Veterinary Assistant / Client Care Specialist - HYBRID FULL TIME

Veterinary Assistant / Client Care Specialist

Heartland Animal Hospital | Des Moines, Iowa

Do you love animals, enjoy helping people, and like having a little variety in your day? Are you someone who enjoys both hands-on patient care and building relationships with clients? If so, we’d love to meet you!

Heartland Animal Hospital is a privately owned general practice in Des Moines where great medicine and a great team go hand in hand. We see dogs, cats, and exotics (excluding birds), and we're looking for a friendly, compassionate, and experienced veterinary professional to join us in a full-time hybrid Veterinary Assistant / Client Care Specialist role.

This position is designed for someone who enjoys both the medical and client-service sides of veterinary medicine. Your time will be split approximately 50% in the medical area as a Veterinary Assistant and 50% in the Client Care role, working alongside our veterinarians, technicians, and client care team.

What You'll Do

As a hybrid team member, you'll help provide excellent care for our patients while also creating a warm, welcoming experience for their families.

Veterinary Assistant responsibilities include:

• Assisting veterinarians and technicians with appointments and patient care
• Safely and compassionately handling and restraining patients
• Preparing exam rooms and assisting with patient flow
• Assisting with surgery, anesthesia, dentals, radiology, and other procedures as trained
• Collecting and processing laboratory samples
• Assisting with in-house laboratory testing
• Providing patient care, including feeding, walking, cleaning, and medication administration as directed
• Helping care for hospitalized and recovering patients
• Cleaning, stocking, and maintaining treatment areas and equipment
• Helping keep the hospital clean, organized, and ready for patients

Client Care Specialist responsibilities include:

• Greeting and assisting clients and patients in person
• Answering phones and responding to client communications by phone, email, and text
• Scheduling appointments and coordinating patient visits
• Maintaining accurate electronic medical records
• Processing payments and assisting with client accounts
• Communicating medical information and veterinary recommendations to clients
• Helping clients understand preventative care, medications, diagnostics, and common procedures
• Supporting veterinarians, technicians, and other members of the healthcare team
• Following up with clients as needed
• Helping create a warm, welcoming, and professional client experience

We're a busy practice, so no two days are exactly alike. You'll have the opportunity to use your veterinary skills, develop your client communication skills, and become an important part of both sides of our team.

What We're Looking For

Our ideal candidate is someone who is comfortable moving between the treatment area and the front desk and understands that excellent patient care and excellent client care go hand in hand.

We're looking for someone who is:

• Experienced in a veterinary hospital setting
• Friendly, compassionate, and genuinely enjoys helping people
• Comfortable handling dogs, cats, and exotic pets
• An excellent verbal and written communicator
• Professional and confident when handling stressful or emotional situations
• Organized and able to multitask in a busy environment
• Comfortable with computers and electronic medical records
• Dependable, team-oriented, and willing to help wherever needed
• Able to maintain a positive and professional attitude throughout the day
• Comfortable learning and performing both clinical and client-service responsibilities

Experience in surgery, anesthesia, radiology, dentals, and in-house laboratory work is a plus. Previous veterinary reception or client service experience is also helpful.

A high school diploma or equivalent is required.

Our hospital is equipped with IDEXX in-house lab equipment, DR digital radiology, a full dental suite, surgical laser, ultrasound, and Companion Therapy Laser.

We offer competitive pay, benefits, and continuing education, along with a workplace where respect, teamwork, compassion, and a positive attitude matter.

And yes, we believe veterinary medicine should leave room for life, too! We're closed on weekends and all major holidays, including Black Friday, Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas. No boarding or grooming.

Full-time position — approximately 40 hours per week

The position will be structured as an approximately 50/50 split between Veterinary Assistant and Client Care Specialist responsibilities, with the daily schedule adjusted based on the needs of the hospital.

Pay is competitive and negotiable based on experience and skill set.

Benefits

• Continuing education credits
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Uniform allowance
• Vision insurance

If you're looking for a position where you can use your veterinary skills, connect with clients, help patients, and be part of a supportive team, we'd love to hear from you!

Learn more about us at www.heartlandanimalhospital.com.

Heartland Animal Hospital is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected status.

Pay: $16.00 - $21.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Uniform allowance
• Vision insurance

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Des Moines, IA 50311 (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $16 - $21