Senior Director of Veterinary Services

Summary:

Are you a dedicated shelter veterinarian who enjoys and excels at working closely with both animals and people? Are you passionate about bringing multiple areas of animal sheltering expertise together and working with a team to optimize the overall well-being of animals? Do you thrive in a dynamic and complex environment, where colleagues work together to continually advance our field? If so, the role of Veterinarian at the BRC might be right for you!

The ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC), located in Weaverville, NC, focuses on two main goals: (1) the study and rehabilitation of dogs who suffer from behavior problems that compromise their quality of life and prevent adoption, and (2) elevating shelter animal behavior programs across the country through sharing emerging best practices. This unique position involves monitoring and providing care for a population of approximately 65 dogs undergoing behavior modification, serving as a key member of the BRC leadership team and interacting with shelter partners through the BRC’s Learning Lab—a collaborative teaching program designed to facilitate the infusion of behavioral healthcare into all areas of sheltering and promote balance among shelter operations, shelter animal behavior and shelter medicine expertise.

To succeed in this role, the Veterinarian, BRC, must have an interest in animal behavior and a solid understanding of shelter medicine principles, as well as excellent clinical and low-stress handling skills. Success will also hinge on the ability to collaborate with the operations and behavior teams at the BRC to ensure that animals’ physical and behavioral needs are met on both individual patient and population levels. Ideal candidates will have shelter medicine expertise, teaching experience and superior people skills.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to the following:

Medical Care and Clinical Case Management (50%)

• Review medical records of canine candidates for the BRC behavior modification program to ensure that they meet our medical inclusion criteria (i.e., all required diagnostics have been performed and animals are physically healthy) before transport to the BRC; Liaise with transferring organizations’ veterinarians and medical teams as needed
• Conduct low-stress physical exams and document findings in appropriate medical records
• Ensure that individual patients and the population are assessed daily and treatment/intervention recommendations are implemented in a timely fashion
• Review and respond to medical alerts from daily care and behavior rehabilitation team members
• Provide high-quality, practical, compassionate and cost-efficient veterinary care to a wide range of canines in accordance with ASPCA One-Fund guidelines and shelter medicine principles and best practices
• Provide skilled and efficient diagnosis and treatment of patients with timely recognition of conditions requiring care through external veterinary emergency and specialty clinics; liaise with external veterinarians providing care as needed
• Oversee the use of psychotropic medications according to standard treatment protocols; consult with an external veterinary behaviorist
• Perform exams and issue health certificates before program graduates’ transport to partner shelters for adoption
• Perform humane euthanasia for dogs deemed unsuitable for placement, working closely with the Behavior Rehabilitation team to ensure a compassionate, low-stress procedure
• Ensure appropriate use of quarantine and isolation spaces to manage herd health effectively; ensure appropriate use of PPE
• Follow and enforce all written and verbally communicated BRC SOPs; participate in the quarterly review of SOPs and oversee any changes to medical SOPs in collaboration with the ASPCA’s Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) department
• Obtain relevant continuing education as required by the ASPCA and the state licensing board
• Adhere to all protocols put forth by Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Perform other duties as assigned by the VP, BRC

Collaboration and People Management (25%)

• Serve on a panel with behavior and operations team leads to review cases and make weekly outcome decisions, taking into consideration dogs’ physical and behavioral well-being, using BRC tools developed to assess quality of life and readiness for adoption.
• With other team leads, communicate dogs’ program status changes to the entire BRC team, explaining the rationale behind outcome decisions with compassion and transparency.
• Supervise the Veterinary Support Coordinator, providing consistent, high-quality feedback, including conducting regular one-on-ones and yearly performance evaluations.
• Practice and espouse positive, people-centric management approaches that are aligned with team and organizational Core Values.
• Handle employee-relations issues with confidentiality and care, ensuring compliance with any applicable collective-bargaining agreements; use active listening to understand employee concerns, encouraging and supporting employees to problem solve and create viable solutions
• Provide medical information and representation to other ASPCA departments, the public and the media as needed
• Deploy with the ASPCA’s Field Investigations & Response Team once or twice per year.
• Maintain regular and close communication with veterinary colleagues in other ASPCA programs. Actively partner with SMS staff to align recommendations and application of shelter medicine principles across our work, including day-to-day BRC operations and through Learning Lab activities
• In partnership with ASPCA Spay Neuter Alliance, oversee a day-long veterinary student extern visit to the BRC approximately once a month
• Support the recruitment, selection, hiring and onboarding process for new BRC staff as needed

Learning Lab Program Participation (25%)

• Consult on the development of Learning Lab teaching modules, bringing a shelter veterinary perspective to the review process
• Represent the BRC during Learning Lab teaching weeks, fielding questions about our medical protocols and use of psychotropic medication as well as providing support as needed in discussions pertaining to shelter medicine and shelter operations
• Facilitate one or more teaching modules, sharing skills with other organizations’ teams and emphasizing a holistic approach to shelter animal welfare
• Travel to potential shelter partners’ facilities to learn about and assess their medical and operational protocols and programs; review documentation provided by these organizations; based on assessment and documentation, help determine appropriateness for participation in the Learning Lab program
• Provide ongoing shelter medicine support to Learning Lab shelter partners in the context of their Learning Lab goals

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