Veterinary Career Center

Reports to:  
Executive Director 

Position type: Full-time (40 hours/week) 

Overview: 
Founded in 1873 by caring Delaware citizens, Delaware SPCA has served the people and animals of Delaware for 149 years and is one of the oldest animal welfare organizations in the country.  Founded in 1957, Delaware Humane Association (DHA) is a Delaware nonprofit no-kill animal care and adoption center, serving a four-state area. Collectively, we are committed to providing for the needs of homeless and owned dogs and cats in our community (and the occasional bunny or guinea pig!). Our Wilmington and Newark centers also operate high volume, low cost spay/neuter clinics, provide affordable wellness services for pets, offer regular low-cost vaccination clinics, and have on-site community pet food pantries. 

This is an exciting time to join the Delaware SPCA and Delaware Humane Association team as we merge into one organization. Read more on our website (www.delspca.org and delawarehumane.org). 

Job summary:  
Delaware SPCA and Delaware Humane Association are seeking a Director of Veterinary Services to join our growing team and make an impact in our community! Our three adoption centers, located in Wilmington, Newark and Rehoboth Beach, consistently achieve over a 95% save rate for cats and dogs, and expect to welcome 4,000 shelter animals into our programs in 2022. This position will oversee our part-time and relief veterinarians, all aspects of veterinary care for our shelter animals, including spay/neuter, and collaborate with our dedicated leadership team and frontline staff on programs that include: low-cost wellness services, HVHQ spay/neuter, and One Health – an innovative program that provides human and animal health services to those most in need. 

Our work culture prioritizes a healthy work-life balance, and we are closed on all major holidays. On your days off, enjoy the close proximity to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New York. Or, take a trip to the beach – just an hour and a half away! Delaware is home to many hiking/walking trails, parks and amenities, and boasts a low cost of living as well as no sales tax. We are also commutable from various parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. 

Essential Managerial Duties: 

• Create, evaluate and uphold veterinary protocols, and ensure staff are trained on and fully understand all diagnoses and prescribed treatments 
• Develop and oversee a team of part-time and relief veterinarians, as well as medical support staff 

• Mentor medical staff (licensed vets and vet techs) and support a learning environment in order to continue to advance the medical department 
• Manage externships of visiting veterinarians and/or students 
• Communicate ideas and use a problem-solving approach to provide high quality veterinary care, while understanding resource limitations 
• Collaborate with leadership team to ensure organization hits monthly and annual goals 
• Be part of an energetic, upbeat team dedicated to the advancement of our lifesaving programs (which includes adoption, foster, wellness, spay/neuter and community services) 

• Be willing to work at various locations including Newark (Delaware SPCA) and Wilmington (DHA) - located just 15 minutes apart - with occasional travel to Rehoboth Beach or other future locations (travel beyond New Castle County will be reimbursed) 

 
Essential Medical Duties: 

• Oversee shelter animal veterinary care by performing intake exams, vet check requests and specialty care referrals 
• Provide timely care for animals arriving on out-of-state transport 
• Oversee wellness clinic on assigned days by performing exams on healthy and sick publicly-owned animals 

• Communicate diagnoses, treatments and recommendations to clinic staff and the public, and answer client questions in person or over the phone when needed 
• Perform humane euthanasia on publicly owned and shelter owned animals, when necessary, as well as provide guidance on end-of-life decision making 
• Interest in and ability to perform HVHQ spay/neuter surgery and/or specialty surgeries preferred 
• Other duties as assigned by Executive Director 
   

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA) 
• Must have a current, valid license that allows the practice of veterinary medicine 
• Three years of previous shelter medicine experience is preferred 
• Three years of previous supervisory experience is preferred 
• Must maintain a valid driver’s license and good driving records