staff:
- Post tasks in TEAMS on the days you are here.
- Ensure that the Animal Care Technicians keep up with their responsibilities and stay on task to complete areas in a timely fashion.
- Ensure all tasks are completed, including checklists. Also, completing extras when there is opportunity to do so.
- Maintain Confidentiality.
- Maintain Extra Enrichment Room daily and product placement design
- Coordinate strategic movement of cats and dogs with other departments to reduce stress and behavior issues.
- Empowering staff to move animals when needed, putting up blue boards, put animals on extra enrichment, put up buckets etc...
- Bring staffing concerns and issues to the Animal Care Manager or another manager as needed.
- Assist or run kennel meetings when Animal Care Manager is off and writing Meeting notes.
Mentoring/New Hires:
- Mentor/orient current/new employees and volunteers.
- Ensure Training sheets for new staff are printed, labeled, followed through on, and given back to the Animal Care Manager when completed.
- Cultivate relationships with volunteer groups by providing mentorship and guidance.
Kennel:
- Perform and exceed all Animal Care responsibilities and uphold our core values.
- Complete early morning assignments and walk through to be sure all things are set for the day (stocking missed things if needed, making sure animals are BAR and, in their cages, fill mops, water, food etc.)
- Complete the end-of-day walk through with closing staff to be sure all is set for the next day a half hour before leaving. Stocking missed things if needed, making sure animals are BAR and, in their cages, dumping mops, water, food etc., locking doors and windows, making sure radios/fans/equipment is turned off. Report back to the Manager with concerns.
- Enact and maintain quarantine procedures when necessary.
- Address safety concerns through ticketing process and alerting MOD, as needed.
- Participate in the review process by providing feedback to supervisor.
- Address staff concerns in real time, navigate the differences between mediation, solutions based conversation, and when Human Resources or Management should be notified.
- Handle aggressive animals, work with Do Not Enter plans and report new behaviors immediately to managers on duty when needed.
- Report medical/behavior issues and assist with plans made by those departments.
- Work occasional holidays throughout the year.
- Open and close the building as needed.
- Assist Animal Care Manager with the implementation of SOPs and follow through processes.
- Perform both cat and dog BA’s.
Maintenance:
Qualifications:
- High school diploma or GED preferred
- Interest in animal welfare
- Reliable and detailed oriented
- Demonstrated initiative and good judgment
- Demonstrated animal handling experience with knowledge of canine and feline behavior
- Familiarity with animal restraint techniques and medical terminology
- Ability to handle animals of various sizes and activity levels safely, compassionately and effectively
- Excellent customer service skills, with ability to interact patiently and tactfully with a diverse customer base
- Experience in the use of positive reinforcement methods, including appropriate use of food and humane products
- Ability to accept decisions about animal placement into program or humane euthanasia
- Committed to and enthusiastic about the mission, programs and services of the Maryland SPCAPhysical Demands:
- Work is performed in a shelter setting
- Exposure to disinfecting solutions when cleaning, exposure to unpleasant odors and high noise levels when in kennel area
- Exposure to various weather conditions when working outdoors
- Potential exposure to zoonotic diseases, sharp objects, hazardous chemicals, dangerous and fractious animals
- Technician is regularly exposed to animals, animal waste, high noise and potentially hazardous conditions, including the risk of animal bites
