Veterinary Director, Feline Programs

Summary:

Are you a dedicated veterinarian passionate about delivering high-quality medical care to animals in need? Do you enjoy coaching, mentoring, and supporting other veterinary and sheltering professionals? Do you thrive on fast-paced, dynamic and complex work? If so, the position of Director, Veterinary Services at the ASPCA’s Los Angeles Feline Programs (LA Feline) may be right for you.

What you’ll do:

You’ll lead a team of skilled and compassionate veterinary and sheltering professionals in providing excellent care for the +/- 1,500 cats and underage kittens per year handled through the ASPCA’s Los Angeles Feline Programs. You’ll work closely with boarded ASPCA shelter medicine experts to increase positive outcomes, on both an individual patient level and on a population level, by diverting animals from the shelter system into caring foster homes and supporting their adoption through our placement partners.

In close partnership with the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC), the LA Feline programs currently provide temporary care and adoption opportunities for orphaned kittens ages 4-8 weeks and other at-risk felines. Using best practices, innovative programs, and measurable outcomes, you will facilitate the processes that ensure foster felines receive timely and critical care to support their journey from intake to outcome as efficiently as possible.

What you’ll get:

• 40-hour work week with two days off to recharge
• four weeks of paid vacation time to relax
• two weeks of paid sick time to heal
• three paid continuing education days and a CE stipend to keep your skills sharp
• ten paid holidays to observe
• plus – one week of paid personal time to celebrate what and when you like
• Terrific benefits package:
  • medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • pre-tax dependent care and health flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
  • 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions beginning after one year of service
  • employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
  • veterinary state license fee reimbursement
  • and more - note that benefits are subject to change annually

• Room to grow: the ASPCA has robust professional development programs to help you grow as a veterinarian and a person
• Support: structured mentorship from subject-matter experts - we are one of the largest and most impactful animal welfare organizations in the world, so you will always have a strong team to lean on and cheer you on

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Provide High Quality Patient and Population Care (60%)

• Maintain, develop and implement (as needed) efficient and effective protocols for high-quality, practical, and cost-efficient veterinary care in accordance with shelter medicine principles and best practices and in alignment with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ “Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.”
• Oversee all aspects of medical operations for LA Feline, including (but not limited to): intake exams and vaccinations; infectious disease and other medical protocols; records management; individual and population-level monitoring and management; pre- and post-operative care; pathway planning, euthanasia decisions and emergency response
• Provide direct clinical care for LA Feline cases including surgical procedures such as enucleations, amputations, or other soft tissue surgeries. Direct all patient care provided by veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants; teach and mentor staff and foster volunteers on shelter medicine principles and LA Feline protocols
• Play a leadership role in population rounds to aid in early identification of potential health concerns and ensure timely flow of kittens and cats through the program to minimize length of stay
• Collaborate with the Client Services team to provide oversight and guidance for LA Feline patients seen at veterinary partner clinics
• Work closely with the ASPCA’s Community Medicine program in their work with LA Feline patients to ensure consistency of care and minimize wait times for vaccines, treatments and surgeries.
• Document all relevant medical information to maintain the accuracy and completeness of medical records
• Ensure that all medical team members have received training and mastered the skills to handle patients in a low stress manner, and that they implement these handling techniques consistently in all their interactions with animals.
• Ensure key internal stakeholders are looped into key medical issues, including relevant individual medical conditions and population wide issues like disease outbreaks
• Ensure Medical staff support the Foster team with foster home inquiries by providing resources to address questions as well as coaching, in the moment. Ensure Medical staff are stepping in to support higher level medical issues directly
• Support Community Medicine work involving both LA Feline and (as needed) public patients, including spay/neuter surgeries and primary pet care appointments

Collaboration, Coaching and People Management (40%)

• With the Senior Director, nurture a culture of learning in the LA Feline programs, including ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment, active participation in goal setting and monitoring, clear expectations, and regular practice of feedback and after-actions
• Practice and espouse positive, people-centric management approaches that are in line with team and organizational core values
• Provide consistent, high-quality feedback to direct reports, including regular 1:1s and quarterly feedback sessions to build strong relationships, provide clear direction, and encourage opportunities for development. Complete annual performance evaluations
• Provide training, supervision, modeling, coaching and ongoing guidance for direct reports. Recommend internal and external training opportunities as needed for direct reports in identified areas
• Teach, train and mentor other LA Feline team members and externs on shelter medicine principles and LA Feline shelter medicine protocols
• Maintain regular and close communication with veterinary colleagues in other ASPCA programs, particularly Community Medicine in LA, Shelter Medicine Services, and the Adoption Center & Kitten Nursery in New York
• Handle employee-relations issues with confidentiality and care; use active listening to understand employee concerns, encouraging and supporting employees to problem solve and create viable solutions
• Maintain regular and proactive communication with the Senior Director, LA Feline Programs
• Maintain adequate staffing levels at all times; assign and/or re-assign appropriate responsibilities, as well as direct work flow, in order to operate with the program’s capacity for care and to maintain coverage.
• Deploy with Community Engagement, Community Medicine, National Field Response or Relocation teams up to twice per year
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Exemplifies the ASPCA’s Core Values:

• Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals
• Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes
• Believes in Team – that we are stronger together
• Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible
• Focuses on Impact, specifically making change for animals

Qualifications:

• Deep veterinary medical knowledge, including familiarity with shelter medicine principles and practices
• Excellent clinical skills, including efficient diagnosis and treatment of kittens for a variety of medical conditions
• Excellent low-stress animal handing and restraint skills
• Sound clinical judgement and resiliency to make end-of-life decisions for patients and to coach and support staff and volunteers regarding those decisions
• Possess critical thinking and multi-tasking skills; able to quickly adjust focus and shift priorities based on patient and LA Feline team needs
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within and across departments or working groups with diplomacy and tact
• Able to work efficiently and calmly both as a medical team leader and a member of the larger LA Feline team
• Advanced ability to teach and coach others
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to communicate effectively and courteously with all levels of staff
• Strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail
• Ability to introduce and implement new procedures and protocols effectively
• Basic computer skills, including Excel, Microsoft Office, and email
• Available to work a flexible schedule when needed including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Able to lift 40 pounds
• Able to work standing for 10 or more hours

Education:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (or equivalent degree) from an accredited veterinary college
• Eligibility for licensure in California (CA) as a veterinarian required; current licensure in CA strongly preferred
• Eligibility and willingness to obtain DEA licensure for LA Feline operations

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and staff compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future. 

For Salary roles: The target hiring range for this role is $169,500-179,500 annually.  In addition to a competitive salary, this role offers a signing bonus.

For more information on our benefits offerings, please visit the ASPCA's Careers website.

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Qualifications:

See above for qualifications details.

Veterinarian License - Other

Language:

English (Required), Spanish

Education and Work Experience:

Doctorate: Veterinary Medicine (Required), DVM (Required)

2 years of experience in high quality, high volume spay/neuter strongly preferred, 2 years of experience in shelter medicine, including substantial responsibility for population level issues and individual animal care, strongly preferred, 5 years of veterinary practice experience—small animal or shelter medicine and surgery, Category II USDA accreditation or ability to obtain, Current California Veterinary License, or ability to obtain prior to hire, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent

Our EEO Policy:

The ASPCA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws.  A reasonable accommodation is a change in the ASPCA’s standard application process, which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the ASPCA.  Please inform the ASPCA’s People Team if you need an accommodation in order to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Individuals seeking employment are considered without regards to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status,  or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

ASPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V).