(Archived) Director of Veterinary Services, ARC & CARE (Competitive Salary + 20k Sign-On Bonus)

Summary:

The ARC (Animal Recovery Center) and CARE (Canine Annex for Recovery and Enrichment) facilities are dedicated to the recovery and rehabilitation of victims of cruelty and neglect admitted through NYPD and the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) and Community Engagement (CE) programs.

Our dedicated team of more than 45 sheltering, medical, and animal behavior professionals work closely with the ASPCA Animal Hospital, Forensics, Legal Advocacy and Investigations, Behavioral Sciences, Shelter Medicine Services, Community Engagement, Placement, and the Adoption Center teams to ensure coordinated response and operations, and holistic, balanced, high-quality care for the animals we serve.

The ARC and CARE Senior Medical Supervisor oversees the holistic care and pathway planning for the ARC and CARE animals, ensuring the medical and behavioral health and welfare of our patients. The Senior Medical Supervisor ensures an integrated, holistic approach to animal care that prioritizes the overall quality of life of the ARC and CARE animals.

In collaboration with the Behavior Sciences team (BST), the Strategy and Research team and organization leadership, this unique position will also identify, lead, and facilitate ARC and CARE research projects, which are strategically selected to advance the ASPCA’s mission related to the medical and behavioral care of animals in shelters and cruelty prevention.

The Senior Medical Supervisor serves as a key member of the ARC and CARE leadership team and will be integral to critically incorporating and monitoring science-based medical and behavioral treatments for a population of approximately 100 dogs and cats. In addition, the Senior Medical Supervisor will foster strong relationships with medical and behavior team leaders across the organization for the advancement of the overall health of animals through research, application, and education, and will inform shelter animal programs across the country through sharing of research findings and best practices developed in our facilities.

The ASPCA strives to maintain a COVID-free workplace. To that end, being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment for all ASPCA employees, including new hires. The ASPCA makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs that prohibit a person from being vaccinated.

We offer a very competitive salary for the role and it is entitled to a $20,000 signing bonus. The first $10,000 of this bonus will be paid upon hire, and the second $10,000 is to be paid 6 months after your start date.

What you’ll get:

• Work/life balance:
  • 4/10 hour days, Sunday – Wednesday, 9 – 7
  • Paid vacation to relax
  • Paid sick time to heal
  • Paid continuing education days to keep your skills sharp
  • Ten paid holidays to observe
  • Plus – personal time to celebrate what and when you like
• Terrific benefits package:
  • medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) with employer-funded contributions after one year of service
  • pre-tax dependent care and health flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
  • employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
  • and more – note the ASPCA’s benefits are reviewed annually and are subject to change
• Room to grow: the ASPCA has robust professional development programs to help you grow as a veterinarian, manager, and as a person
• Support: structured mentorship from experienced veterinarians and leaders – 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 will include, but are not limited to:

Ensure Holistic High Quality, Low Stress Patient and Population Care (50%)

• Ensure ARC and CARE provides high quality individualized care, considering the medical and behavioral needs of our patients while maintaining overall population medicine using shelter best practices.
• Perform and ensure low stress handling for medical intakes and direct high-quality care for all new NYPD and CE cases admitted to AAH/ARC/CARE and in collaboration with partner departments for animals admitted to veterinary partner hospitals, and the Adoption Center.
• Ensure appropriate medical care and behavioral support of all Foster Program animals and animals in transition to the Adoption Center.
• Develop and oversee the skilled and efficient medical diagnosis and treatment plans following ARC/CARE/AAH and Adoption Center parameters and guidelines.
• With the Director of Behavior, oversee the use of psychotropic medications with the BST’s Veterinary Behaviorist, according to organizational policy and standard treatment protocols, thereby improving the behavioral health of our animals.
• Perform humane euthanasia for animals deemed unsuitable for placement, working closely with the behavior and medical teams to ensure a compassionate, low-stress procedure.
• Serve on a panel with medical, behavior, and operations leaders to review cases and make weekly pathway planning decisions, taking into consideration animals’ physical and behavioral well-being, using organizationally approved tools developed to assess quality of life and readiness for adoption.
• With other managers, communicate animals’ status changes to the entire team, explaining the rationale behind decisions with compassion and transparency.
• Maintain regular and close communication with veterinary and behavior colleagues in other ASPCA programs. Actively partner with Shelter Medicine Services staff to align recommendations and application of shelter medicine principles across our work, including day-to-day operations.
• Ensure the maintenance of thorough, high quality medical records, documenting all exam findings, test results, and treatments in organizational databases.
• Support the Senior Director in handling any adverse client, staff, or patient events appropriately and professionally.
• Develop, disseminate and keep current the ARC and CARE Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensure their implementation. Facility-specific SOP’s are developed in conjunction with BST or SMS to ensure best medical, sheltering and behavioral practices.
• Ensure all teams in ARC and CARE are proficient in low stress handling, either Fear Free or Sophia Yin.
• Oversee and mentor the rotating veterinary interns.
• Regularly review animals’ statuses, giving direction to other veterinarians as necessary to ensure timely care and movement of animals through the ASPCA.
• Provide a high level of customer service to external and internal clients.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on various committees, task forces, or in other advisory capacities where medical operations expertise is needed.
• Oversee the coordination of all controlled substance processes including ensuring compliance of medical staff activity related to ethical and legal compliance, corporate rules and regulations, and all external regulatory federal and state mandates.

Lead, Coach and Collaborate (40%)

• With the Senior Director, nurture a culture of learning at the ARC and CARE, including ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment.
• Lead the ARC and the CARE medical teams of 3 Medical Supervisors and 4 Licensed Veterinary Technicians, and directly manage 3 Medical Supervisors in the ARC and CARE.
• Cultivate strong relationships with the AAH Management team, Behavioral Sciences Team, the Director of Behavior, ARC and CARE and the Adoption Center’s medical and behavior team leaders to ensure best practices in behavioral health and welfare for animals in our care and promote education and training in behavior.
• Cultivate strong relationships with Shelter Medicine Services and the Adoption Center’s medical team leaders to ensure best practices in medical health and welfare for animals in our care and promote education and training in veterinary medicine.
• Practice and espouse positive, people-centric management approaches that are in line with team and organizational core values.
• Set expectations and goals and 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.
• Support the recruitment, selection, hiring and onboarding process for new hires.
• Teach, train and mentor the direct care team, veterinarians, behavior team, licensed veterinary technicians, and externs and interns.
• Teach the team the reasons behind policies and practices so that they can make good decisions in carrying out their work and can teach volunteers and visitors effectively.
• Model a standard of continual commitment to improvement in all aspects of ARC and CARE’s medical and behavioral programs, and handling of animals.
• 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.
• Collaborate with AAH, BST, SMS, HLE, Community Medicine, BRC, Adoption Center Directors and Vice Presidents in identifying and developing opportunities for shared knowledge and understanding as well as mutual ownership and enhanced teamwork throughout the program teams at our 91st and 92nd street operations and national programs to continuously evolve our programs and improve the lives of animals.
• Always maintain adequate staffing levels; assign and/or re-assign appropriate responsibilities, as well as direct work flow, in order to maximize productivity and maintain coverage in the event of planned absences, call outs, injuries, increased volume, etc. Ensure continuous coverage to ensure staff and animal safety.
• Deployment opportunities with BST, Community Engagement, Community Medicine, National Field Response or Rehabilitation Services at least twice per year (locally and nationally).

Lead Strategy, Research and Share Knowledge (10%)

• With the Senior Director, ARC and CARE, develop Objectives and Key Results (OAKRs) in alignment with ASPCA’s goals.
• Continuously evaluate the ARC and CARE’s medically staffing and contribute to needs assessments and analysis of medical staffing planning.
• Identify and propose research projects with ARC/CARE animals that would advance the fields of forensic science and animal welfare.
• Execute data collection protocols and processes for research projects and ensure all data collection and reporting is accurate and complete.
• Problem solve and recognize when the work needs to change in scope or direction to ensure research goals are achieved.
• Provide subject matter expertise to represent the ASPCA and the AAH/ARC/CARE departments.
• Mentor veterinarians.

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

Additional Information:

This is a full-time exempt position that works out of our 91st and 92nd Street offices, but the incumbent must be flexible, as some early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays will be required.
To apply, please complete our application and upload a cover letter that outlines how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of this position. Applications without cover letters will not be reviewed.

Qualifications:

Ability to successfully work in a high-volume, fast-paced environment that combines emergency and shelter medicine and effectively multi-task with a high degree of integrity and accountability and without loss of attention to detail, Ability to work well within a team and communicate effectively and courteously with all levels of staff, Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in leading diverse teams and complex operations, Maintain open mind regarding changes and be willing to learn, implement, and teach new protocols, Provide support for disasters/weather coverage

Language:

English (Required)

Education and Work Experience:

DVM (Required)

1-3 years leadership or management experience within a veterinary setting preferred, DVM degree (or equivalent) with NY State veterinary license., Veterinary internship or minimum 5 years’ small animal medicine experience without internship. Previous experience in shelters preferred but not required., Willing to complete the University of Florida Shelter Medicine Certificate or comparable program approved by Senior Director, ARC and CARE.

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).