PROGRAM SPECIALIST

Description: JOB ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM SPECIALIST Chicago Animal Care and Control Number of Positions: 1 ( _Additional vacancies are possible pending budget approval_ ) Annual Starting Salary: $69,684 Applications for this position will be accepted beginning 3-30-26 until 11:59pm CDT on 4-13-26. Under general supervision, coordinates specialized programs at Chicago Animal Care and Control and perform related duties as required. ESSENTIAL DUTIES: u00b7 Works independently, coordinating an assigned moderately sized project or program. u00b7 Oversees, trains and evaluates staff engaged in program operations. u00b7 Designs, implements and monitors procedures utilized in program evaluations. u00b7 Assists with social media for Chicago Animal Care and Control. u00b7 Monitors project and program activities for adherence to confidentiality standards, legal requirements, laws, ordinances, program and ethical guidelines. u00b7 Interprets and applies municipal codes, regulations and procedures (e.g., licensing and permitting). u00b7 Conduct studies and analyses of projects and programs, their operations and activities. u00b7 Develops and implements new or revised operating policies, procedures and corrective action plans to ensure the effectiveness of project or program operations. u00b7 Provides key program or project data to a Project or Program Manager on a timely basis. u00b7 Plans work schedules and priorities for project or program activities. u00b7 Participates in preparing project or program operating budgets, justifications and monitors budget expenditures. u00b7 Monitors project or program to ensure compliance with applicable department requirements, ordinances, laws and funding requirements. u00b7 Designs, implements and monitors procedures utilized in program evaluation. u00b7 Develops marketing strategies to encourage participation in City projects and programs. u00b7 Creates informational and training materials (e.g., webinars, social media posts, etc.). u00b7 Audits and approves contractor and consultant vouchers for payment. u00b7 Supports evaluation of proposals, as required. u00b7 Acts as a liaison with City departments, public and private agencies and business organizations to secure commitments in providing services to program participants, sharing program information and obtaining additional funding support. u00b7 Monitors and provides direction to consultants engaged in administering program activities. u00b7 Prepares narrative and statistical programmatic status reports (e.g., performance metrics, dashboards, etc.). u00b7 May assist with program policy development. _Additional duties may be required for this position_ This position requires you to work in an Animal Shelter with various types of animals. Location: Chicago Animal Care and Control 2741 S. Western Ave Chicago, IL. 60608 Days: 5 Days a week (days may vary) Hours/Shift: 7 hours per day (times may vary) THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE Qualifications: Seven (7) years of work experience performing or supporting project or program administration functions. OR Graduation from an accredited college with an Associateu2019s degree , in a field related to the responsibilities of the position, PLUS five (5) years of work experience performing or supporting project or program administration functions. OR Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree , in a field related to the responsibilities of the position, PLUS three (3) years of work experience performing or supporting project or program administration functions. OR Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Masteru2019s degree , in a field related to the responsibilities of the position, or higher PLUS two (2) years of work experience performing or supporting project or program administration functions. Educational & Employment Verification: Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired you must provide, upon request, with adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If you received your degree internationally, all international transcripts/diploma must be accompanied by a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired. SELECTION REQUIREMENTS This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected. Desired Skills: + Educational background in veterinary assistance or animal science. + Previous experience in project coordination or specialized program support. + Previous experience working with animals in a professional setting (shelter, vet clinic, boarding facility, etc.) + Previous experience in implementing and evaluating specialized programs such as rescue coordination and animal behavior modification plans. u00b7 Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel and Outlook For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at: For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at: APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initia l evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. The Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference for applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. _These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders._ _For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates._ To learn more about our hiring practices click here. ( ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT. The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly and Fair Chance Employer. City of Chicago Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Created: 2026-04-01