Are you looking for a rewarding leadership position in a diverse, vibrant, affordable city, where creativity and a culture of continuous improvement drives organizational culture? PAWS is seeking a Medical Director to lead our delivery of veterinary services, and to play an instrumental role in achieving our ultimate goal of making Philadelphia a no-kill city. As the city’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable basic veterinary care for community pets, our passionate team works every day to end pet homelessness and to provide top-quality care to dogs and cats with medical and surgical needs who would otherwise not have a chance.

The Medical Director has both clinical responsibilities (approximately 60%) and administrative responsibilities (approximately 40%). Clinical practice includes: performing HQHVSN surgeries and additional specialty surgeries as needed, conducting routine wellness and sick visits for pets whose owners rely on PAWS for affordable care, performing examinations and determining treatment plans for our in-house and foster population of rescued animals, and consulting and collaborating with specialty veterinary partners on special cases. (For more details on PAWS staff veterinarians’ role, please see this job description.) Administrative responsibilities include: upholding and updating PAWS’ current medical procedures and protocols in keeping with industry best practices; establishing new protocols as needed; providing insight and oversight for in-house and foster animals with complex medical or surgical needs; and, leading and mentoring a cohesive and productive medical staff in partnership with the Director of Operations.

The Medical Director acts as a liaison among multiple departments within the organization to ensure optimal treatment and outcomes for animals who come into PAWS’ care. Therefore, the successful applicant must have excellent interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills and be able to work well with staff with widely varying levels of medical knowledge. The ability to think practically about medical care, balancing animal welfare and “gold standard” practices with cost and reasonable outcomes, is essential. 

Benefits of PAWS employment: 

• Competitive salary and retention bonus.
• Moving stipend considered for outstanding out-of-state applicants.
• Potential eligbility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
• 9am-5pm schedule, with no on-call duties. 
• Medical, dental, and prescription insurance coverage.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• Major holidays off (the shelter is closed).
• Paid time off (PTO).
• Yearly Continuing Education allowance, and up to four paid days off to attend conferences/participate in CE.
• Veterinary Medical Malpractice Liability coverage.
• VIN membership.
• Pennsylvania bi-annual license renewal fees.
• DEA license renewal fees.
• Free and heavily discounted clinic services, lab work and medications for your personal pets.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Voluntary benefits (long- and short-term disability, life, and accident insurance).

Educational and Licensure Requirements:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent from an accredited university. 
• Valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Veterinary license with no history of complaints or disciplinary action.
• Valid DEA license, or ability to obtain one, with no history of complaints or disciplinary action.

Additional Requirements:

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in supervisory roles with demonstrated success in leading a team.
• Experience with HQHVSN surgery, as well as other soft tissue and specialty surgeries.
• Clinical experience with health conditions common in shelter populations and owned pets.
• Experience in a fast-paced shelter or community medicine setting.
• A self-starter who is organized, innovative, flexible, and passionate about PAWS’ goals and objectives.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• The ideal candidate is outgoing, patient, empathetic, mature, and able to get along well with a culturally diverse community.
• Good judgment and strong problem-solving ability, identifying tasks that need to be accomplished and prioritizing appropriately, and working independently with minimal supervision and direction.
• Ability to manage and accommodate varied work assignments and schedules.
• Comfort and experience with Google and Microsoft applications. PAWS uses a variety of web-based software that veterinarians must be comfortable learning to use on a daily basis for managing client care.

About Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

PAWS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS is the city’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable, basic veterinary care for pet owners and rescue organizations that cannot otherwise access it. Each year, PAWS finds loving homes for thousands of animals in need, and enables thousands of families to keep their cherished pets. PAWS is working to make Philadelphia a no-kill city where every savable pet is guaranteed a home.

Connections working at Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)