| Location | Derwood, MD |
| Salary | $53,177–$58,791 Per Year |
Animal Services Dispatcher (Customer Service Representative, I/II), Grade 13/16
Salary
$59,237.00 - $92,718.00 Annually
Location
7315 Muncaster Mill Rd Derwood MD 20855 USA
Job Type
Permanent
Job Number
2026-00437
Department
Office of Animal Services
Division
OAS 38 Animal Services Division
Opening Date
08/14/2026
Closing Date
8/21/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
FLSA
Non-Exempt
About the Position
Please note: The salary range above represents this position's earning potential. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $53,177 to $58,791 if filled at the Customer Service Representative I level. Or $59,237 to $84,739 if filled at the Customer Service Representative II level. The anticipated hiring range for both levels is based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.
Animal Services Dispatcher
(Customer Service Representative I/II)
WHO WE ARE
The Office of Animal Services (OAS) operates the Montgomery County Animal Services & Adoption Center (MCASAC) which provides high-quality sheltering and care to the homeless, abused, and neglected animals in our community and ensures the safety and welfare of the County's residents. It's the County's only open-admissions, municipal shelter.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Office of Animal Services (OAS) is currently recruiting for a full-time Animal Services Dispatcherwho will deliver quality communication to the public, as well as provide accurate and timely support to Animal Services Officers. A dispatcher performs work in a law enforcement setting; therefore, will be required to pass a Police background investigation for employment. A dispatcher has the unique responsibility of working in a fast-paced environment that requires careful attention to detail, multi-tasking, and good communication skills. A dispatcher must be able to work under pressure and as part of a team, collect and organize information, and demonstrate strong reading and writing comprehension and abilities. Knowledge of basic operations of a multi-button telephone, personal computer, photocopier, TTY machine, and other office automation equipment is needed. A dispatcher works holidays, weekends, and shifts during days and evenings and will be expected to accept last-minute changes in their schedule and work overtime as required. The individual selected for this position will be considered an "essential employee" who must report to work during periods of general emergency or liberal leave. Multilingual candidates are strongly desired. A candidate must complete a detailed background check following an accepted conditional offer. Processing time is approximately 4-6 weeks
What Youll Be Doing
An Animal Services Dispatcher answers calls from citizens, dispatches Animal Services Officers to calls, and uses computer systems known as Chameleon and (CAD) Computer Aided Dispatch. A dispatcher works closely with Animal Services Officers and Cruelty Investigators regarding animal-related concerns and enforcement of animal laws. A dispatcher also works with shelter staff and assists with matters involving animals in our care. More importantly, an Animal Services Dispatcher interacts with members of the public to assist, educate, and help resolve their animal-related concerns, both domestic and wild. A dispatcher must possess good customer service skills, including dealing calmly and respectfully with irate and angry members of the public over the phone. A dispatcher is the subject matter expert when receiving calls from the public. A dispatcher works under close supervision and daily evaluation of performance during training.
Additional Information
Medical & Background: The selected candidate will be required to successfully complete a medical clearance and the rabies vaccine series prior to appointment. An extensive background check will be conducted on the selected candidate prior to appointment and will be a significant factor in the hiring decision.
The individual selected for this position will be considered an "Essential Employee." Essential employees must report to work during a period of general emergency or liberal leave.
Evening and Weekend Hours: This position requires the ability to work evening and weekend hours.
Minimum Qualifications
Experience: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience performing a wide variety of general clerical, reception, public contact, and public service work, providing information and/or directing requests over the telephone and at a public counter, including at least one (1) year working in an animal care environment.
If Under-filled as a Customer Service Representative, I Grade 13:
Experience: Two (2) years of office support experience dealing with administrative matters, customer accounts, and experience in the use of computers and general office equipment.
For All Levels:
Education: Completion of high school or high school certificate of completion recognized in the State of Maryland.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
License: Requirement: None
Medical & Background: The selected candidate will be required to successfully complete a medical clearance and the rabies vaccine series prior to appointment. An extensive background check will be conducted on the selected candidate prior to appointment and will be a significant factor in the hiring decision.
The individual selected for this position will be considered an "Essential Employee." Essential employees must report to work during a period of general emergency or liberal leave.
Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences
Preferred Criteria:
The applications of those individuals meeting the minimum qualifications will be reviewed to determine the extent, relevance of training, and experience in the following areas:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.
Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.
MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.
All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicants responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.
This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.
If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.
Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the Countys "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriffs office) are subject to the Countys ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.
Leave Benefits
Our generous leave package starts with non-MLS permanent and term employees earning 15 days of sick leave and 15 days of annual leave in their first year, as well as up to three additional personal days each calendar year. Positions in MLS earn 35 days of paid time off each year. In addition, we offer all employees 10 paid holidays. Our leave policies adhere to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, and we provide six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.
Retirement Benefits
All permanent and term positions are eligible for robust retirement plans. Public safety positions are eligible for a defined benefit pension plan in which they are vested after only five years. Employees in non-public safety positions can participate in retirement plans that contribute up to 12 percent of their annual salary. All employees can also participate in a supplemental retirement plan, the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, to contribute even more to their retirement goals.
Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Forgiveness
Montgomery County employees are eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Participants who meet all requirements may qualify for forgiveness on the remaining balance on their Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time in a qualifying public service position. To learn more about PSLF, please visit the Student Loan Repayment Benefits page. Our tuition assistance program allows you to receive up to $2,130 annually in tuition assistance to help you achieve a degree that supports your career path.
Free Mass Transit Benefit
County employees are entitled to use the RideOn Bus service for free with a valid County-employee ID. This benefit can be used any time of the day or evening, including weekends. We also offer a pre-tax flexible spending account to reduce the cost of other mass-transit options such as MARC trains and Metro.
Reduced Child and Health Care Costs
Working for Montgomery County also entitles permanent and term employees to participate in healthcare and childcare Flexible Spending Accounts. These plans allow eligible employees to save on a pretax basis for healthcare and dependent care costs incurred during the plan year.
Employee Wellbeing
We deeply care about your holistic wellness. Our award-winning wellness program, LiveWell, will support you in improving and maintaining your physical, mental, financial, social, and intellectual well-being.
Learn more about our wonderful benefits available to you once you join our team. Montgomery County Benefits
01
What is your highest level of completed education?
02
How many years of office support experience do you have dealing with administrative matters, customer accounts, and experience in the use of computers and general office equipment?
03
Do you have any previous experience as a dispatcher?
04
If you answered "Yes" to the above question, please provide a brief description of your experience in this area and identify where on your resume the work was performed. If you answered "No", please enter N/A below.
05
Do you have any experience working with Computer -Aided Dispatch (CAD), e-Justice, and/or METERS systems?
06
If you answered "Yes" to the above question, please provide a brief description of your experience in this area and identify where on your resume the work was performed. If you answered "No", please enter N/A below.
07
Do you have the ability to work a schedule that includes nights, weekends and/or holidays?
08
Do you currently possess multilingual skills to include oral communication, reading comprehension and interpreting skills in any of the following languages? Please select from the list below.
09
Do you have any prior experience working with animals (i.e., working in a veterinary clinic, pet store, animal shelters, zoos, etc)?
10
If you answered "Yes" to the above question, please provide a brief description of your experience in this area and identify where on your resume the work was performed. If you answered "No", please enter N/A below.
Required Question
Employer Montgomery County (MD)
Address 101 Monroe Street
7th Floor
Rockville, Maryland, 20850
Phone 240-777-5000