JOB DESCRIPTION

The Director of Veterinary Services oversees (in consultation with staff veterinarians) all veterinary care and services provided by McKamey Animal Center (MAC), both for shelter animals and for the general public, whether within the Center building itself or out in the community. Veterinary services typically provided by the MAC veterinary team include: spay/neuter surgeries, diagnosis and treatment of ill/injured animals, disease prevention and mitigation, and wellness care for the general public. The successful candidate must not only have the skills and experience necessary to serve as practice manager for a traditional veterinary hospital or spay/neuter clinic, he/she must have a comprehensive knowledge of shelter medicine, including herd management and disease prevention. He/she must be able to work closely with shelter leadership and personnel, animal services officers, other veterinary clinics, community organizations and members of the public to ensure the health and welfare of cats, dogs, small animals and even the occasional pigs, horses and others. A love for animals and the technical ability to ensure their well-being is just as essential for this position as the ability to provide compassionate team leadership and customer service excellence.

SALARY AND SCHEDULE

• Salary: $45,000-$55,000 commensurate with experience
• Classification: Full time, exempt
• Benefits: PTO, PPTO, insurance (medical, visions, dental), retirement match, other

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Ensure the highest standards of veterinary care for MAC animals as well as those entrusted to MAC by the public, in coordination with MAC’s veterinarians and other MAC staff.
• Oversee daily activities of MAC’s veterinary clinic, including scheduling of surgeries and other procedures, preparation of animals for surgery, assisting veterinarians during surgery, and monitoring the condition of animals after surgery.
• Ensure the health and welfare of animals sheltered at MAC, including prompt vaccination, performance of routine health checks, and diagnosis and successful treatment of injury and illness. Work with shelter leadership and personnel to support implementation of best practices established by shelter medicine experts and the AVMA.
• Conduct and support the continuing education of shelter staff/officers on various animal health-related topics.
• Oversee and ensure the success of MAC community support events, both onsite at MAC and out in the community, including those providing vaccinations, microchips and other lifesaving services for the public.
• Successfully supervise a team of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants and others. Train, mentor and supervise all clinic support staff to ensure highest standards of professionalism and customer relations, including assigning and reviewing work, scheduling and approving time off, providing continuing education, evaluating performance, taking necessary disciplinary action and making hiring and termination recommendations.
• Ensure successful integration of the veterinary services team personnel with other shelter departments.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable local, state and federal requirements, including those governing acquisition and storage of drugs, recordkeeping, pharmaceutical documentation, licensing, certifications and trainings, and OSHA safety requirements. Ensure MAC’s veterinary operations successfully pass all Medical Examiner inspections and that renewals of MAC’s clinic licenses are always current.
• Assure proper training of MAC personnel, including staff, officers and volunteers, on the proper administration of vaccines, medications, microchips, and other preventative and routine medical treatments and procedures, as appropriate.
• Ensure a safe and sanitary environment for animals and people.
• Ensure all necessary medical supplies are readily available, including performing regular supply inventories, stocking medical treatment areas and ordering drugs, supplies and equipment.
• Ensure daily communication with animal caretakers, officers and others regarding the health status of MAC animals and recommendations for resolving animal health concerns, and support foster partners, clients and adopters with medical questions and concerns.
• Assure proper training, certification and ongoing skills updates for euthanasia technicians to meet highest standards of humane euthanasia and compliance with MAC and state protocols.
• When no lifesaving alternatives are available, ensure that euthanasia is performed lawfully and according to the highest humane standards.
• Collaborate effectively with other MAC leadership to establish and achieve shelter goals regarding intake diversion, remaining within humane capacity for care, maximizing lifesaving outcomes and to identifying opportunities to improve the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the animals in shelter care.
• Support the Executive Director in developing department budgets, assessing costs and expenditures, increasing efficiencies, maximizing donor dollars, implementation of the organizations strategic plan, and reporting relevant statistics.
• Ensure that staff exemplify the highest standards of customer service and community support at all times, and actively promote a healthy, compassionate and professional culture among staff.
• Demonstrate a commitment to team building through modeling a positive and respectful attitude toward all employees, volunteers and partners.
• Support officers, staff and local emergency veterinary practices in managing after-hours animal emergencies, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated familiarity with current industry best practices, with respect to both spay/neuter clinic operations and shelter medicine, and ability to translate those into animal care policies and procedures.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to relate and confer with veterinarians and other medical professionals, MAC staff and the general public and ability to successfully mentor, train and supervise staff.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and decision making when dealing with staff and the public and when making decisions in the absence of the Veterinarian.
• Proven organizational skills with outstanding attention to detail (particularly with respect to record keeping and compliance with applicable laws and regulations).
• Strong humane animal handling skills, knowledge of animal behavior and animal medicine and ability to recognize signs of animal stress and distress.
• Ability to operate all equipment, tools, technology and other materials relevant to job duties.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work weekends and to accept after-hours emergency calls, as needed.

Education and Experience Required

• High School diploma required.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience within a Veterinary Clinic, Animal Shelter or Spay/Neuter Clinic required; practice management experience preferred.
• Veterinary technician/assistant experience required (Tennessee licensure preferred).
• Minimum two (2) years supervisory experience required.
• Must be at least 21 years of age (required for insurance purposes); valid driver’s license and insurable driving record.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

The conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Potential exposure to high noise levels, zoonotic diseases, and animal bites/scratches when handling animals.

• Must be able to lift over 50 pounds, up to 100 pounds with assistance.
• Exposure to sick, injured, and dangerous animals.
• Must be able to respond to emergency situations at any hour.
• Potential for standing/walking/bending up to eight to ten (8-10) hours a day.
• Handling syringes, needles and other medical equipment as required.
• Loud noises, strong and unpleasant odors and feces.

McKamey Animal Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.We reserve the right conduct criminal background checks and require drug testing of all employment candidates.