Pet Resource Counselor (Customer Service Representative)

Pet Resource Counselor (Customer Service Representative)

Salary

$19.56 - $22.50 Hourly

Location

City of Norfolk, Norfolk, VA

Job Type

Permanent Part-time

Job Number

13812

Department

General Services

Division

Animal Care Center

Opening Date

06/03/2026

Closing Date

6/14/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The City of Norfolk's Department of General Services, Animal Care & Adoption Center is seeking a part-time Customer Service Representative to serve as a primary point of contact for visitors of the shelter. The ideal candidate for the position will exhibit high levels of customer service and clerical skills.

This position involves answering and processing all animal related questions via a multi-line phone and general email inquiries, billing and collection duties, reconciliation of accounts, and maintaining account receivables. The Customer Service Representative processes all animal intakes and adoptions at the shelter as well as scheduling medical procedures. Performs general clerical duties and assists other staff members as needed.

Essential Functions

Responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to:

• Serves as the first and last point of contact for the shelter creating an inviting and educational environment for the public.
• Answers inquiries via phone and email regarding shelter services, hours of operation, donations, trap rentals, city animal licensing, and local low cost Spay/Neuter and veterinary services.
• Requires the ability to handle incoming animals humanely while accurately determining the animal's breed, sex, and approximate age and weight.
• Ability to learn and utilize shelter management software systems to process stray and surrendered animals from the public and animal control as well as process adoptions, donations, basic accounting and sheltering reports.
• Receives and collects both cash and credit payments for services provided at the shelter. Ability to process the proper change with cash transactions.
• Ability to perform daily fund reconciliation and accounting reports.
• Requires the ability to operate general office equipment.
• Requires the ability to read and understand standard operating procedures, adoption contracts, registration cards, cage or kennel cards, and medical sheets or prescription dosage on medications for the animals.
• Requires the ability to write adoption contracts, quarantine paperwork, complete registration cards and time slips.
• Requires the ability to stand or sit for long periods; to bend, crouch, and/or kneel repeatedly; to lift and carry a minimum of 50 pounds.

This is an Essential position; incumbent will be required to report to work during inclement weather when the City is closed.

Education/Experience

Work requires knowledge necessary to understand basic operational, technical, or office processes. Level of knowledge equivalent to four years of high school or equivalency.

Required:

• Six months experience.

Preferred:

• Education or experience in Veterinary Technology, Veterinary Science, Animal Care or a closely related field

Additional Information & Requirements

Work Schedule:

• Hours are scheduled Saturday through Friday, 24 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

What is your highest level of education?

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Some College
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's Degree or higher

03

Please indicate how you worked 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

04

Please indicate your experience working in any of the following professional settings.

• Animal Shelter/Pound
• SPCA/Humane Society
• Veterinary Clinic
• Zoological Park
• None of the above

05

How many years of customer service experience do you possess?

• I do not have any experience
• Less than 6 months
• 6 months - 1 year
• 1 year or more

06

Do you have a minimum of one year of cash handling experience?

• Yes
• No

07

Are you a volunteer or have you previously been a volunteer of the Norfolk Animal Care Center?

• Yes
• No

08

Please select the programs with which you have experience.

• Animal shelter management software (Chameleon, PetPoint, Shelter Buddy etc.)
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Excel
• I do not have experience with any of these programs

09

Rate your experience with Microsoft Office.

• No experience
• Novice
• Intermediate
• Advanced

10

Do you have the legal right to work in the United States and, upon employment, can you provide documentation to verify this?

• Yes
• No

11

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.

12

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

13

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