Principal Veterinarian

Job Summary

Responsible for providing professional veterinary services. Oversee and perform veterinary procedures that support all studies. Assist the Director in oversight of the animal care and use program as needed. May supervise or oversee veterinary staff and manage the activities of assigned section to ensure effective performance. Assist the Director in department management functions as required and serve as acting department head in Director's absence.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Oversee daily animal health assessment program.
• Perform veterinary rounds as scheduled and provide clinical care and preventive medicine support.
• May perform surgical support and provide anesthesia, surgical and analgesic technical expertise/advice to facilitate protocol development.
• May lead the surgical team in developing new skills and procedures to expand the surgical portfolio. Assist in the evaluation of the surgical infrastructure as well as the staff need to support the development and maintenance of the surgical team’s skills and innovative processes.
• Represent site on cross-site teams where the individual’s expertise is needed.
• Provide subject-matter expert input for animal health matters to Study Directors, Client Services and Sponsors.
• Assist in the development and training of junior veterinarians to develop their knowledge and experience in laboratory veterinary science. Mentor new veterinary technicians and advise on treatment plans.
• Provide animal health care guidance for veterinary services personnel as required.
• Serve as advisor to management in technical matters as they relate to the site including application of new technology, the use of alternatives, new animal models, and any changes in national policies, procedures, guidelines or regulations affecting animal care and use.
• May serve as a full or ad-hoc member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), assisting in protocol review and other efforts as identified.
• Assist Director as a consultant to Study Directors and/or sponsors regarding study design prior to IACUC submission and as part of the veterinarian review and IACUC monitoring.
• Ensure all study related in-life procedures and processes are accomplished in accordance with the study protocol as it relates to animal welfare and veterinary issues.
• Oversee long-term improvement projects such as redesign of SOPs and basic research procedures.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including the Animal Welfare Act.
• Ensure that all animal care related activities are conducted in accordance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards and regulations.
• May assist in management of the activities of assigned section, including supervising employees, scheduling, personnel actions (hiring, promotions, raises), discipline, personnel development and performance monitoring.
• May assist in the development of operating objectives, organizational structure, staffing requirements, budget, departmental systems and SOPs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Veterinary degree (D.V.M./V.M.D.) or international equivalent.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years related experience in research/lab animal/GLP environment. Two years supervisory/ management experience preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Certification/Licensure: Licensure to practice veterinary medicine in at least one U.S. state required. Ability to practice veterinary medicine in the work state highly desirable. ACLAM eligibility or accreditation is highly desired.
• Other: Computer literacy (Windows PC) and Excel. Good communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Knowledge of laws, regulations, policies and guidelines that govern animal research, research conduct principles (GLP) and current methodology of laboratory animal medicine and management is important.