Lead Veterinarian

What you’ll do:

As Lead Veterinarian, you'll provide high-quality care across HQHVSN, wellness, dental, and community cat programs while helping expand access to veterinary care for underserved populations. This hands-on leadership role combines clinical practice with training and mentorship, supporting the development of veterinarians and maintaining strong medical standards across the organization. You'll work across service lines, contribute to mission-driven programs, and help shape the future of our veterinary services as we continue to grow. As new locations and programs emerge, you'll play a key role in ensuring our care, culture, and standards grow with them.

Work Schedule:

This is a full-time position with a four-day workweek. The Lead Veterinarian will work one of the following schedules:

• Monday–Thursday
• Tuesday–Friday

Specific schedule assignments will be determined based on clinic needs and candidate availability.

What you’ll get:

• Compensation: The target hiring range for this role is $170,000–$175,000 annually. Starting pay will depend on a variety of factors, including experience, training, education, and organizational needs. The hiring range reflects the anticipated range for new hires; compensation may increase over time based on performance and role growth, and the range may be adjusted as needed.
• Additional Compensation: This role is eligible for a $20,000 sign-on bonus, with: $10,000 paid upon hire, and $10,000 paid after one year of employment, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued employment in good standing.
• Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with 100% employer-paid premiums. Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) fully funded to cover the plan deductible, with funding levels based on coverage tier (employee-only, employee + spouse, or family). Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with optional employee enrollment. $500 annual employer contribution to the FSA, provided regardless of enrollment, plus an additional employer match of up to $500 for employees who enroll. 401(k) retirement plan with employer match: 100% match on the first 3% of contributions, plus 50% match on contributions up to 5%. Transit and parking benefit: $60 monthly employer contribution, applicable to either transit or parking at the employee’s discretion. Paid time off, paid sick time, and paid holidays.

Responsibilities:

• Clinical Care & Community:
• Maintain proficiency and independently provide all veterinary services offered by Flatbush Veterinary Clinic, including high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN), dentistry, wellness care, and community cat medicine.
• Perform pre-surgical examinations, including visual examinations of community cats, and determine patient suitability for anesthesia and surgery in accordance with clinic protocols.
• Identify conditions that may preclude safe anesthesia or surgery and defer patients as appropriate.
• Perform spay/neuter surgeries, dental procedures, and other services within the clinic's scope of practice. Independently manage surgical, anesthetic, and post-operative complications while providing clinical leadership during medical emergencies.
• Monitor patient recovery and ensure high standards of patient safety, quality care, and medical recordkeeping.
• Provide compassionate, high-quality preventive and wellness care, including client education on treatment plans, preventive medicine, and follow-up recommendations.
• Support and participate in community cat and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) initiatives, the organization's no-cost Community Clinic, and other mission-driven programs.
• Triage and refer cases that fall outside the clinic's scope of care.
• Leadership & Training:
• Serve as a clinical leader and mentor for veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and support staff.
• Train, onboard, and support veterinarians in HQHVSN surgery, dentistry, wellness care, community cat medicine, and clinical protocols.
• Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities to veterinary team members.
• Support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of clinical training programs.
• Uphold and advance clinic SOPs, medical standards, and evidence-based best practices.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, learning, accountability, and high-quality patient care.
• Operations & Organizational Support:
• Collaborate with clinic leadership to support efficient daily operations across all service lines.
• Support staffing, scheduling, recruitment, and workforce planning as needed.
• Foster effective communication and collaboration among clinic staff.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that expand access to affordable veterinary care.
• Maintain flexibility to provide clinical leadership and support across services and future clinic locations as organizational needs evolve.

Qualifications:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or equivalent from an AVMA-accredited institution
• Current New York State veterinary license, or ability to obtain prior to start date
• Active DEA license, or ability to obtain prior to start date
• Professional liability insurance (PLIT or equivalent)
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) surgery, with demonstrated ability to independently perform procedures on both dogs and cats
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in shelter medicine and/or access-to-care veterinary practice
• 3–5+ years of overall veterinary clinical experience preferred
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including mentoring, training, and developing veterinarians and veterinary support staff, with the ability to teach HQHVSN techniques and surgical best practices
• Experience with preventive and wellness care within a high-volume or access-to-care setting
• Strong clinical judgment with the ability to balance medical quality, efficiency, and patient safety in a fast-paced environment
• Commitment to building and sustaining a collaborative, supportive, mission-driven workplace culture
• Adaptability, professionalism, and resilience in an evolving clinical and organizational environment
• Language: English (Required)
• Bilingual (Spanish) Strongly Preferred