Senior Director

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Summary:

Are you a dedicated shelter veterinarian passionate about delivering high-quality medical care to animals in need? Are you passionate about collaborating with colleagues to bring multiple areas of animal sheltering expertise together and optimize the overall well-being of animals? Do you thrive in a dynamic and complex environment, where teammates work together to continually advance our field? If so, the role of Senior Director, Veterinary Services (Senior Director) at the ASPCA's Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) might be right for you.

The Senior Director will be based at the ASPCA Cruelty Recover Center (CRC), located in Columbus, OH, and will regularly travel across the United States to lead and participate in temporary shelter operations. The CRC team works closely with the ASPCA's National Field Response (NFR) team, Veterinary Forensics, Legal Advocacy & Investigations (LAI), the Behavioral Sciences Team (BST), and the Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) team to support agencies in effectively responding to cruelty and to assist communities in the wake of natural disasters. The CRC's dedicated team of sheltering, veterinary and animal behavior staff work together to ensure well-coordinated operations and high-quality, integrated care for animal victims of neglect, abuse and natural disasters. The Senior Director will partner with a team of sheltering, behavior, forensics, legal and medical personnel to ensure high quality care and timely outcomes for all animals.

As Medical Branch lead, the Senior Director will provide leadership for all veterinary functions and ensure consistency and continuity of care for animals housed at the CRC as well as in field and emergency shelters. They will conduct hands-on work themselves, as well as provide oversight, mentorship, training, and support for other team members. Care will align with existing ASPCA policies and protocols. The Senior Director will also develop additional new protocols, working closely with the Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) team. They will also support the Senior Director of Forensic Sciences, providing examinations, treatment, follow-up care, and meticulous documentation to be used as evidence in criminal cases.

This position requires a leader with exceptional skill as a clinician, a people manager, and a team player. To succeed in this role, the Senior Director must have a solid understanding of shelter medicine principles, excellent clinical skills, and sound medical judgement to ensure that animals' often significant physical and behavioral needs are met on both individual patient and population levels. Success will also hinge on the ability to collaborate well with the Operations and Behavior branches at the CRC, embracing the power of teamwork. Ideal candidates will have shelter medicine expertise, experience working with legal cases and disaster response, and superior interpersonal skills, including experience leading teams of veterinary professionals, and working alongside equals in other areas of expertise.

This position is eligible for a signing bonus.

Responsibilities:

Leadership of medical operations at the Cruelty Recovery Center and in emergency shelters (60%)
•  Oversee daily medical care of animals housed in the CRC, emergency sheltering operations, and/or foster care, utilizing shelter medicine guidelines, principles and best practices to ensure high quality and humane animal care, and to facilitate the most efficient pathways to placement or other outcomes.
•  Coordinate with other teams, including but not limited to Behavior Sciences, Shelter Medicine Services, Legal Advocacy and Investigations, and Forensics, to ensure that the overall well-being of each animal is prioritized, that information is shared in a timely fashion with relevant stakeholders, and that decision-making regarding animal care and treatment is informed by all relevant considerations (i.e., medical, behavioral, and legal status).
•  Direct patient care provided by staff and responders; when necessary, utilize per diem and/or responder veterinarians and consultations with outside veterinary specialists to ensure appropriate care is provided.
•  Teach and mentor medical and animal care personnel on relevant SOPs and practices.
•  Ensure that CRC medical team members participate in daily rounds for all animals in the CRC and emergency sheltering operations.
•  Ensure consistency and continuity of care provided by staff, per diem, and responder veterinarians and support team members.
•  Ensure that in-house and foster animals receive medical exams upon admission and are provided with on-going care as appropriate; ensure veterinary care provided is aligned with, and contributes to, the efficient and humane flow of animals from intake through outcome.
•  Develop processes that require, monitor and support the complete and timely documentation of animal conditions in accordance medical record-keeping standards and requirements.
•  Collaborate with Shelter Medicine Services to develop and implement efficient and effective protocols for high-quality, practical, and cost-efficient veterinary care in accordance with shelter medicine principles and best practices.
•  Assist with planning for and selection of case responses.
•  Maintain regular communication with relevant staff regarding any hospitalized animals and those transitioning to/from the CRC and/or emergency sheltering locations.
•  Inform and advise relevant internal stakeholders of medical conditions of animals cared for at or through the CRC, including outbreaks of infectious disease, and recommendations for management.
•  Produce administrative reports and communicate progress updates and animal status as needed.
•  Maintain DEA licensure and oversee use of controlled substances for CRC operations.
•  Stay abreast of shelter medicine practices and trends, in order to employ these at the CRC and/or emergency sheltering locations when applicable; work with the animal care and behavior managers to implement appropriate protocols on topics that relate to animal health and welfare, including but not limited to sanitation, population management, animal housing and segregation, and nutrition.
•  Other duties as assigned by the VP or SVP. Medical Care and Clinical Case Management (20%)
•  Provide timely, high quality veterinary care to dogs, cats, and other species as needed in accordance with ASPCA medical protocols and shelter medicine principles and best practices.
•  Provide skilled and efficient diagnosis and treatment of patients with timely recognition of, and planning for, medical conditions requiring care through outside veterinary partners.
•  Work "on the floor" to help out, answer questions, and ensure deep understanding of and compliance with CRC operations.
•  Conduct daily medical rounds of all animals in the shelter each day, and regularly participate in shelter daily rounds; review current treatment schedules, medical concern boards, and rechecks to ensure timely delivery of care and open communication.
•  Participate in pathway planning to ensure appropriate and timely disposition decisions that take into account animals' physical, medical, social and behavioral needs collectively.
•  Perform humane euthanasia following disposition decisions and/or in event of urgent medical need.
•  Complete certificates of veterinary inspection, as appropriate, for transfer of animals between facilities and/or placement of animals released from care.
•  Advise on appropriate use of quarantine and isolation spaces including sanitation protocols, appropriate use of PPE, and traffic flow patterns to manage herd health effectively.
•  Participate in crime scene investigations.
•  Assist in the collection of evidence and documentation of examinations of live and deceased victims of animal cruelty, including but not limited to the performance of clinical forensic exams and gross necropsies, completion of reports for law enforcement, and testifying as an expert witness, as needed.
•  Utilize appropriate chain of custody, evidence transfer and disposition procedures for forensic evidence.
•  Obtain relevant continuing education as required by the ASPCA and the state licensing board.
•  Adhere to all protocols put forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. People Management (20%)
•  Model a standard of continual commitment to improvement in all aspects of animal care and handling.
•  Maintain proactive communication with the CRC Vice President and the Vice President, Shelter Medicine Services on critical situations or issues.
•  Serve as a champion in times of change management and proactively assist in identifying ways to improve people, policies, and medical protocols.
•  Supervise medical staff, holding regular one-on-one and team meetings to gather ideas and information, provide coaching, and share updates.
•  Consistently utilize ASPCA developmental tools and conduct yearly performance reviews of direct reports to measure progress.
•  Supervise and support staff, including but not limited to veterinarians, licensed veterinarian technicians, and veterinary assistants; define expectations and manage staff to achieve these expectations.
•  Lead the recruitment, selection, hiring and onboarding process for new CRC medical staff; develop high potential employees.
•  Recommend internal and external training and professional development opportunities as needed for direct reports in identified area(s).
•  Espouse positive . click apply for full job details