Senior Director, Veterinary Services - ASPCA

Summary:

Are you an experienced shelter veterinarian and people leader dedicated to helping animals in need? Are you eager to have a broad impact on the field of animal welfare? If so, the role of Senior Director, Veterinary Services at the ASPCA’s new Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (R&R Center) in Pawling, NY might be right for you!

Who We Are

The work done at the R&R Center exemplifies the ASPCA’s “Do, Learn, Share” model, providing integrated medical and behavioral care to canine victims of animal cruelty, while contributing to organization-wide research, the results of which have far reaching implications for not only shelters, but also the field itself.

What You’ll Do:
The Senior Director, Veterinary Services will develop and grow the R&R’ Center’s medical program, leading a talented team of veterinary professionals. The successful candidate is a skilled clinician and strong leader who models open communication and transparency and approaches problems with curiosity, creativity, and optimism. The Senior Director, Veterinary Services values a multidisciplinary approach to whole animal rehabilitation and is an enthusiastic collaborator who welcomes a variety of perspectives to achieve optimal results.

• The Senior Director, Veterinary Services reports directly to the Vice President, Recovery & Rehabilitation Services and directly oversees three veterinarians and a Manager, Veterinary Services Staff. Indirect reports include four Licensed Veterinary Technicians, four Veterinary Assistants and one Manger, Medical Support.

Where & When You’ll Work:

• We are excited to welcome the ideal candidate to our team as soon as possible. As of May 2025, this will be an in-person position at the R&R Center in Pawling, NY and will require you live within a commuting distance to Pawling, NY within six months of hire.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% annually, as needed.

What You’ll Get:

Compensation

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and staff compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future. 

The target hiring range for this role is $198,000 - $210,000 annually.

This position is eligible for a signing bonus and relocation stipend.

Benefits

At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental, and optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, sick and bereavement time, paid parental leave, 10 company paid holidays, and paid personal time off that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.
• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar for dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.
• Robust professional development opportunities including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field, and so much more.
• We are also a qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Check our website for more information on our benefits offerings.  
 

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Planning and Strategy

• Lead all aspects of building the R&R Center’s veterinary services program, making high-level decisions regarding the veterinary team’s policies, operations, and strategic resource allocation
• Share responsibility for the creation and oversight of the R&R Center’s SOP package, working alongside fellow Senior Directors to delegate writing, review, and revision of all SOPs on an annual basis, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulatory requirements
• Work with fellow R&R Center leaders to develop a robust onboarding package for all new hires, updating and revising as the need arises
• Stay abreast of shelter medicine best practices and trends, applying new knowledge to R&R Center’s practices when appropriate
• Promote a culture of innovation by encouraging new ideas, processes, and technologies that enhance organizational effectiveness
• Gather and analyze data to assess the performance and outcomes of programs and processes, using results to recommend changes and achieve better results
• Proactively seek opportunities for program growth and serve as a champion for improvement
• Attend meetings with internal and external stakeholders, providing program-specific input to inform strategic decisions
• Strategically and responsibly steward ASPCA financial resources

People and Program Management

• Guide the team in understanding how their work connects to the mission, vision, values, and priorities of the APSCA, and to the broader field of Animal Welfare
• Create opportunities for cross-team communication, building connections between R&R Center staff and ASPCA staff in different facilities and in different departments, cultivating and modeling respect and consideration for subject matter experts from other fields
• Establish and maintain a healthy team culture, successfully leading the team through adversity, modeling excellent emotional regulation and resilience, and raising awareness organizational resources to prevent/address compassion fatigue, burnout, and trauma
• Model healthy work-life boundaries, establishing expectations for professionalism and for recovery time away from work and work adjacent activities
• Directly and immediately address conflict and concerns as the arise, ensuring difficult conversations are welcomed, timely, respectful, and productive
• Oversee the performance of the entire veterinary services team, clearly articulating expectations and goals, and evaluating outcomes to ensure alignment with organizational objectives
• Supervise direct reports, conducting regular one-on-one check-ins, setting clear and achievable goals, and monitoring performance to ensure consistent use sound judgement
• Coach direct reports through management challenges, facilitating a culture of accountability in which all team members are provided with ample and effective feedback
• Take ultimate responsibility for the Veterinary Services team’s mastery of low-stress handling, and adherence to standard operating procedures, protocols, and regulatory requirements
• Collaborate with fellow R&R Center leaders on workforce planning, recruiting and hiring, training and development, and employee recognition, collaborating with appropriate subject matter experts form the ASPCA’s larger team, and implementing creative and equitable programs in support of employee satisfaction and engagement

Clinical Veterinary Care

• Oversee the veterinary assessment and treatment of animals in the R&R Center’s care
• Provide timely, high quality veterinary care, including surgery and dentistry, in accordance with ASPCA protocols and shelter medicine principles and best practices
• Collaborate with other veterinarians and/or medical staff to ensure continuity of care for animals transferring to and from the R&R Center and to ensure the appropriate care is provided at specialty and emergency veterinary clinics
• Conduct daily rounds, collecting medical observations to inform treatment plans, the day’s priorities, and sharing observations and updates across teams in the appropriate meetings
• Perform clinical forensic exams, as needed, assisting in evidence collection and carefully documenting all examinations according to protocol
• Perform humane euthanasia, as appropriate, following relevant prior-authorization protocols for public owned animals and notification protocols for ASPCA owned animals
• Maintain chain of custody, following protocols for transfer and disposition of forensic evidence
• Complete reports for law enforcement, and testify as an expert witness, as needed
• Complete certificates of veterinary inspection, as appropriate, for transfer of animals between facilities and/or placement of animals released from care
• Maintain DEA licensure and oversee use of controlled substances for R&R Center operations
• Obtain relevant continuing education as required by the ASPCA and the state licensing board

Education and Work Experience

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited veterinary college required
• Licensed or license eligible to practice veterinary medicine in the state of New York required
• Minimum of 5 years’ small animal veterinary experience required
• Minimum of 3 years’ shelter medicine experience, including working directly on both individual animal and population level concerns required
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience managing a team of veterinary staff, including veterinarians required
• USDA accredited or obtained within 6 months of employment required
• Fear Free® Veterinary Certified, or completed within 60 days or hire required
• Residency training and/or board certification in shelter medicine preferred
• Experience in the development and implementation of new shelter medicine programs preferred
• Experience working with animal victims of cruelty and neglect and/or legal cases preferred

Qualifications

• Deep veterinary medical knowledge, including a strong foundation in shelter medicine principles and best practices
• Excellent low-stress handling and clinical skills, including efficient diagnosis and treatment of dogs for a variety of medical conditions
• Sound clinical judgement and resiliency to make timely end-of-life decisions for patients and to coach and support staff and volunteers regarding those decisions; readily able to work closely with animals who are suffering medically and/or behaviorally
• Displays concern for the safety and well-being of self, animals and others, especially under stress
• Leads with transparency, integrity, honesty and strong ethical principles
• Sets a clear direction and inspires others to work towards shared goals
• Fosters collaboration and creates strong work relationships based on trust and respect, freely and generously sharing knowledge, skills, and expertise
• Cultivates a climate in which diverse perspectives are solicited, encouraged, valued, and respected
• Flexible, easily adapting to change, helping others do the same, and artfully flexing leadership and communication styles to best support diverse individuals 
• Views conflict as generative, using disagreement to drive innovation, improve communication, clarify and articulate values, and build stronger relationships

• Values training and education for self and team, ensuring ample access to learning opportunities
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office
• Willing and able to travel up to 10% of the time 
• Ability to work weekdays, and flexibility to work occasional holidays or weekends when critical operational need arises Work takes place primarily indoor in climate-controlled spaces, and may occasionally take place outdoors in unpredictable weather conditions
• Work may occur in noisy environments and involves exposure to chemical and biological hazards such as medications, cleaning products, urine, feces, blood, and sharp objects
• Ability to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment, including but not limited to disposable coveralls, respirators or face masks, and booties

• Ability to work in a physically demanding environment that requires standing, walking, bending, squatting, and/or kneeling for extended periods of time
• Ability to lift and carry animals (50 pounds unassisted, 100 pounds with assistance)

Stay Connected – Join Our Talent Community

If you are interested in joining our team but do not see a position listed that fits your experience or interests, please visit our website to join our Talent Community and stay connected to future opportunities with the ASPCA.

Qualifications:

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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).

About Us:
The ASPCA was founded in 1866 on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans and must be protected under the law. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States.

The ASPCA is headquartered in New York City, where we maintain a full-service animal hospital, spay/neuter clinic, mobile spay/neuter and primary pet care clinics, a rehabilitation center for canine victims of cruelty, kitten nursery, adoption center, and two community veterinary centers.

The ASPCA also operates programs and services that extend nationwide. We assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources.

At the ASPCA, we are committed to fostering a collaborative and compassionate culture and we welcome all voices to contribute to our lifesaving mission. Our staff represent a vast array of backgrounds and diversity dimensions, bringing with them valuable experiences and perspectives. They join the ASPCA to learn, grow, and continually do their best work on behalf of animals. We are inspired by our staff, partners, and the communities we support across the country who work to improve animal lives. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the ASPCA because it elevates our organizational culture, aligns with our Core Values, and enables us to move further and faster toward the ASPCA’s vision – that all animals live good lives; valued by society, protected by its laws, and free from cruelty, pain and suffering.

Applicants that are residents of Colorado: Per CO Senate Bill 23-058, we cannot generally request or require any age-related information (i.e., age, DOB, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution) on an initial employment application; this includes any age-related inquiries in the initial interview. We are permitted to require/request additional application materials; if those materials contain any age-related information, an applicant may redact the information before submitting an initial employment application.