Veterinary Assistant

Veterinary Assistant

The Veterinary Assistant supports the veterinarians and veterinary technicians in ensuring quality veterinary care for all pets, advocates for pets, educates clients on all aspects of pet health, and ensures a safe and effective hospital environment.

Essential Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Live and exemplify the Five Principles of Mars, Inc. within self and team.
• Act as the extra eyes, ears and hands for the veterinarian and veterinary technician to ensure the best quality pet care and to maximize the veterinarian's and veterinary technician's productivity.
• Communicate with veterinarian, veterinary technicians and all other associates to maintain the flow of patients.
• Provide professional, efficient and exceptional service at all times. This includes performing or preparing procedures that do not require veterinarian or veterinary technician assistance, completing preparatory work for other procedures, ensuring that clients and pets are comfortable in the hospital, and monitoring hospitalized or surgical pets as allowed in the state practice acts.
• Educate clients about Optimum Wellness Plans, preventive care, pet health needs, hospital services and other issues.
• Obtain relevant information and history from clients and maintain proper and complete medical charts.
• Ensure the safety of pets, clients and associates by utilizing safe restraining techniques, following standard protocols, and maintaining clean, sterile and organized treatment areas, exam rooms and labs.
• Assist with surgery as applicable.
• Utilize technical skills to the fullest, within state practice acts and as outlined in the NAVTA guidelines for veterinary assistant skills and duties.
• Mentor other paraprofessionals in the hospital.
• Other job duties as assigned.

The Five Principles:

• Quality - The consumer is our boss, quality is our work and value for money is our goal.
• Responsibility - As individuals, we demand total responsibility from ourselves; as associates, we support the responsibility of others.
• Mutuality - A mutual benefit is a shared benefit; a shared benefit will endure.
• Efficiency - We use resources to the full, waste nothing and do only what we can do best.
• Freedom - We need freedom to shape our future; we need profit to remain free.

Hiring Qualifications:

Competencies:

• Leadership
• Action Oriented
• Customer Focus
• Listening
• Peer Relationships
• Functional Skills
• Priority Setting

Functional Skills:

• Ability to multi-task
• Communication skills
• Organizational ability
• Problem solving skills
• Client service skills
• Intellectual ability
• Mathematical ability
• Computer skills

Attitudes:

• Initiative
• Integrity
• Cooperativeness
• Flexibility
• Independence
• Tolerance for Stress / Resiliency

Experience, Education and/or Training:

• Certificate of completion from a NAVTA approved Veterinary Assistant program, or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• High School Diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Must be able to perform all required skills of NAVTA approved veterinary assistant programs at a level in which to aid in the efficiency of the practice.
• Must be at least 18 years old to perform duties involving radiography (x-ray) and exposure to radioactive substances.
• One year related experience required with customer service preferred.

Pay Range:

$15.19 - $19.41 Hourly

The pay range listed reflects a general hiring range for the area, with the specific rate determined based on the candidate's experience, skill level, and education, and may vary depending on location or applicable minimum wage laws.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Generous Retirement Plans (401(k) and Roth)
• Best-in-Class Student Debt Relief Program (for Full-Time DVMs)
• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• Top-Tier Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources
• Associate Life Insurance (company-paid) & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Company-Paid Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Continuing Education Allowance (for Eligible Positions)
• Back-Up Child and Elder Care & Family Support Resources
• Fertility and Family Building Support
• Digital Exercise Therapy
• Voluntary Protection Benefits
• Legal Plan
• Identity Protection
• Commuter Benefits
• Three Free Optimum Wellness Plans for Pets
• Exclusive Discounts

Benefits eligibility is based on employment status. Full-time (FT) Associates are eligible for all benefit programs (Student Debt Program available for FT DVMs only); Part-time Associates are eligible for those benefits with an asterisk (*).