Job Details
Are you looking for a rewarding leadership position in a diverse, vibrant, affordable city, where creativity and a culture of continuous improvement drives organizational culture? PAWS is seeking a Medical Director to lead our delivery of veterinary services, and to play an instrumental role in achieving our ultimate goal of making Philadelphia a no-kill city. As the city s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable basic veterinary care for community pets, our passionate team works every day to end pet homelessness and to provide top-quality care to dogs and cats with medical and surgical needs who would otherwise not have a chance.
This is a hybrid position: our Medical Director can typically expect to have the flexibility to work from a remote office up to one day per week. While onsite, the Medical Director will work from PAWS Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic in Philadelphia s Grays Ferry neighborhood and make occasional visits to PAWS Northeast Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic in Northeast Philadelphia. The Medical Director has both clinical responsibilities (approximately 60%) and administrative responsibilities (approximately 40%). Clinical responsibilities include: performing HQHVSN surgeries and additional specialty surgeries as needed, conducting routine wellness and sick visits for pets whose owners rely on PAWS for affordable care, performing examinations and determining treatment plans for our in-house and foster population of rescued animals, and consulting and collaborating with specialty veterinary partners on special cases. Administrative responsibilities include: upholding and updating PAWS current medical procedures and protocols in keeping with industry best practices; establishing new protocols as needed; providing insight and oversight for in-house and foster animals with complex medical or surgical needs; and, leading and mentoring a cohesive and productive medical staff in partnership with all members of leadership.
The Medical Director acts as a liaison among multiple departments within the organization to ensure optimal treatment and outcomes for animals who come into PAWS care. Therefore, successful candidates must have excellent interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills and be able to work well with staff with widely varying levels of medical knowledge. The ability to think practically about community-driven medical care, balancing animal welfare and gold standard practices with cost and reasonable outcomes, is essential.
Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the Director of Operations, upholding, updating, and developing protocols and policies related to the treatment and care of shelter and client-owned animals
- Assisting in the development of a strong, qualified, and cohesive medical staff
- Finding and/or supporting opportunities to conserve and raise funds and in-kind donations, including working with the Veterinary Technician Manager on building partnerships with vendors and local full service and specialty veterinary practices, and keeping the communications and development teams apprised of special cases for grants and fundraising opportunities.
- Working with the Veterinary Technician Manager and Lead Surgery Technician to ensure that all clinical and surgical equipment is maintained in safe working order and overseeing inventory and ordering of medical equipment.
- Providing oversight regarding the care and placement of PAWS shelter animals
- Holding the DEA license for PAWS Grays Ferry facility and maintaining accurate and complete controlled substance records as required by law
- Providing excellent veterinary care for all animals in PAWS facilities, both rescued and publicly owned, and ensuring the safe, sanitary and humane treatment of animals in PAWS care in accordance with established professional standards and requirements, applicable laws and regulations
- Conducting routine wellness and sick visits for pets whose owners rely on PAWS for affordable care, including communicating empathetically with owners about the treatment options available.
- Performing high-volume, high-quality sterilization surgery on publicly owned and rescued/foster animals
- Performing specialized surgeries and procedures as needed and appropriate, including: mass removals, triage dentals, enucleations, entropion repair, amputations, and other procedures to prepare rescued animals for adoption
- Consulting and collaborating with specialty veterinary partners on special cases
- Providing on-call services as needed for medical consultation and emergencies
Educational and Licensure Requirements:
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent from an accredited university.
- Valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Veterinary license with no history of complaints or disciplinary action.
- Valid DEA license, or ability to obtain one, with no history of complaints or disciplinary action.
Additional Requirements:
- A minimum of 3 years' experience in supervisory roles with demonstrated success in leading a team.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience with HQHVSN surgery, as well as other soft tissue and specialty surgeries.
- A minimum of 5 years of clinical experience with health conditions common in shelter populations and community medicine settings.
- A self-starter who is organized, innovative, flexible, and passionate about PAWS goals and objectives.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with strong attention to detail.
- Outgoing, patient, empathetic, mature, and able to get along well with a culturally diverse community.
- Good judgment and strong problem-solving ability, identifying tasks that need to be accomplished and prioritizing appropriately, and working independently with minimal supervision and direction.
- Ability to manage and accommodate varied work assignments and schedules.
- Comfort and experience with Google and Microsoft applications. PAWS uses a variety of web-based software that veterinarians must be comfortable learning to use on a daily basis for managing client care.
Benefits of PAWS employment:
- Competitive salary and retention bonus.
- Moving stipend considered for outstanding out-of-state applicants.
- Potential eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
- 9am - 5pm schedule, with limited on-call duties.
- Medical, dental, and prescription insurance coverage.
- 401(k) plan with employer matching.
- 9 paid holidays off (the shelter is closed).
- Paid time off (PTO).
- Yearly Continuing Education allowance, and up to four paid days off to attend conferences/participate in CE.
- Veterinary Medical Malpractice Liability coverage.
- VIN membership.
- Pennsylvania bi-annual license renewal fees.
- DEA license renewal fees.
- Free and heavily discounted clinic services, lab work and medications for your personal pets.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Voluntary benefits (long- and short-term disability, life, and accident insurance).
About the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
PAWS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia s homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS
is the city s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable veterinary care for pet owners and rescue organizations that cannot otherwise access it. Each year, PAWS saves and finds loving homes for thousands of animals in need. Through its two low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter and wellness clinics, PAWS serves thousands of animals each year, enabling families to keep their cherished pets and preventing shelter surrenders. PAWS is working to make Philadelphia a no-kill city where every savable pet is guaranteed a home.