Senior Vet Tech

Compensation: $28-$38/hr depending on experience

About The Mitzvah Fund

The Mitzvah Fund is an independent, Vermont-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free and low-cost veterinary care to low-income veterans, low-income seniors, unhoused individuals, domestic abuse survivors, and low-income disabled first responders. Our care is delivered via "Baby Huey," a 44-foot mobile veterinary unit equipped with a surgical suite, dental suite, and extensive diagnostic imaging, bringing high-quality veterinary services directly to the communities who need them most.

We're looking for a Senior Veterinary Surgical Technician who thrives in a fast-paced, tight-quarters mobile clinic environment and is passionate about making a direct impact in the lives of underserved pet owners and their animals.

Position Summary

The Senior Veterinary Surgical Technician plays a critical role in both patient care and daily operations aboard our mobile unit. This role combines advanced clinical nursing skills — anesthesia monitoring, phlebotomy, surgical and dental support — with senior-level operational responsibilities, including inventory management, equipment maintenance, and rigorous daily sanitation of the mobile clinic.

Responsibilities

Clinical & Surgical Nursing

• Manage and monitor complex anesthetic patients using advanced monitoring equipment (Blood Pressure/Doppler, ETCO2, SPO2, EKG, Ultrasound)
• Perform phlebotomy on dogs and cats (cephalic, saphenous, and jugular puncture)
• Place and manage intravenous catheters
• Handle fractious cats and dogs using Fear Free principles; Fear Free Certification preferred, including the ability to construct Chill Protocols under DVM approval
• Calculate drug dosages for go-home medications under DVM approval
• Set up, break down, and maintain surgical and dental instruments and equipment
• Perform dental scaling and polishing; capture full mouth intraoral dental radiographs

Equipment & Recordkeeping

• Perform basic daily maintenance of dental units, compressors, autoclaves, anesthesia machines, oxygen generators, gas scavenging systems, X-ray and dental X-ray units, ultrasound equipment, microscopes, and centrifuges, including software troubleshooting
• Anticipate daily surgical and inventory needs
• Maintain accurate computer and handwritten controlled-drug logs
• Document client interactions, patient updates, doctor conversations, and treatment plans

Client Communication & Care Coordination

• Update clients per intake plans and communicate patient needs/expectations to overnight staff
• Build treatment plans with veterinarians, providing clients with clear cost ranges, potential complications, and prescription estimates
• Prepare and revise detailed discharge materials — go-home instructions, dental charts, surgical and medical care plans — tailored for clients with physical or cognitive challenges (e.g., pre-organized pill containers for complex post-op regimens)
• Follow through on complicated discharges with patience for clients experiencing anxiety or fear
• Coordinate with support and professional staff to keep client and patient interactions safe and low-stress
• Communicate with referring veterinarians regarding urgent or chronic findings (e.g., newly diagnosed heart disease, new diabetic diagnosis)
• Partner with the Client Care Manager to ensure billing is completed, posted accurately, applied to the correct grant/fund source, and records are sent to the referring or future DVM

Senior Technician Operations

• Conduct weekly inventory reviews (dental machine/burrs, fluids, phlebotomy supplies, catheters, paper products, surgical scrub solutions, pharmacy supplies, gloves, etc.)
• Clean and maintain anesthesia monitors, lines, and the dental unit per protocol
• Perform daily post-clinic cleaning of the mobile unit to hospital-grade sanitation standards, including cabinets, floors, walls, vacuuming, mopping, cage sanitizing, and laundry
• Maintain and empty all three onboard vacuums (FurMe, surgical Shark, Floor Vac)
• Follow the specific two-bucket mopping protocol (Rescue disinfectant, then deodorizing cleanser)

Mobile Unit Management

• Fill water tanks daily and empty the grey water tank per seasonal protocol
• Prepare the truck interior for travel each evening before clinic days (secure surgical lights, X-ray unit, autoclave, charge iPad/ultrasound, secure stools, instrument trays, and cage doors)
• Perform additional deep cleaning after high-volume clinic days (e.g., CVCOA or Friday clinics)
• Complete pre-clinic day checks (generator start-up, Big Foot stabilizer deployment)
• Promptly advise management or the designated board member of any complications before the truck is moved

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a veterinary technician/nurse, with senior-level comfort in anesthesia monitoring and surgical/dental support
• Strong phlebotomy and IV catheter placement skills across canine and feline patients
• Fear Free certification preferred
• Comfort with drug dosage calculations under veterinarian supervision
• Excellent organizational skills for inventory, equipment maintenance, and controlled substance logging
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for client education and interdisciplinary coordination
• Compassion and patience working with vulnerable client populations, including veterans, seniors, unhoused individuals, and first responders
• Willingness to perform hands-on cleaning and mobile unit upkeep in a compact working environment
• Comfortable with physical demands of a mobile clinic setting (loading/unloading equipment, standing for extended periods, working in tight quarters)

Why Join Us

This is a chance to bring high-quality veterinary care directly to Vermonters who might otherwise go without it: veterans, seniors on fixed incomes, unhoused community members, and disabled first responders. You'll work as part of a close-knit, mission-driven team aboard a state-of-the-art mobile veterinary unit, with real ownership over both patient care and clinic operations.