Date Opened: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 12:00 AM
Close Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 12:00 AM
Department: General Services Department
Salary: $126,009.00 - $181,137.64 Commensurate with Experience
Welcome to the City of Charlotte
Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.
Our guiding principles include:
Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce
Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development
Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services
Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems
Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions
SUMMARY
The Animal Care & Control Director provides executive level leadership and strategic direction for all programs and operations within Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control. Under administrative direction, this role ensures the welfare and humane treatment of animals in the City’s care while advancing public health and safety in alignment with the City’s mission, vision, and values.
The Director oversees a comprehensive portfolio of services, including animal control enforcement, shelter operations, veterinary clinical services, community outreach, and public education. This position collaborates with internal departments and external agencies and leads a diverse team of professionals including managers, veterinary staff, animal control officers, and administrative personnel to deliver high quality, compassionate animal care and effective public health and safety services.
General direction is provided by the General Services Director, and Deputy Director. The role exercises a high level of independent judgment in overseeing operations and achieving program goals, and requires frequent and meaningful engagement with the public and community stakeholders. Performance is evaluated based on results and periodic reporting.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
Provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for all functions of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control, ensuring efficient daily y operations and compliance with federal, state, and local laws as well as city policies and standards.
Develops and implements departmental strategies and programs to promote responsible pet ownership, control stray animal populations, and increase live-release rate through adoptions, rescues, and reclaims.
Develops, manages, and recommends the division budget, ensures systems are in place to identify problem areas, develops action plans to manage over/under expenditures and revenue shortfalls, and allocates/reallocates available funds to highest areas of priority. Authorizes expenditures in accordance with budget and purchasing policies. Approves budget and expenses of direct reports.
Serves as Administrative Hearing Officer responsible for conducting all hearings and issuing decisions for all appeals regarding dangerous dog declarations, nuisance declarations, written enforcement orders, and civil citations.
Serves as the Mecklenburg County Dog Warden in cooperation with the Mecklenburg County Health Department.
Plans, directs, and evaluates work procedures for enforcement of state and local laws in the County of Mecklenburg and the City of Charlotte; plans and directs work procedures for the enforcement of special laws through contractual agreements in other towns within Mecklenburg County.
Oversee humane shelter operations and animal care practices. Ensure proper protocols are followed for animal handling, housing, and euthanasia in accordance with legal requirements and industry best practices for animal welfare.
Directs and maintains all necessary licenses for the operation of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Services Clinic.
Maintains professional affiliations in national, state, and local associations and enhances professional growth and development by keeping current in the latest trends in the animal service field.
Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with city executives, City Council, client departments, business and community leaders and the general public.
Proactively communicates critical issues, key decisions, and project updates to departmental leadership. Identifies and presents potential solutions to operational and policy challenges within animal care and control, outlining associated risks and opportunities. Collaborates with leadership to review and evaluate proposed actions to ensure informed, effective, and compliant implementation.
Provides leadership and mentorship to subordinate managers and staff, encouraging professional development and a high-performance culture. Ensure that all staff adhere to ethical practices and legal requirements in carrying out their duties.
Identifies and responds to community concerns and needs. Monitors and evaluates the adequacy of the Department’s existing services and ensures the development of programs and services, maintains an in-depth knowledge of the changing public and environmental health environment and assesses community needs for quality animal services.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of veterinary medicine, animal welfare, and public health.
Considerable knowledge of the pertinent laws, regulations and ordinances; considerable knowledge of legal search and seizure procedures, and legal procedures for screening criminal summons and for search and seizure of animals in violation of ordinance.
Ability to plan and supervise the work of subordinate personnel engaged in animal control work and to operate the animal control function.
Ability to maintain an effective animal control public information program and to instruct subordinates on proper public contact procedures.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and writing.
Necessary special requirements: certification requirements for chemical Immobilization, completion of course requirements as required by the State for Cruelty Investigators.
Thorough knowledge of safe handling, general welfare and care of small and large, wild and domestic animals.
Thorough knowledge in animal control work including considerable supervisory experience.
Ability to lead and motivate employees, work independently, and as part of a team of supervisors/managers.
Demonstrate an exceptional work ethic.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City executives, City Council and other public officials, business and community leaders and the general public.
Progressive leadership experience in strategic planning, policy and procedure development, team management, conflict management and corporate social responsibility.
Ability to analyze complex administrative, operational and policy issues and make sound recommendations for resolution and effective implementation.
Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced/high-pressure environment.
Excellent interpersonal, public relations and communication skills.
Ability to build strong business relationships.
Outstanding multi-tasking and problem-solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s Degree with major course work in zoology, animal husbandry, veterinary science or related field
Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA)
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree with major course work in zoology, animal husbandry, veterinary science or related field preferred
A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in a municipal, public sector, or nonprofit animal welfare environment
A minimum of five (5) years of experience in a supervisory or management capacity
Valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver’s License
Working Conditions:
Disagreeable working conditions. Continuously exposed to several elements such as noise, intermittent standing, walking, and occasional pushing, carrying, or lifting.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.
Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.
Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.
The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.
Our culture is to serve the community honorably.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online.
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.
You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.
For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected].
The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.
BENEFITS
The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.
The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.
