Veterinary Assistant -Shift Lead, Daytime, ER

Job Description

Animal Emergency of South Orange County is a fully equipped 24/7 emergency and urgent care hospital, open nights, weekends, and holidays to provide critical care when it's needed most. We treat dogs, cats, and provide supportive care to exotics, and we're proud to partner with local Animal Services to assist in the care of local wildlife in need of medical attention.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary shift lead and key holder during assigned shifts
• Navigate hospital and treatment floor flow during high-volume and critical cases
• Support team coordination, communication, and task delegation throughout the shift
• Aid in real-time prioritization of incoming emergencies and hospitalized patients
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and support to technicians and assistants on shift
• Escalate operational concerns appropriately and communicate updates to leadership
• Promote a positive, accountable, and team-focused culture overnight
• Attend monthly Shift Lead meetings focused on hospital improvement, workflow development, communication initiatives, and team growth
• Support implementation of hospital protocols, training initiatives, and workflow improvements

Technical Responsibilities

• Support triage, patient flow, and treatment prioritization
• Assist veterinarians in emergency procedures, diagnostics, surgery, and stabilization
• Manage hospitalized patient care including IV fluids, medication administration, CRI setup, and monitoring
• Recognize abnormal patient trends and escalate appropriately
• Assist and monitor during procedures, surgery, and endoscopy
• Perform IV catheter placement, blood draws, diagnostic sampling, and in-house lab testing
• Maintain accurate treatment sheets and medical records
• Maintain clean, organized treatment and hospital areas
• Maintain professionalism and composure during high-volume emergency situations

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Active California RVT license a plus
• Minimum 2+ years veterinary experience (ER/Urgent Care strongly preferred)
• Prior leadership, mentorship, or charge/lead experience preferred
• Must function at a DarkBlue Badge to Maroon Badge competency level (Testing provided), including:
• Strong triage awareness and emergency workflow understanding
• Advanced IV catheter placement and fluid therapy management
• Accurate medical math and drug calculations
• Monitoring critical patients and identifying subtle changes
• Running in-house diagnostics and supporting radiographs
• Advanced restraint and strong technical confidence
• RECOVER CPR knowledge preferred (certification a plus)
• Strong communication skills, professionalism, leadership presence, and team-first mindset

Career Opportunities

• Candidates passionate about mentorship, hospital growth, and leadership development are strongly encouraged to apply

Compensation & Differentials

• Pay is based on experience and competency level: $30–$45/hour
• Compensation is determined by badge placement testing, completed on-site during the second interview
• Overnight Differential: +$2/hr (10pm–8am)
• Weekend Differential: +$3/hr (Fri 6pm–Mon 8am)
• Differentials stack
• Sign-On Bonus: Up to $2,500 for qualified candidates