Medical Services Manager

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Palm Springs Animal Shelter is seeking an experienced veterinary professional and people leader to oversee the daily operations of our Medical Department.

This is an opportunity for a skilled Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) or veterinary hospital leader to play a key role in advancing animal welfare in one of California's most progressive animal shelters. Working in close partnership with the Medical Director, the Medical Services Manager provides leadership for a busy medical team responsible for the care of thousands of animals each year.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical veterinary knowledge with exceptional management skills. They are passionate about developing staff, maintaining high standards of patient care, improving operational efficiency, and helping animals move successfully through the shelter system.

This position serves as the operational leader of the Medical Department, ensuring that medical services, inventory management, regulatory compliance, scheduling, record keeping, and staff performance are consistently aligned with the shelter's mission and standards of care.   

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following: 

Medical Operations Leadership

• Oversee the daily operations and workflow of the Medical Department.


• Ensure timely and appropriate medical care for all shelter animals.


• Partner with the Medical Director to implement best practices in shelter medicine.


• Monitor treatment plans, patient flow, and medical outcomes.


• Serve as the primary point of contact for routine medical department operations.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of veterinary assistants and medical staff.


• Recruit, onboard, train, and evaluate medical team members.


• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, learning, and compassion.


• Create staffing schedules and ensure appropriate departmental coverage.


• Facilitate regular team meetings and staff development opportunities.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations governing veterinary practice and controlled substances.


• Oversee controlled drug inventory, record keeping, storage, and audits.


• Ensure accurate medical records and proper documentation.


• Monitor radiation safety compliance, dosimetry reporting, and equipment maintenance.

Resource & Program Management

• Manage medical inventory, pharmaceutical supplies, and ordering processes.


• Oversee vendor relationships and coordinate specialty consultations and contract veterinary services.


• Support shelter-funded medical assistance programs and associated documentation.


• Collaborate with volunteers, externship programs, outside veterinarians, and partner organizations to strengthen medical services.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Work closely with Animal Care, Admissions, Foster, Volunteer, and Adoption teams to support positive outcomes for shelter animals.


• Help identify and solve operational challenges affecting animal flow, treatment, and placement

Miscellanous

• Attend meetings and training as assigned and/or related to your position


• Other duties as assigned


• Ability to work weekends, evenings, holidays: five (5) day per week schedule
  
  

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

• Leadership – Maintain a positive, upbeat role, promote and exemplify Shelter values and represents departmental objectives and interests to internal and external customers


• Customer Service – Follow up on complaints, questions, and concerns; respond to internal/external customer needs in a friendly, timely and efficient manner


• Teamwork - Develop and promote teamwork and cooperation among co-workers


• Safety – Comply with established safe work practices and attend to all safety-related training provided or made available by the Shelter

QUALIFICATIONS – To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) preferred.


• Minimum 3 years of veterinary leadership or supervisory experience.


• Minimum 5 years of progressive veterinary clinical experience.


• Experience leading teams in a veterinary hospital, shelter, emergency, or specialty practice.


• Controlled Substance Permit (or ability to obtain).


• Strong knowledge of veterinary medical procedures, anesthesia protocols, inventory management, and regulatory compliance.

Preferred

• Shelter medicine experience.


• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.


• Experience with veterinary software systems and medical record oversight.


• Experience working with volunteers, interns, or externship programs.

Required Technical / Other Skills and Abilities

• Proven team building skills


• Ability to prioritize and work under the pressure of constantly changing priorities, unanticipated urgent demands, and multiple tasks.


• Good interpersonal skills 


• Able to effectively communicate with staff, volunteers, and a diverse public population


• Must be well-organized and detail-oriented


• Able to enthusiastically work in a fast paced environment


• Proficient with computer data entry


• Must be flexible to work additional hours when workload requires


• Knowledge of animal behavior


• A watch with a second hand is required


• A Stethoscope could be required

Required Licenses/Certifications

•  Controlled Substance Permit

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

Must be able to stand and/or walk for long periods of time to assist with medical procedures, clinics, intake appointments, etc. Frequent computer use is necessary. Must be able to lift up to 35 lbs to waist, and able to push, pull and/or restrain up to 75 lbs. 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION – This position has access to confidential information –

• Customer Information


• Animal/Pet information including medical status