Assistant Practice Manager

The position of Assistant Practice Manager is designated to be a member of the management team that has direct, day-to-day contact and influence on the actions, attitudes and performance of our staff. The Assistant Practice Manager is expected to make decisions based upon Corporate Policy, Patient Care, Client Service, Employee and Client Safety and the General Well-Being of the Hospital. The Assistant Practice Manager reports directly to the Practice Manager and Medical Director and is expected to use their own professional judgment in a variety of situations with and/or without direction of either the Practice Manager or Medical Director.

Duties for this job position will include the following but is not limited to:

• Works with the direction of the Practice Manager, Medical Director, Nursing Supervisors and Customer Service Supervisors to assist in recruiting, selecting, training and coaching employees
• Maintains hourly staff by coaching, counseling and discipline as needed; assist in planning, monitoring and completing regular performance evaluations to achieve the highest levels of patient care and client service
• Assists in maintaining and adjusting the scheduling of hourly staff and veterinarians to achieve superior patient care and client service.
• Assures quality of care by developing and enforcing hospital philosophies and protocols with the Medical Director
• Maintains safe and clean working environment; reports all deficiencies to Practice Manager for repair
• Enforces adherence to medical and safety standards to comply with all regulations and hospital policies
• Assures superior client service by developing and enforcing non-medical philosophies and protocols with Practice Manager
• Ensures operation of medical and administrative equipment by verification of manufacturer’s specifications, overseeing preventative care, troubleshooting malfunctions, reporting repair needs to the Practice Manager and calling for services and repairs in the absence of Practice Manager.
• Works to resolve client complaints with assistance of the Medical Director and Practice Manager
• Works to resolve staffing complaints with assistance from Practice Manager, Nursing Supervisors, Customer Service Supervisors and Medical Director if needed.
• Explains and communicates protocol and policy changes to the staff regularly.

Requirements:

• Certified Veterinary Technician or minimum 5 years’ experience in the Veterinary community preferred
• Focus and previous experience in Human Resources required
• Attentiveness to details
• Ability to supervise large and small groups of employees
• Ability to grow, accept and lead employees in an ever-changing environment
• Ability to assess, analyze and drive solutions for a variety of work related issues
• Ability to produce desired professional achievements using a wide variety of employees with various personalities, motivators, experiences and skill sets
• Ability to prioritize, delegate and achieve deadlines
• Ability to exert average physical effort
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Ability to adapt to differing personality types while achieving desired results.

Time Management:

• The normal work week is 40 to 50 hours per week
• From time-to -time communication maybe required during off hours
• Encourage employees to be empowered in decision making in your absence to limit contact during time off to emergency situations only

Expectations:

Attitude and Professional Actions

The Assistant Practice Manager will exhibit the following characteristics:

• Maintains a positive attitude towards their duties
• Maintains a supportive and professional attitude towards PETS Policies while provide a leadership example for subordinate staff
• Understands that personal relationships with subordinate employees can be detrimental to working environment and is able to separate professional and personal relationships
• Treats all employees on an equal basis not allowing personal feelings or opinions to hinder judgment when offering an employee guidance or correction of attitude or behaviors
• Creates and maintains a professional working environment for all employees
• Does not openly criticize Shareholders, Veterinarians or Clients to subordinate employees
• Does not openly criticize PETS policies and procedures
• Understands that decision made during the course of their employment are for the betterment of PETS, not personal agendas or goals
• Understands, accepts and supports changes at PETS as the hospital grows

Patient Care

The Assistant Practice Manager will follow these guidelines and provide support for all employees working on their shifts to do the same:

• Completes all treatments for all patients in a timely manner and directs others to do the same
• Maintains proper and accurate patient charts
• Provides all patients with superior care and attention
• Follows Veterinarian’s verbal and written orders for the care of all patients
• Reports any errors in treatment, drug dosing or omissions of Veterinarian’s orders immediately to the Veterinarian on duty, Nursing Supervisor and/or Practice Manager
• Reports and equipment, inventory or staffing concerns to the Practice Manager in writing
• Models and encourages superior customer service skills to all clients

Staff Management

The Assistant Practice Manager will follow these guidelines for coaching subordinate staff:

• Treats all employees in a similar manner showing respect and professionalism
• Understands that personal relationships with employees outside of work can create difficulties in managing staff while at work. Avoids conflicts of interest with staff members
• Identifies areas that employees are struggling and coaches them to improve on a daily basis
• Provides employees with proper training to complete procedures and treatments efficiently
• Speaks professionally with staff to correct areas of poor performance, poor attitude and unprofessional behavior
• Models and encourages a professional attitude towards clients, patients, Veterinarians, Shareholders and other business contacts of PETS
• Reports staffing concerns to Practice Manager in writing including nature of concerns, steps taken to correct to date and desired outcome of the situation
• Models and encourage a safe working environment for all employees
• Models and encourages adherence to PETS Policies
• Does not ignore problems in employee behavior, performance and attitude, but works to correct them as they occur
• Understands that disciplining employees and correcting poor performance is meant to improve the overall quality of service and care provided at PETS not demeaning of discourage team members. Does not speak to staff in a demeaning or demoralizing nature
• Accepts and offers constructive criticism to and from other employees without making those comments a personal attack or criticism