Associate Veterinarian

About the role

The National Aquarium is seeking an Associate Veterinarian, responsible for providing exemplary clinical and preventative medicine care for all our collection (invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and rehabilitating animals. The Associate Veterinarian will take a significant role in the clinical training of the Veterinary Fellow in collaboration with the Senior Veterinarian and Director of Animal Health. The Associate Veterinarian has managerial oversight for all aspects of the veterinary student preceptorship program, including recruitment, onboarding, directing work, and performance reviews.

Responsibilities

• Provide exemplary clinical and preventative medical care for all our collection (invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and rehabilitating animals, through strong team-based approaches and communications.
• Perform clinical exams on collection animals including interpretation of diagnostics and ability to review and interpret water quality.
• Perform gross necropsies, cytologies, and appropriate sample collection for all classes of animals.
• Create and maintain clear, concise, and detailed electronic medical records.
• Provide 24/7 on-call coverage for collection animals as well as stranded marine animals.
• Participate in coverage for stranding events, including field response as well as on-site intake exams for rehabilitation animals which usually occur outside of normal working hours.
• Maintain compliance and maintenance of standards of overseeing regulatory agencies (AZA, APHIS/USDA, NOAA, etc.).
• Monitor disease trends and husbandry practices as they relate to disease prevention in the collection and work with husbandry managers to address emergent issues and develop collaborative solutions.
• Coordinate animal acquisitions and dispositions, including record transfer and pre-shipment diagnostics, ensuring adherence with all state and federal testing requirements, in collaboration with partner institutions, while professionally representing NA operations.
• Ensure compliance and maintenance of standards of overseeing regulatory agencies (AZA, APHIS/USDA, NOAA, etc.).
• Conduct comprehensive reviews of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all chemicals used in facility projects to identify hazards and minimize risks to collection animals, rehabilitation animals, and life support systems.
• Provide in-house training on zoonotic disease prevention, infectious disease outbreak coordination, and other topics relevant to the collection.
• Act as a key liaison for the animal health team on the Welfare Committee, ensuring policy and welfare initiatives that ensure alignment with best practices and standards in health.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of high-quality welfare standards grounded in species-appropriate, evidence-based practices by advancing animal health standards, strengthening behavioral husbandry and enrichment initiatives, and providing oversight of nutritional frameworks.
• Represent National Aquarium in monthly pathology rounds and bi-annual morbidity and mortality reviews conducted in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University providing input to support high standards of diagnostic review and animal welfare.
• Contribute to professional knowledge exchange through professional presentations and publication of relevant information for colleagues and the broader professional community.
• Collaborate with internal teams to coordinate and assist with public and media relations initiatives as directed, ensuring consistent and professional representation.
• Mentor, manage, and implement the veterinary preceptorship program by managing student programs and compliance, providing clinical supervision and education, supporting student development and research, and organizing preceptor shadowing opportunities with internal ACW partners.

  Qualifications

  • Veterinary Degree (DVM, VMD) from an AVMA-accredited university.
  • Minimum of 4 years of experience with full-time practice in aquatic/zoological animal medicine; ACZM diplomat status or exam qualification is ideal.
  • Maryland veterinary license within 3 months of starting.
  • USDA Category II APHIS certification, within 3 months of starting.
  • Ability to work a flexible schedule that may include weekend, holiday, and/or evening hours.
  • Possess and maintain a valid and current motor vehicle operator’s license, have an acceptable driving record, and possess the ability to drive a variety of vehicles (cars, vans/trucks).
  • Completion of an internship and/or residency in aquatic/zoo animal medicine or equivalent experience.
  • Experience with electronic animal record keeping software (Tracks, ZIMS), proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Teams, Word, etc.).

  Benefits

  Total Compensation Information
  Salary range ($64,700-82,474 Annual).
  National Aquarium provides an excellent benefits package, including four weeks paid time off, and six paid floating holidays and up to four weeks of paid family leave. Employees are eligible for health care (single and family) after 30 days of full-time work. Conservation day leave and 401(k) plan with employer match available.