Lead Certified Veterinary Technician

Lead Certified Veterinary Technician

Want to help pets live their best lives? We're proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you. Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what's right for pets and people.

About Petco:

We're proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we're here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

Position Purpose:

The Lead Certified Veterinary Technician provides excellent veterinary care to our full-service hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. The Lead Certified Veterinary Technician represents the mission and values of Petco to all pets and pet parents. Our Lead Certified Veterinary Technician sets the tone with the technical and customer support partners in the hospital, and is responsible, like all partners, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the team.

Essential Job Functions:

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations, pain score, body condition score) and record in the electronic medical record. Lead Certified Veterinary Technicians will collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in the EMRs. Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia, under supervision from the veterinarian and the credentialed Veterinary Technicians.
• Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the electronic medical record.
• Monitor and answer telephone lines, route calls appropriately, schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, maintain and update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients. Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, Lead Certified Veterinary Technician will maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
• Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
• Training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as based on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.
• Empowered to one task in hospital-Inventory ordering, Scheduling, etc.
• Monitor and assuming the task answering the practice phone and routing calls appropriately
• Schedule appointments, when necessary, from callers or visitors to the practice.
• Monitor wait times and make accommodation as necessary during peak/busy times, or when medical staff is dealing with an emergency situation.
• Uphold and enforce all policies of Petco and Vetco Total Care.
• Oversee operations of Hospital and supervise the paraprofessional staff
• Participate in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.

Nature of Supervision:

In all activities related to the care and handling of individual patients and clients, the incumbent will take direct supervision from the Area Operations Manager.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position has immediate daily supervisory duties over our paraprofessional partners.

Education/Experience:

• Veterinary Technician Certification (CVT) in the state of Illinois strongly preferred.
• Preferred to have at least 1-year previous experience working in a veterinary practice or sufficient experience to ensure excellent performance at the above-listed skills
• Must have leadership capabilities
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations
• Must have telephone and computer skills
• Must be a team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change

Work Environment:

The majority of job duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital. Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting (up to 30 pounds, as necessary) and standing for long periods of time. A large amount of this partner's time will be spent in direct contact with clients and their pets.

Contacts :

This position will regularly communicate with clients, service teams and management in both our Vetco Total Care Hospitals and Pet Care Centers.

Salary Range: $20.00 - $32.00

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.