Wollongong, New South Wales
Casual
Animal Shelter Attendant - Casual
At Wollongong City Council, we continuously strive to create an Extraordinary Wollongong. We focus on the delivery of exceptional services, infrastructure and facilities for our community.
Wollongong is a great place to work, live and play! Together, our responsibility is to create an inclusive community where everyone is welcome, valued and belongs. Our strength is the diversity of our people.
We lead with courage, openness and curiosity and believe our employees are the key to our success. Learn more about us here.
The opportunity
We're proud recipients of the Australian Institute of Animal Management's Excellence in Innovation Award. Bring your passion for animal welfare to a team celebrated for excellence and join us to help shape positive outcomes for animals in our community.
Our Animal Care & Impounding Services team is looking for dedicated, compassionate, and reliable Animal Shelter Attendants who want to make a real difference in the wellbeing of impounded companion animals and livestock. In this hands‐on and highly rewarding role, you'll play a key part in ensuring animals receive the care, comfort, and support they need during their time with us.
A major focus of the role is the safe and attentive transportation of animals, which involves a significant amount of driving and the confident use of a trailer as you move animals between Council's contracted veterinary clinic and holding facilities. You'll help safeguard each animal's welfare throughout their journey and ensure clear, accurate, and timely communication between our team and external service providers.
Beyond transport, you'll support the daily needs of animals in our care, providing food and water, maintaining clean and hygienic enclosures, and ensuring vehicles, trailers, and equipment are well‐prepared, sanitised, and ready for use. Your contribution directly influences the health, comfort, and positive outcomes of the animals entrusted to us, making this a truly meaningful role for the right person. Find out more about what we do here: Pets | City of Wollongong
How You'll Make a Difference
* Safely transport animals between Council's holding facilities and veterinary clinics, involving significant driving and confident trailer operation.
* Prioritise animal welfare during transport through calm, safe, and appropriate handling.
* Follow detailed run sheets and movement schedules to ensure animals are collected, transported, and delivered accurately.
* Maintain accurate records, including microchip and impound numbers, and communicate essential information clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
* Provide daily food, water, and basic care to animals temporarily in Council's custody.
* Clean and maintain animal enclosures, kennels, cat spaces, transport units, and trailers to a high hygiene standard.
* Handle animals of varying temperaments safely, including frightened or occasionally aggressive animals.
* Work independently for most of each shift, making sound, safe decisions without direct supervision.
* Perform physically demanding tasks, such as lifting or guiding large dogs.
* Apply safe work practices, maintain equipment and vehicles, and demonstrate emotional resilience, including when transporting animals for euthanasia.
About You
You have a genuine passion for animals and a strong desire to improve their wellbeing. Physically capable and confident, you are at ease handling companion animals and livestock, and you're confident transporting them. You hold a current driver's licence and are skilled and confident in both towing and reversing a trailer, which is a critical part of this role. You pay close attention to detail, communicating clearly and respectfully. You work well in a team and enjoy collaborating with staff, volunteers, and the community. Your friendly, compassionate nature helps you interact comfortably with both people and animals. Reliable, resilient, patient, and discreet, you exercise sound judgement, especially in sensitive situations. You're keen to join a team that makes a real, positive impact in a supportive environment.
Nice to have but not essential is a Certificate II in Animal Care, and an authorised identifier with the ability to implant microchips.
Shifts for these roles are generally 8am-1pm or 12pm-5pm; however, successful applicants must be able to work flexible hours, including participating in an on‐call roster and may also include weekend work. Applicants should be suitably fit to undertake the duties as outlined in the job description.
This is a Casual Contract position. Salary from $40.29 per hour plus superannuation, and 25% casual loading. (Salary package will be assessed based on skills, experience and qualifications).
As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted applicants will be required to complete a practical assessment to demonstrate their ability to safely reverse a trailer and confidently handle an animal. This assessment ensures candidates can meet the physical, safety, and operational requirements of the role.
Why you'll love working at Wollongong City Council!
* True work‐life balance: We know you work hard, and we make sure that effort is rewarded with real flexibility. Our hybrid work options, flex‐time, and rostered days off mean you can maintain balance while delivering great outcomes.
* Great working conditions: Enjoy a 35‐hour work week or a 9‐day fortnight with a regular rostered day off (RDO).
* Career growth and recognition: We are committed to supporting your personal and professional development. Our initiatives include a reward and recognition program, corporate learning opportunities, study assistance, and leadership development programs to help you grow and succeed.
* Generous leave provisions: Benefit from five weeks of annual leave per year (pro rata) and access long service leave after just five years.
* Health, safety, and wellbeing: We prioritise a safe workplace for everyone, every day, everywhere. Our wellbeing programs support mental, physical and social wellbeing of our people to be at their best and include an Employee Assistance Program, skin and hearing checks, vaccinations, and discounted gym memberships.
* A vibrant social culture: Join our Social Club for monthly activities, an annual trivia night, and fantastic Christmas events!
Participate and engage in meaningful work, and contribute to our extraordinary community, where together we make a difference.
For more information, click on 'Apply' to be redirected to Wollongong City Council's job vacancy page.
Applications close
11:59pm, Monday 23 February 2026.
We invite everyone to apply no matter your identity, you'll be welcome. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), people with disability and veterans.
Wollongong Council adheres to the principles of a child safe organisation and is committed to the care and protection of all children and young people in the community.
Applicants are required to undergo a rigorous employment screening process which will include Reference, Identity and Medical History Checks, and may also include a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and Working with Children Check. Employment is subject to clearance of all these checks.
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