Director, Animal Resource Program; Chief, Division of Comparative Medicine

About the role

The Penn State College of Medicine is seeking a non-tenure line, faculty clinical veterinarian to serve as the Director, Animal Resource Program (ARP) and Chief, Division of Comparative Medicine.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the institution’s AAALAC-accredited animal resource program, while serving as the senior comparative medicine leader within the Department of Surgery.
• Ensure the highest standards of animal welfare, regulatory compliance, and research support, while advancing innovative, collaborative, and translational research programs.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team delivering veterinary care, husbandry, technical services, and research support across a complex biomedical research enterprise.
• Regulatory compliance & accreditation: Promote a culture of ethical research, scientific excellence, and animal welfare. Ensure the infrastructure, processes, and resources are in place to support adherence to institutional SOPs, policies, and guidelines, as well as compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and accreditation standards (USDA, OLAW/PHS Policy, AAALAC International).
• Partner closely with the Institutional Official and IACUC to ensure ethical and humane animal use, including serving as a voting member of the IACUC to review research protocols. Ensure corrective actions are implemented when compliance deficiencies are identified, in coordination with appropriate governing bodies.
• Support the implementation and consistent application of standards for anesthesia, analgesia, and humane endpoints. Ensure investigator access to expert consultation provided by the ARP veterinarians regarding: Animal model selection and refinement.
• Oversee and ensure access to veterinary and technical expertise to: Support development of innovative models and translational approaches; Assist researchers in the preparation of IACUC protocols and grant submissions; Drive animal model development and optimization; Provide guidance on surgical planning and specialized procedures.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration across departments, centers, and biomedical core facilities. Contribute to grant development, program project initiatives, and institutional research growth.
• Financial and operational leadership: Partner with the Director, Business Operations to oversee the operational management of the ARP including: Long-range strategic planning, Strategic budget development and performance management, Cost recovery models and service level pricing, Drive efficient stewardship of institutional resources while maintaining high-quality service delivery. Ensure organizational structures, staffing, and professional development resources support a high-performing comparative medicine research ecosystem. Lead workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and professional development of faculty and staff.
• Academic leadership: Serve as Chief, Division of Comparative Medicine within the Department of Surgery. Provide academic leadership for faculty within the division. Conduct annual faculty evaluations and mentor faculty toward promotion and career development, ensuring excellence in service, research, and teaching activities. Support faculty recruitment, appointment, career development and promotion processes. Collaborate with departmental and institutional leadership to integrate comparative medicine into translational and surgical research initiatives. Review, refine and support ACLAM residency training program.

Requirements

• DVM/VMD (or equivalent veterinary degree).
• Board certification in Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) or equivalent (e.g., ECLAM).
• Eligibility for veterinary licensure in Pennsylvania.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in a comparative medicine or laboratory animal program, preferably in an academic or research-intensive environment.
• Demonstrated experience in veterinary clinical and emergency care, and in vivo bio methodology training.
• Extensive knowledge of: Animal welfare regulations and accreditation standards; Research animal models and biomedical research support.
• Proven ability to lead complex teams, manage institutional risk, and drive strategic initiatives.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Required: DVM/VMD (or equivalent veterinary degree).
• Required: Board certification in Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) or equivalent (e.g., ECLAM).
• Required: Eligibility for veterinary licensure in Pennsylvania.
• Required: Demonstrated leadership experience in a comparative medicine or laboratory animal program, preferably in an academic or research-intensive environment.
• Required: Demonstrated experience in veterinary clinical and emergency care, and in vivo bio methodology training.
• Required: Extensive knowledge of: Animal welfare regulations and accreditation standards; Research animal models and biomedical research support.
• Required: Proven ability to lead complex teams, manage institutional risk, and drive strategic initiatives.
• Preferred: 10 years of previous leadership and managerial experience in an academic research program using animal models.
• Preferred: Prior experience with AAALAC accreditation and USDA inspections.
• Preferred: Strong vision for advancing biomedical research in a rapidly evolving research landscape.
• Preferred: Aptitude for technology solutions – i.e. animal EMR, inventory tracking system, etc.

Skills

• Leadership and management skills.
• Strategic planning and budgeting.
• Interpersonal and communication skills.
• Technical expertise in veterinary care and research support.
• Collaborative and interdisciplinary skills.
• Grant development and program management.
• Academic and administrative responsibilities.
• Technology solutions and innovation.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Robust retirement plans.
• 75% tuition discount for employees and eligible spouses and children.

Pay

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

Schedule

This is an on-site position, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania.