ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

High-Quality, High-Volume Surgery

Perform high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter surgeries on dogs and cats, including pediatric, adult, community cat and shelter patients.

Routinely complete approximately 30 spay/neuter surgeries during a fully staffed clinic day, with the ability to reach 35 or more depending on patient mix, staffing, training, clinic conditions and organizational need.

Conduct preoperative physical examinations and determine each patient’s suitability for anesthesia and surgery.

Modify anesthetic and surgical plans appropriately based on patient age, weight, health status and individual risk factors.

Perform surgical procedures using efficient, atraumatic and evidence-based techniques.

Recognize and respond appropriately to anesthetic complications, surgical complications and medical emergencies.

Ensure appropriate perioperative pain management, anesthetic monitoring and postoperative recovery.

Provide timely evaluation and treatment of postoperative concerns and complications.

Maintain accurate, complete and timely medical records.

Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, professional standards and organizational medical protocols.

Uphold the PETS Work Culture Agreement through Praise, Engagement, Trust, and Support.

Surgical Quality and Clinic Operations

Partner with clinic leadership and the surgical support team to create and maintain safe, consistent and efficient patient flow.

Participate in daily surgical rounds, case review and team communication.

Help identify operational barriers affecting surgical volume, patient safety, staff performance or clinic efficiency.

Support standardized protocols for patient selection, anesthesia, surgery, recovery, discharge and postoperative care.

Review surgical outcomes and participate in quality-assurance activities, including monitoring complication rates, mortality, anesthetic events, surgical efficiency and other key performance indicators.

Provide constructive feedback, coaching and hands-on mentorship to veterinary technicians, assistants, students and other team members.

Promote a learning environment in which staff members are encouraged to raise safety concerns, ask questions and improve their technical skills.

Assist with the evaluation and responsible implementation of new equipment, supplies, medications, techniques and workflow improvements.

Maintain appropriate standards of sanitation, infection control, controlled-substance security and surgical-suite organization.

Use organizational resources responsibly and support cost-effective medical and surgical practices without compromising patient care.

Leadership and Collaboration

Model Anti-Cruelty’s values and support a respectful, inclusive and accountable workplace.

Work collaboratively with veterinarians, clinic managers, veterinary support staff and operational leaders.

Communicate medical decisions clearly, respectfully and promptly.

Maintain professional composure and sound clinical judgment in a fast-paced environment.

Participate in staff meetings, trainings, continuing education and organizational initiatives.

Represent Anti-Cruelty professionally in interactions with clients, partners, volunteers, students and members of the public.

Perform other duties consistent with the position and organizational mission.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Success in this position will be evaluated using a balanced set of quality, capacity and teamwork measures, which may include:

Surgical volume appropriate to patient mix, staffing and scheduled clinic hours.

Surgical and anesthetic complication rates.

Patient mortality and morbidity.

Adherence to medical and surgical protocols.

Medical-record accuracy and timeliness.

Effective use of clinic resources.

Contribution to team development and surgical workflow.

Support of shelter flow and reduction of surgery-related delays in placement.

Professional communication, collaboration and workplace conduct.

Surgical volume expectations will be evaluated in the context of patient complexity, staffing levels, equipment availability, training needs and other clinic conditions affecting safe surgical capacity.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited veterinary school.

Current Illinois veterinary license, or ability to obtain Illinois licensure before employment.

Current DEA registration, or ability to obtain registration, if required for assigned duties.

Experience performing high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgery

Demonstrated competency in canine and feline ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy and orchiectomy required.

Experience performing pediatric spay/neuter procedures strongly preferred.

Shelter medicine, community medicine or nonprofit veterinary experience preferred.

Experience supervising, training or mentoring veterinary support staff preferred.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Excellent surgical technique and sound clinical judgment.

Demonstrated ability to perform surgery efficiently without compromising quality or patient safety.

Thorough knowledge of anesthesia, analgesia, aseptic technique, emergency response and postoperative care.

Ability to assess surgical risk and make appropriate decisions regarding patient acceptance, postponement or referral.

Ability to manage complications calmly and effectively.

Ability to work productively within a highly coordinated surgical team.

Ability to give and receive feedback professionally.

Commitment to accessible veterinary care, progressive animal sheltering and reducing barriers to spay/neuter services.

Strong communication, organizational and medical-recordkeeping skills.

Ability to balance individual patient needs with population-level responsibilities.

Commitment to continuing education and ongoing improvement in surgical skill and clinic operations.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work is performed in veterinary clinic, surgical and animal shelter environments.

The position requires prolonged standing and repetitive use of hands and arms during surgical procedures.

Must be able to bend, reach, stoop and move safely within clinical and animal housing environments.

Must be able to lift and carry animals or equipment weighing up to 40 pounds independently and heavier animals with assistance.

May be exposed to animal waste, cleaning chemicals, zoonotic disease, anesthetic gases, medications, sharp instruments, loud noise and animals with unpredictable behavior.

Must be able to wear required personal protective equipment.

Schedule may include early mornings, evenings, weekends or holidays based on clinic and shelter needs.

No routine overnight on-call responsibilities are anticipated unless separately established by organizational policy.

Ability to work in an open-office environment.

Due to nature of shelter work, may be exposed to deceased, fractious, or aggressive animals; hostile or irate persons; zoonotic or other diseases; unpleasant noises, odors, or sights; and extreme temperatures.

COMPENSATION

Anti-Cruelty offers a comprehensive benefits package, professional development support and the opportunity to build a high-impact surgical program serving shelter animals, community pets and families throughout Chicago.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The job description is a guide to the essential functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, and work environment conditions. Job descriptions are reviewed and revised to meet the changing needs of the organization at the sole discretion of management.

Anti-Cruelty is an equal opportunity employer.

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