Description
DESCRIPTION
The Idaho Falls Zoo is an AZA accredited institution dedicated to wildlife conservation is seeking applicants for the position of zoo Veterinarian to help care for the magnificent animals at the zoo. This position is a contracted position for three days a week as the primary zoo Veterinarian that works closely and collaborate with a veterinary technician, the General Curator and Animal Care team, which are all committed to excellence to animal welfare. This involves, but is not limited to, maintaining and updating a preventive medical program, providing acute care for sick or injured animals, providing convalescent care for animals recovering from illness or injury, performing post-mortem examinations, giving recommendations regarding protocols for managing the animal collection (collection planning, exhibit design, nutrition and environmental enrichment, etc).The Veterinarian practices empathy and compassion with our animals and staff.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Clinical Duties
Provide comprehensive medical care to the animal collection. This includes being familiar with the biology, husbandry, and medical requirements for species in the animal collection. Applying appropriate diagnostic testing/techniques to allow for the timely identification of disease processes. Provide medical treatment for all health abnormalities. Treatment may encompass, but is not limited to, the generation and analysis of health history, physical and/or chemical restraint, physical examination, surgery, laboratory testing of appropriate biological samples, radiography, ultrasound and radiographic interpretation, as well as prescribing and delivering medications.
Develop and maintain a preventive medicine program which includes but is not limited to class and/or order-specific protocols for all animals; schedule, develop and maintain a parasite monitoring and control program; update, modify, and implement vaccination protocols, and disease and diagnostic testing. The program must meet AZA, AAZV, AVMA, and USDA standards.
Performs and supervises clinical, diagnostic, and laboratory procedures skillfully; analyze and interpret findings.
Clinical pathology: interpret results of testing in the following areas: hematology, clinical chemistry, parasitology, microbiology, cytology, urinalysis, and serology. Evaluates new procedures and techniques for incorporation into clinical pathology routine.
Pathology: ensures all IFZ animals receive a complete post-mortem examination to include a complete necropsy and histopathology examination where appropriate. Ensures all approved samples for research and/or education are distributed appropriately. Ensures accurate necropsy records are maintained.
Train on and be familiar with all chemical immobilization equipment in the IFZ hospital.
Participate in training of other IFZ staff in emergency chemical immobilization procedures.
Consult with staff on the design or modification of animal facilities related to animal health.
Manage quarantine and disease testing for incoming and outgoing animal acquisitions and dispositions.
Performs weekly rounds and evaluates the health and welfare of all animals in the Zoo.
Develops, coordinates and implements preventive health surveillance, analysis and nutrition programs. Reviews diets and makes recommendations to changes based on recent available research.
Champion animal wellness and serves on the animal well-being committee.
Administrative Duties
Coordinate services of consulting and back-up veterinarians.
Participate in the training/on-the-job education of technician(s), interns, volunteers, students, and other staff members assigned tasks related to animal health care including but not limited to, the animal hospital, medications, treatments, animal handling and restraint, anesthesia, zoonotic diseases, husbandry and emergency preparedness.
Effectively communicate with staff of other institutions and related regulatory agencies.
Act as liaison to the USDA, DEA, SD Animal Industry board and other appropriate state and federal agencies.
Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations as related to the animal collection and veterinary practices.
Ensure medical records are up-to-date and maintained up to AZA, AAZV and USDA standards.
Participate in implementing changes in animal care as related to animal health maintenance of collection animals.
Coordinates with General Curator on budget for veterinary department supplies (equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, etc.) Manages the veterinary clinic; manages inventory of equipment and supplies.
Create protocols for infectious disease outbreaks (avian influenza, COVID, etc.)
Evaluate the cleaners, rodenticides, and any other chemicals used within zoo grounds in regard to animal safety.
Consistently strive to further the mission of the organization and avidly support IFZ.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments).
Qualifications
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
Must have the ability to easily interact and communicate veterinary needs to a diversified staff.
Ability to take control and think clearly in unforeseen and emergency situations.
Must be proficient in the use of computers including MS Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint), and the ZIMS record-keeping program.
Capable of multi-tasking and working in a team environment.
Can bend, stoop, crawl and lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to pass pre-employment background check, drug test, DMV check and a negative test for tuberculosis.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Tasks require a variety of physical activities generally involving muscular strain. Physical demands may occur in activities related to walking, standing, stooping, sitting, reaching, lifting, etc. Talking, hearing and seeing required in the daily performance of job duties. Exposure to all weather, environmental hazards and dangers resulting from working around dangerous animals and equipment. Mental application utilizes memory for details, emotional stability and discriminating thinking and creative problem solving. Workdays where the veterinarian is physically at the facility may be 3 full days or a combination of days equaling 24hrs on site depending on routine exam schedules and/or critical and emergency cases. This does include out of office communication, where veterinarian may be contacted to consult and determine care on a specific case as things arise and asked to respond in a timely manner.
Requirements
Required Education and Experience
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), or equivalent degree from an AVMA accredited college of veterinary medicine or equivalent.
Possess a license to practice veterinary medicine in the United States.
Possess (or obtain) a State of Idaho Veterinary license.
Possess (or obtain) a Federal DEA license and the controlled substances registration needed in Idaho.
Possess (or obtain) a certificate of Veterinary Accreditation by the USDA to write health certificates and perform cervid TB Testing.
Possess (or obtain) a board of pharmacy license for the state of Idaho.
Minimum of one – two years of clinical experience, with exotics and/or zoo and aquarium animals.
