Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
About the role
The ASPCA’s Community Medicine (CM) team provides expert veterinary care to support the welfare of animals and their people through our stationary and mobile veterinary clinics, serving underserved communities in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. We help pet owners overcome barriers to care, bringing quality services directly to the communities that need us most and partially or fully subsidizing the cost of basic and preventive care. CM treats people and pets with dignity and respect, assisting pet owners in making informed decisions about their pets’ health and wellbeing regardless of their financial circumstances.
Responsibilities
- Support two medical functions—high quality/high volume spay neuter surgery (HQHVSN) and primary pet care (PPC)—for pet cats and dogs living with their families in ASPCA service areas and animals in the care of the rescue community.
- Direct workflow on the floor, assisting the veterinarian in administering medical treatments and communicating with clients.
- Work closely with the CVC management team to coordinate the flow of work throughout the day to deliver high quality care and optimize our impact for animals in the communities we serve.
- Perform a broad range of veterinary technician functions, including venipuncture, anesthesia monitoring, surgical preparation and assistance, diagnostics, pharmacy and patient recovery.
- Communicate effectively with clients using a kind, nonjudgmental approach—assist with intake, obtain history and discharge patients.
- Oversee workflow on the clinic floor and ensure that all medical staff are efficiently using their time and skills to help the optimal number of patients daily.
- Ensure staff consistently delivers high-quality patient care and adheres to CM’s standard operating procedures and guidelines.
- Coach nursing staff to handle patients in a gentle, low-stress manner; instill the guiding principle that everyone can—and should—actively support the animals’ behavioral and mental health in everything they do.
- Coach staff to communicate effectively with clients, to accurately relay information and to gather patient history and other information using open ended questions and a non-judgmental approach.
- Maintain accurate drug logs for controlled drugs and report issues to clinic director.
- Ensure staff take all mandatory rest and meal breaks and adhere to time and attendance guidelines.
- Train and onboard new nursing team members, including hands-on skills training and weekly online training modules.
- Monitor and assess trainees’ progress, provide regular developmental feedback and coaching.
- Aid in training rotating Interns and Residents and veterinary and technical students through coaching, discussion and demonstration.
- Serve on the CVC Leadership Team.
- Support a culture of kindness, respect, belonging and teamwork through regular 1:1s, recognition, developmental coaching, performance evaluation and feedback.
- Lead a culture of safety and security in the clinic—report safety incidents promptly and address root causes to prevent future injuries or accidents.
- Assist with hiring new staff, scheduling nursing staff for optimal coverage, managing team time and attendance, reviewing time sheets for accuracy, approving time off requests according to clinic guidelines, facilitating daily huddles, and meeting regularly with the CVC management team.
- Meet regularly with the CVC management team; provide open communication, feedback and solutions when things aren’t working as they should.
Qualifications
- Must have graduated from an accredited school of veterinary science technology (2 or 4 year program) or the equivalent as determined by the New York State Education Department.
- Minimum five years experience as a Registered Veterinary Technician in small animal medicine and surgery; experience in shelter medicine and/or high volume spay/neuter surgery strongly preferred.
- Minimum two years people management experience.
- Must have current New York State Veterinary Technician License.
- Ability to work well within a team and communicate effectively with all levels of staff.
- Desire to serve clients in a kind, helpful and nonjudgmental manner.
- Strong interest in animal welfare and serving underserved communities.
- Excellent animal handling skills.
- Able to lift and carry 40-plus pounds repeatedly throughout the day with assistance.
- Able to work standing for 8 or more hours.
- Fear Free® Shelter certification is required within 60 days of hire.
Skills
- Effective communication skills.
- Animal handling skills.
- Time management and organization skills.
- Leadership and team management skills.
- Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Customer service skills.
Benefits
Terrific benefits package: medical, dental, and vision insurance, pre-tax dependent care and health flexible spending accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions beginning after one year of service, employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance and more (note that benefits are subject to change annually).
Pay
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.
Schedule and Location
This is typically a Monday – Friday, 8-hour schedule; flexibility to work occasionally beyond the scheduled workday required. Schedules are subject to change at the sole discretion of the ASPCA. This is an on-site position at the Community Veterinary Clinic.