Senior Director, Veterinary Services

Summary:

The Senior Director, Veterinary Services is a dual leadership role that combines primary responsibility for veterinary care, clinical case management, and cross-functional leadership at the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC) with meaningful responsibility for shelter medicine consultation, mentorship, and training through Shelter Medicine Services.  

Who We Are 

The ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC), located in Weaverville, NC, is dedicated to the rehabilitation and study of dogs with significant fear, anxiety, and under-socialization, including dogs from cruelty, puppy mill, hoarding, and other challenging circumstances. The BRC team works collaboratively to improve dogs’ quality of life and prepare them for adoption through intensive, structured behavioral interventions and integrated veterinary, behavioral, and operational care. 

The Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) team improves the health and welfare of animals in shelters and communities by strategically applying expertise internally at the ASPCA and externally with key stakeholders. SMS supports the animal welfare field through consultation, training, educational resources, applied research, and strategic partnerships.  

What You’ll Do 

Approximately 70% of the role focuses on the BRC’s population of dogs undergoing behavior modification and rehabilitation, and approximately 30% focuses on applying shelter medicine expertise externally through consultation, training, and mentorship. The Senior Director, Veterinary Services’ primary focus is overseeing veterinary care for dogs at the BRC, ensuring that individual medical needs and population health considerations are integrated with behavioral rehabilitation goals. They oversee two Managers, Veterinary Services who support the daily medical care for dogs at the BRC. They partner closely with behavior and operations leaders to make thoughtful, transparent, and humane decisions that support dogs’ physical and behavioral well-being. The Senior Director also plays a key role in providing shelter medicine expertise to external animal welfare organizations through consultation and training of shelter and veterinary professionals. 

To succeed in this role, the Senior Director must bring breadth and depth of shelter medicine clinical expertise in individual and population-level practice, strong interest and skill in animal behavior and low-stress handling, and the ability to collaborate across veterinary, behavior, operations, and shelter medicine teams. Success also requires excellent interpersonal, communication, leadership, mentoring, and critical thinking skills, along with enthusiasm for training shelter professionals and supporting practical implementation of high-quality animal care. 

The Senior Director, Veterinary Services is in a matrixed reporting structure. This role reports directly to the Senior Vice President (SVP), Veterinary Medicine and also reports to the Vice President, BRC in a dotted line link. This position has two direct reports. 

Where and When You’ll Work 

•  This is an in-person position and reports to the Behavior Rehabilitation Center in Weaverville, NC 

• The role also requires the ability and willingness to travel up to 15% for shelter medicine consultation, training, deployments, and other ASPCA programmatic needs. 

• Working hours are generally Monday through Friday but vary due to events, travel, or programmatic needs. The Senior Director must have flexibility to sometimes work evenings, weekends, and holidays when needed. Schedules are subject to change as needed by the ASPCA. 

What You’ll Get 

Compensation

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.   

• The target hiring range for this role is $150,000 - $158,000 annually for a Veterinarian who is not board-certified in Shelter Medicine Practice 

• The target hiring range for this role is $156,000 - $164,000 annually for a Veterinarian board-certified in Shelter Medicine Practice 

Benefits 

At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage 

• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you 

• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year 

• Robust professional development opportunities, including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field and so much more 

Responsibilities:

Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance. They include, but are not limited to: 

BRC Leadership and Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a key member of the BRC leadership team, sharing accountability for the effectiveness and success of the BRC as a whole, and collaborating with behavior and operations leaders to support integrated care that considers dogs’ physical and behavioral well-being, quality of life, and readiness for adoption

• Bring veterinary expertise to leadership decisions while considering behavioral, operational, resource, and broader organizational implications 

• Participate constructively in collective decision-making, working with colleagues to promote timely, consistent decisions, and support those decisions once made 

• Communicate directly, proactively, and transparently with leadership colleagues about information and developments affecting their teams or the broader BRC

• Serve as a champion in times of change management and proactively assist in identifying ways to improve people, policies, and veterinary protocols

BRC Veterinary Program Leadership, Clinical Case Management, and Population Health

• Oversee veterinary assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical case management for dogs in the BRC’s care, integrating medical care with behavioral rehabilitation goals

• Provide timely, high-quality, practical, compassionate, and cost-efficient veterinary care, including timely recognition of conditions requiring emergency or specialty care, in accordance with ASPCA protocols, shelter medicine principles, and best practices

• Oversee the review of medical records for canine candidates for the BRC behavior modification program and liaise with transferring organizations’ veterinary teams to ensure dogs meet medical inclusion criteria before transport

• Conduct daily rounds, collecting medical observations to inform treatment plans, the day’s priorities, and sharing observations and updates across teams in the appropriate meetings  

• Ensure individual patients and the population are assessed daily and that treatment, intervention, quarantine, isolation, and PPE recommendations are implemented in a timely manner

• Oversee the use of psychotropic medications according to standard treatment protocols and consult with veterinary behaviorists as needed

• Complete certificates of veterinary inspection, as appropriate, for transfer of animals between facilities and/or placement of animals released from care

• Perform humane euthanasia when appropriate, working closely with behavior and operations colleagues to ensure appropriate decision-making and compassionate, low-stress procedures

• Provide a safe and compassionate environment for animals in our care, our staff, and clients by using trauma-informed communication and low-stress handling techniques. Communicate program status changes and outcome decisions to the BRC team with compassion, clarity, and transparency

• Maintain regular communication and active partnership with veterinary colleagues across ASPCA programs and with the Senior Vice President of Veterinary Medicine to align protocols, trainings, and recommendations.

• Ensure relevant licensure, continuing education, controlled-substance compliance, occupational safety practices, and all applicable medical and legal documentation

Shelter Medicine Consultation, Mentorship, and Training

• Provide shelter medicine expertise to external sheltering organizations, with emphasis on practical application of individual and population health principles

• Coach and trouble-shoot the development, implementation, and continued refinement of key shelter medicine practices (e.g. capacity for care, daily rounds, and pathway planning)

• Model continual commitment to improving animal care to advance the principle that animals have positive welfare in animal shelters and communities

• Lead remote and onsite shelter consultations, including assessment of shelter health, operations, clinical management, and implementation of recommendations

• Mentor shelter medicine residents, veterinarians, and shelter professionals through consultative work, training, and collaborative problem solving

• Develop and help implement efficient, effective protocols for high-quality, humane, and cost-efficient veterinary care in shelter and community contexts

• Develop and deliver presentations, written materials, training content, and educational resources on shelter medicine and community animal health

• Generate and use shelter-level data and program information to support recommendations, reporting, decision-making, and evaluation of shelter medicine programming

• Contribute to strategic veterinary medical, educational, and animal welfare efforts that advance shelter medicine and high-quality care for sheltered and at-risk animals.

• Serve in strategic roles in veterinary medical, educational, and animal welfare organizations on a regional or national level to promote shelter medicine and community animal health

• Work with the SVP, Veterinary Medicine, and VP, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs to advise and educate on issues pertaining to shelter medicine, animal health, and animal welfare

• Maintain proactive communication with the SVP, Veterinary Medicine as to any critical situations or issues that may arise in work with internal and external stakeholders

Staff Management

• Manage a team of 2 Managers, Veterinary Services at the BRC to succeed in their role by communicating clear expectations, providing opportunities for learning & development, and building positive and trusting relationships

• Supervise, motivate, and mentor staff through regular 1:1s, team meetings, performance evaluations, check-ins, and ongoing coaching conversations 

• Set, monitor, and achieve individual and team goals aligned with ASPCA Core Values, behavioral competencies, and strategic priorities; track performance and address challenges as needed

• Foster a positive, collaborative, and inclusive team culture built on mutual respect, accountability, flexibility, communication, and continuous feedback 

• Lead recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and retention efforts for BRC staff, identifying current and future development opportunities

• Participate in strategic planning, cross-departmental initiatives, and departmental activities that advance team and organizational goals

• Schedule and facilitate meetings, both in person and remote, to ensure effective communication, collaboration, and engagement

Qualifications:

• High level of knowledge and experience in shelter medicine practice and companion animal population health required

• Strong organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills: able to identify key metrics, communicate persuasively to stakeholders, translate information into resources that inform decision making, and present materials to others
• Skillful and diplomatic communicator, possessing confidence and composure required to effectively communicate with staff and management at a variety of levels 

• Innovative, creative and solution-minded problem-solver with a positive, proactive attitude in the face of complex challenges 

• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead teams, even without formal authority, by demonstrating flexibility, resiliency, and commitment

• Proven coach and mentor who inspires, guides, and supports other individuals to successfully reach complex, long-term goals

• Strong sense of integrity: able to maintain high professional standards while innovating and adjusting recommendations and approaches to meet programmatic needs in a way that is productive and well-received by stakeholders

• Must be able to identify opportunities and assist in the development of new projects and partnerships

• Able to work well under pressure, adapt to changing circumstances, and shift priorities based on animal and organizational needs 

• Ability to exemplify ASPCA’s core values and behavioral competencies

Education and Experience:

• Current veterinary license in one or more states required; valid NC veterinarian license or obtaining one within 60 days required.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited veterinary college required

• Minimum 5 years of clinical veterinary experience required

• Minimum 3 years of robust shelter medicine experience, including working directly in or closely with a variety of sheltering organizations on both individual animal and population level practice required

• Board certification in Shelter Medicine Practice preferred; if not currently certified, eligible and invested in becoming board-certified in Shelter Medicine

• Prior leadership experience required, including but not limited to staff management, mentoring, coaching, and/or training

• Experience providing coaching, mentorship and training in the shelter medicine field preferred

• Fear Free Shelter and Fear Free Veterinary certification required within 60 days of hire

Language:

Education and Work Experience: