Zoo Veterinarian

Requirements
MOS Code: None

Education and Experience: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and two (2) years of professional veterinary experience in zoo, exotic, or wild animal medicine and surgery. Experience may include a veterinary internship or residency in zoological, exotic, or wildlife medicine.

Licenses and Certificates: Valid Texas Class “C” Driver’s License or equivalent from another state by time of appointment. Licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Texas by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners prior to appointment or licensed in another state. If licensed in another state, must obtain a Texas License within 30 days of appointment. Federal Controlled Substances Registration, and USDA Accreditation within 45 days of appointment.

General Purpose
Under general direction, supervise and provide routine health care and medical treatment of zoo animals. Participate in animal management and safety decisions.

Typical Duties
Render veterinary care and treatment to zoo animals. Involves: Routine and emergency medical care. Plan, implement, and administer preventive medicine programs. Perform surgery and post-operative care. Administer anesthesia and direct physical restraint of animals to ensure safety and minimize risk to staff and animals. Conduct postmortem examinations. Oversee vaccination, parasite control, bio-safety, quarantine, and other protocols. Direct laboratory preparation of sample tissues for disease identification and prevention. Maintain detailed records for veterinary care including drug logs. Monitor and recommend changes to animal diets, nutritional standards, and programs. Maintain detailed records of veterinary care including controlled drug logs.

Conduct specialized veterinary tasks. Involves: Participate in developing behavioral enrichment, training, and reproduction programs for animals. Perform epidemiological investigations. Identify and work to resolve animal welfare issues. Implement and enforce departmental animal health and disease control protocols and procedures. Review facilities and procedures to ensure quality and recommend animal housing, care, restraint systems, and exhibit changes. Ensure compliance with regulatory agencies, animal health and welfare regulations, and standards including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), American Zoological Association (AZA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Texas Parks and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Act, National Marine Fisheries Service, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Environmental Quality Control Commission and the Animal Welfare Act. Participate in the maintenance and control of narcotics and dangerous drugs, animal identification, records, and inventory systems.

Supervise assigned staff. Involves: Schedule, assign, instruct, guide, and check work. Appraise employee performance and review evaluation reports of subordinate supervisors. Provide for training and development. Enforce personnel rules and regulations, standards of conduct, work attendance, and safe working practices firmly and impartially. Counsel, motivate, and maintain harmony. Interview applicants and recommend hiring, termination, transfers, discipline, or other employee status changes.

Perform related professional and incidental duties as required. Involves: Substitute, if assigned, for immediate supervisor or coworkers during temporary absences, as qualified, by performing specific duties and responsibilities essential to maintaining the continuity of operations. Attend conferences and serve on Ad Hoc Committees. May serve as chairperson for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Compile data, generate reports, and maintain records and files.

General Information
For complete job specification, click here.

Note: This is an unclassified contract position.

Note: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. This position will close when a preset number of qualified applications have been received.

Please note: Applicants with a foreign degree must have all documents translated and evaluated by an agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) prior to submitting them to the Human Resources Department. Please visit www.naces.org/members for more information.

A résumé and/or other documents will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Comments such as “See résumé” are not acceptable and will result in the application being considered incomplete.

To qualify for this position, required education, experience, knowledge and skills must be clearly stated on your application’s employment history. We do not use any information on your resume to review if you meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

Failure to fully detail all experience and job duties in the application, or copying/pasting directly from the job specification, or responses referring to your résumé will eliminate you from consideration for the position.