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Lead Primary Care Veterinarian – Lost Dogs Home Vet Hospital

About us:

At The Lost Dogs’ Home, we are a foundation in Victoria's animal welfare landscape, celebrated for our compassionate care of around 22,000 lost and abandoned dogs and cats every year. Beyond caring for animals, we are dedicated to providing diverse animal welfare and community programs, all aimed at giving animals the best chance of a happy and healthy life. Our mission is upheld by passionate individuals who embody a profound affinity for animals, community, and advocacy.

The Lost Dogs’ Home Vet Hospital (formerly Frank Samways Veterinary Clinic) is a modern, purpose-built clinic, providing full veterinary services to the public, adopters, and foster carers of The Lost Dogs’ Home, with all proceeds of the clinic going directly back into helping the shelter animals.

About the role:

This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished veterinarian to combine hands-on clinical practice with strategic leadership. As the Lead Primary Care Veterinarian, you will oversee clinical operations within The Lost Dogs’ Home Vet Hospital, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based and compassionate veterinary care.  

Importantly, this role is focused on clinical leadership rather than formal people management. While you will coach, mentor and support veterinarians to strengthen capability and consistency of care, responsibility for employee performance management, rostering and day-to-day people management sits outside this position. Instead, your focus will be on guiding clinical decision-making, overseeing standards of care, supporting complex cases, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based practice

In addition, your responsibilities will include:

• Delivering high-quality consultations, diagnostics, treatments and surgical procedures.
• Fostering a culture of clinical excellence, continuous learning and evidence-based practice
• Leading the development and review of clinical protocols, standards and operating procedures.
• Conducting clinical audits and promoting compliance with professional and organisational standards, including the oversight of appropriate management of medications.
• Investigating clinical incidents and implement continuous improvement initiatives
• Partnering with leadership to identify opportunities to grow the hospital's client base and services.

About you:

You are an experienced veterinary leader who enjoys mentoring others and driving clinical excellence. You bring a strong balance of technical expertise, sound judgement and commercial awareness, along with a genuine commitment to animal welfare.

To be successful, you will have:

• A Degree in Veterinary Science registrable in Victoria.
• Current registration with the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria, or eligibility to obtain registration.
• Extensive veterinary practice experience, ideally 10+ years.
• Strong experience managing complex medical and clinical cases.
• Excellent communication, coaching and mentoring skills.
• Demonstrated ability to drive operational improvement and efficiency.
• Sound understanding of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and Veterinary Practice Act 1997.
• A valid driver's licence

What we can offer:

• Fantastic career development, with the opportunity to collaborate with a team of 20+ Veterinarians across the organisation;
• Great work-life balance, Monday – Friday role;
• Excellent remuneration, including generous financial assistance for approved studies and developmental activities;
• Paid parental leave entitlements;
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program;
• Unique and rewarding work environment supporting a great cause;
• Opportunity to be involved in special projects.

If you have the skills, experience, and enthusiasm to be successful in this role, please click on the “Apply” button, ensuring you have attached your cover letter and current resume in Word or PDF format. If you have any further questions or queries regarding the role, please email recruitment@dogshome.com.

Please note that applications will be reviewed as they are received, so we encourage you to apply early as the role may close if a suitable candidate is found. Don't miss out—apply today!

 The successful applicant will be required to satisfactorily complete background screening checks.
  
The Lost Dogs’ Home is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Only candidates with the right to work in Australia may apply for this position.