Veterinary Scientist - Temporary

HOW YOU WILL IMPACT OUR MISSION

The Veterinary Scientist conducts independent and collaborative veterinary research in a specialized area of veterinary medicine to foster better health outcomes for wildlife in our care, support relevant Conservation Hub projects and programs, and contribute to the wildlife health and conservation community through publication, presentations, and continuing education.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Drafts and supports applied veterinary health and conservation research.
• Uses veterinary and research expertise to bolster wildlife health initiatives focused on disease investigations, population medicine, and preventative care.
• Informs protocols and practices to improve care and management of animals across the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and SDZWA’s field programs.
• Collaborates with scientific colleagues within and outside the organization to support recovery of endangered and threatened species.
• Supports initiatives aimed at improving aspects of wildlife health outcomes (prevention, diagnosis, clinical management) through adaptive management strategies within a Conservation Standards framework.
• Publishes and disseminates results of wildlife health research and investigations in peer-reviewed scientific journals, conferences, or other relevant outlets; prepares and delivers internal presentations at all-staff or department meetings, or as needed for various internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for project-staff oversight, including supervision of non-employee team members and mentorship of research associates, students, fellows, graduate students and post-doctoral associates.
• While prioritizing initiatives that align with SDZWA’s mission, assists with grant writing and working with Philanthropy team on securing external funding. Contributing to development, tracking, and forecasting of project-level budgets.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• The Disease Investigations (DI) Department (Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance) is looking for a veterinary scientist for a collaborative role at the intersection of wildlife health, conservation, and partnership. They will work as an integrated member of a team supporting pathology, molecular diagnostics, and research, with a primary focus on joint initiatives with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Experience in areas of infectious disease or environmental toxicology preferred.
• The candidate will engage with DI, other SDZWA Conservation Science groups, and with an emerging statewide Wildlife Health Cooperative to advance wildlife health and disease surveillance capacity across state agencies, academic institutions, and NGOs.
• This position will primarily be based at the Beckman Center in Escondido, with occasional shifts at the Zoo in San Diego.

JOB EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 1 year of experience in translating research to understand and improve wildlife health outcomes required.
• Minimum 3 years of experience conducting wildlife health focused research in a veterinary medicine specialty required.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, or equivalent required.
• A Ph.D. in biological sciences with a focus in areas such veterinary medicine, infectious disease, toxicology, epidemiology, bioinformatics, or disease ecology is required.
• Diplomate status or board certification in a professional college desired (if applicable).
• Veterinary licensure in the US, preferably California, may be required for some assignments.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Strong working knowledge of veterinary medicine, veterinary research, biological and life science.
• Demonstrated expertise in a wildlife health discipline.
• Strong working knowledge of governmental regulations applicable to animal disease, pathogens, research, hazardous materials, and safety.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and revise manuscripts for peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with veterinary and non-veterinary teams and in a diverse and inclusive environment.
• Effective written and oral communication skills for scientific, medical, and general audiences.
• Ability to operate specialized computer software and data analysis tools relevant to the discipline.
• Willingness to engage in continued learning and stay informed on current developments in wildlife health research.