Category: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Raleigh and Garner, NC
Reports to: VP of Strategic Initiatives

Salary:  $125,000 plus health/dental/vision insurance, paid time off, 401(k); additional benefits negotiable

Major Functions

Lead the shelter medical team in performing physical examinations, diagnosing, and treating all SPCA adoption program animals.  Actively support best practices in shelter medicine, animal population health, and shelter flow. Collaborate with staff to develop methods to improve shelter pets’ well-being, decrease length of stay, and increase the number of animals served.  Supervise all shelter medical staff in collaboration with the department manager.  Support the community initiatives department’s work to deliver medical services to owned animals and free-roaming cats, in cooperation with the Saving Lives Spay/Neuter Clinic.

Duties and Responsibilities

Animal Care: 

• Perform physical examinations, diagnoses, and treatment of all SPCA adoption program animals.
• Understand and support the principals of shelter medicine, population health, and shelter flow.
• Ensure adherence to the highest ethical standards of veterinary care.
• Apply and instruct staff on the use of Fear Free techniques for animal handling and housing.
• Ensure that all state and federal laws, state regulations, accepted standards, and SPCA policies and procedures regarding medical operations, the practice of veterinary medicine, drug control, and animal care and handling are strictly adhered to.
• Have training and experience in high-quality, high-volume surgical sterilization of dogs and cats, including pediatric spay/neuter and in-heat and pregnant spays.  The lead veterinarian may have some responsibility for spay/neuter surgeries in relief of the spay/neuter surgeons.
• Perform occasional euthanasia of SPCA animals for medical and behavioral reasons, following state requirements and SPCA protocols.
• Provide quality “client” care to staff and volunteers, to include modeling patience and kindness in the delivery of information and in collaborative problem-solving.
• Encourage continuous improvement throughout the shelter to increase the quality of medical and surgical care provided to SPCA pets.
• Work collaboratively to administer the SPCA’s disease control protocols and to amend those protocols as needed.
• Work with local veterinarians and clinic/shelter staff to promote positive and productive relationships.
• Supervise staff who arrange for full-service care at partner veterinary hospitals in our community for severely injured, sick or diseased dogs, cats, rabbits and other adoption program animals.  Consult with staff at those practices in regard to treatment planning.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of shelter animal health protocols, high-quality high-volume surgical procedures, and companion animal health issues and best practices.

Staff and Volunteer Management: 

• Assist the Senior Director of Operations in the development of annual goals that include plans for training and development of staff. 
• Supervise medical team management staff who hire, train, motivate, and retain all shelter medical staff. Participate in the training of medical team staff and volunteers.

Resource Management: 

• Assist the Senior Director of Operations to utilize resources effectively.  These resources include people, funds, and supplies. 
• Participate in the annual budgeting process by providing technical expertise and maintaining a forward focus on medical department needs. 
• Assist the Senior Director of Operations and other senior staff in setting short-term and long-term goals to assure the continued growth and improvement of medical services for SPCA pets.

Customer Service: 

• Provide and model timely, respectful internal and external customer service. 
• Remain flexible and willing to see other perspectives. 
• Maintain strict confidentiality of client, patient, and donor information. 
• Provide recognition and support to staff and volunteers for their individual contributions to the mission of the SPCA of Wake County.

Record-keeping:

• Establish and maintain medical record and drug use logs to standards of veterinary and sheltering practices. 
• Perform accurate, complete, and concise entry of all medical and surgical records, exam findings, test results, and vaccination history, using shelter animal tracking software. Ensure that records are available to all staff in a timely manner, in order, and complete. 
• Accurately complete forms and records so that communication within and between departments is clear.  

Training: 

• Participate in staff training and development opportunities as requested. 
• Provide Certified Rabies Vaccinator training to staff according to North Carolina state requirements.
• Participate in special events, projects, and cross-training programs as needed.

• Must hold a current North Carolina Veterinary License or be qualified and able to obtain such license within 60 days of hire.
• Must be qualified and eligible to obtain a DEA license.
• A minimum of two years’ experience in the field of shelter veterinary medicine, with high-quality, high-volume surgical sterilization experience desired.
• Must use fear-free animal handling methods and become Fear Free Certified within 60 days of hire.
• Must be passionate about the mission of the SPCA of Wake County and have a deep respect for the human/animal bond.
• Must be knowledgeable about and supportive of shelter medicine best practices, animal population health, and shelter flow.
• A strong desire to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment with a staff of mission-driven colleagues.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
• Effective decision-making and diagnostic skills.
• Ability to work cooperatively with all SPCA staff and as a member of the SPCA’s leadership team.
• A demonstrated track record of managing priorities with positive results.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and insurable driving record in order to travel efficiently between the SPCA’s two locations.
• Available for emergency telephone consultation during non-business hours.

Working Conditions:  

• May work in an area with a high noise level, occasional foul odors, dangerous animals, toxic chemicals, environmental contaminants, and zoonotic diseases.
• May be required to work in excess of a standard eight-hour work day.

Physical Activities and Requirements:

• Physical requirements of the position include the ability to stand or sit for long periods of time, walking, bending, lifting (50 pounds), carrying (50 pounds), speaking, hearing, seeing and depth perception. 
• May be required to climb, balance, kneel, stoop, crouch, or crawl. 
• May be pulled, jolted or jumped on by small and large animals.
• Must be able to use both hands for repetitive actions, firm grasp, precise movements, fine manipulation, and typing.

Work Hours:   This is an exempt position that requires a 40-50 hour work week, typically Monday through Friday on site and some remote on-call availability for staff support.  Work hours may be extended as necessary in order to meet the health or surgical needs of animals, or for task completion, employee training, special events or meetings.

About SPCA of Wake County

2023 finds the SPCA of Wake County nearing completion of a $21 million capital campaign. In 2025, we will be opening North Carolina’s first regional campus for pets and people. The addition of a new animal intake and community resource center on the campus of our pet adoption center will streamline the SPCA’s lifesaving operations and enable us to deliver more services to the pets and people of central and eastern NC. Currently working in well over half of North Carolina’s 100 counties, SPCA Wake will continue to expand the reach of its pet adoption program by continuing to help under-resourced shelters via placement of pets through the SPCA’s program. The new building will provide state-of-the-art facilities for educational programs for both people and animals and will expand the SPCA’s ability to provide spay/neuter and other veterinary services to pets in communities in need. The Raleigh area ranked second nationally in growth in 2022 – and we are proud to call this popular area home! Why are so many people relocating here? A few popular reasons: The warm climate, attractive and diverse job market, proximity to both beach and mountain destinations, and good schools – in...cluding a number of acclaimed colleges and universities. It is also a community full of animal lovers who have supported SPCA Wake for over 50 years and funded the many programs and services that we bring to our ever-expanding service area. The more human population growth we experience here, the harder we work to be a dynamic and trusted resource for the humans and their animal family members.

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