The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is currently seeking a Medical Director - Shelter Medicine to join our team. This is a full-time, FLSA exempt opportunity. 

Since 1897, HSSW has been the leader in animal welfare across Southwest Washington. With an annual operating budget of $15 million, we are one of the largest and most innovative animal welfare organizations in the region. Our shelter campuses in Vancouver and Longview, WA serve more than 10,000 animals each year, providing high-quality care, medical services, and the compassion they deserve. 

Our community-based approach helps keep pets and people together. Through the Nierenberg Community Veterinary Clinic, the Sandra Richardson Miller Mobile Veterinary Clinic, the Swigert Family Behavior & Training Center, and programs like free pet food and other essential resources, we serve more than 18,000 owned animals annually expanding access to affordable veterinary care, spay/neuter, training, and support. 

We also own and operate ReTails Thrift Store, a top shopping destination named Best Thrift Store in Clark County for eight consecutive years, providing vital funding for our mission. 

At HSSW, you’ll find an innovative, high-energy culture where your passion for animals and people can make a real difference. We’re looking for team members who want to be part of something bigger: supporting pets, strengthening families, and shaping the future of animal welfare in Southwest Washington. HSSW has been honored as Best Non-Profit for two years running—a recognition of our impact and leadership in the community. 

The Medical Director - Shelter Medicine serves as the clinical and strategic leader of HSSW's shelter medicine program. This position is responsible for establishing and maintaining high standards of veterinary care, animal welfare, population health management, disease prevention, and medical operations across all shelter medicine programs. The Medical Director collaborates closely with organizational leadership to advance lifesaving outcomes, support operational excellence, and ensure alignment with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters and contemporary shelter medicine best practices. 

This position combines direct clinical care with strategic leadership and is structured as approximately 60% clinical work and 40% administrative, leadership, and program oversight. The Medical Director serves as the primary shelter medicine subject matter expert for the organization while working in close partnership with the Director of Clinical Operations, who oversees technical and administrative medical support teams, and with operations program directors across shelter, foster, behavior, adoption, and community-based programs.

Classification: Full-time, FLSA Exempt

Reports To: Vice President of Veterinary Services

Supervises: Shelter Veterinarians and other assigned medical personnel

Schedule: Full-time, flexible schedule including occasional weekends, evenings, and on-call responsibilities as needed

Position Purpose

The Medical Director - Shelter Medicine provides vision, leadership, and oversight for shelter medicine activities while ensuring exceptional animal welfare, high-quality veterinary care, and evidence-based population management practices. This role is both hands-on and strategic, with direct clinical responsibilities balanced against administrative leadership, protocol development, medical oversight, and cross-department collaboration.

The Medical Director is responsible for:

• Establishing medical standards of care
• Leading shelter medicine operations and medical decision-making
• Managing population health and disease control initiatives
• Developing and mentoring veterinary staff
• Supporting organizational strategic goals through medical expertise
• Collaborating across departments, including with the Director of Clinical Operations and operations program directors, to maximize lifesaving outcomes
• Ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Medical Leadership

• Develop, implement, and maintain shelter medicine standards, policies, and protocols.
• Serve as the organization's primary authority on shelter medicine and population health.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to establish strategic medical priorities and goals.
• Evaluate emerging shelter medicine practices and recommend improvements to organizational operations.
• Partner with the Director of Clinical Operations to align medical protocols, technical team workflows, administrative support systems, and day-to-day clinical operations.
• Collaborate with operations program directors to ensure medical decision-making supports shelter operations, animal flow, foster care, adoptions, behavior services, and community-based programs.
• Support long-term planning related to veterinary services, medical infrastructure, staffing, and program growth.
• Represent HSSW within the shelter medicine and veterinary communities.

Shelter Population Health Management

• Oversee the health and welfare of all animals entering HSSW care.
• Monitor shelter population metrics and implement strategies to optimize welfare and outcomes.
• Develop and maintain effective disease prevention, surveillance, and outbreak response protocols.
• Lead decision-making regarding treatment plans, housing strategies, quarantine practices, and population management.
• Monitor and improve animal welfare indicators, including stress reduction, behavior support, and quality-of-life measures.
• Collaborate with shelter operations to manage capacity and ensure humane care standards.

Clinical and Surgical Services

• Provide high-quality veterinary care for shelter animals, foster animals, and other program participants.
• Perform high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgeries and other surgical procedures as needed.
• Provide diagnostics, treatment planning, case management, and humane euthanasia when appropriate.
• Practice evidence-based, high-quality medicine consistent with organizational resources and goals.
• Maintain timely and accurate medical records in accordance with regulatory requirements and organizational standards.

Quality Assurance and Medical Oversight

• Establish quality assurance systems for medical and surgical programs.
• Conduct regular medical record audits.
• Monitor surgical outcomes and complication rates.
• Review and update medical protocols to ensure alignment with current standards and evidence-based practices.
• Analyze organizational medical outcomes and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Oversee controlled substance management, DEA compliance, and pharmacy operations.

Team Leadership and Staff Development

• Recruit, mentor, supervise, and support shelter veterinarians.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and psychologically safe medical culture.
• Lead veterinarian onboarding and professional development initiatives.
• Coordinate continuing education opportunities and mentorship activities.
• Support development of veterinary technicians, assistants, interns, externs, and volunteers.
• Participate in leadership meetings and organizational planning initiatives.

Community and Partner Relations

• Develop and maintain productive relationships with local veterinary practices, shelters, rescues, specialists, universities, and animal welfare organizations.
• Serve as a professional ambassador for HSSW.
• Participate in professional conferences, educational initiatives, and community outreach activities.
• Support partnerships that improve access to veterinary care and lifesaving resources.

Data Management and Reporting

• Monitor and report on key medical and operational performance indicators.
• Analyze trends related to: 
• Length of stay
• Disease prevalence
• Surgical outcomes
• Live release rates
• Transfer outcomes
• Euthanasia rates
• Return-to-owner outcomes
• Community medicine outcomes
• Provide recommendations to leadership based on outcome data and performance trends.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a compassionate, visionary shelter veterinarian who is passionate about animal welfare, population health, and organizational leadership.

They:

• Demonstrate strong leadership and emotional intelligence.
• Build trust and foster collaboration across departments.
• Balance individual patient care with population-level decision-making.
• Communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Adapt readily to changing circumstances and organizational needs.
• Embrace innovation and continuous improvement.
• Support a culture of learning, accountability, and service.
• Remain resilient while working in emotionally demanding environments.

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) degree from an accredited institution.
• Current Washington State veterinary license or ability to obtain licensure prior to employment.
• Current DEA registration or ability to obtain registration.
• Minimum five years of experience practicing veterinary medicine.
• Minimum three years of shelter medicine experience in a leadership or senior-level role.
• Demonstrated experience managing population health, disease prevention, and shelter operations.
• Experience performing high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgery.

Preferred Qualifications

• Board certification in Shelter Medicine Practice (DABVP-SMP) or progress toward certification.
• Leadership experience within a nonprofit animal welfare organization.
• Experience managing multiple veterinary teams or facilities.
• Experience in community medicine and access-to-care programming.
• Experience with forensic examinations and animal cruelty investigations.
• Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) credential.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of shelter medicine principles and animal welfare science.
• Strong understanding of ASV Guidelines and contemporary shelter medicine practices. 
• Knowledge of infectious disease management, epidemiology, and population medicine.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to interpret data and drive operational improvements.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• Proficiency with veterinary software systems and Microsoft Office products.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and sound judgment in stressful situations.

Compensation and Benefits

Anticipated Salary Range: $145,000-$165,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.

This salary range reflects the expanded leadership responsibilities of the Medical Director role and aligns more closely with national shelter medicine leadership compensation benchmarks, where leadership-focused shelter medicine positions report substantially higher compensation than staff veterinarian positions. 

In addition to meaningful work supporting animals and people throughout Southwest Washington, HSSW offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Flexible Spending Account options
• Employee Assistance Program
• Continuing education allowance
• Professional dues and license reimbursement
• Paid time off and floating holidays
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualified employer
• Employee discounts and wellness benefits

Paid Time Off (PTO)  

PTO is granted at 4 weeks per year.  

Additional Paid time includes: 

• Floating Holidays 
• Bereavement leave 
• Pet bereavement leave 

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

Work is performed within animal shelter, clinic, and community-based environments. Responsibilities include working with animals of varying behavior and medical conditions and may involve exposure to:

• High noise levels
• Animal bites and scratches
• Zoonotic diseases
• Cleaning chemicals
• Animal allergens
• Controlled substances
• Radiographic equipment

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Culture

Vision: A community where everyone loves and cares for animals.

Mission: Rescue. Return. Restore. Rehome. Reconnect. One animal at a time

Values: Compassion. Collaboration. Excellence. Service. Integrity.

The ultimate team player:

• Displays interest, enthusiasm, and an affinity for working with people.
• Demonstrates an attitude in being of-service, using good judgment, maintaining a positive outlook, and ideally, a sense of humor.
• Works well in teams and demonstrates an attitude and commitment to collaboration with a sincere interest in helping others succeed.
• Is committed to achieving excellence individually and as a part of the team.
• Exhibits adaptability, curiosity, flexibility to change, open to new ideas, and encourages others to recognize changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as an opportunity for transformation.
• Is committed to personal and professional development through life-long learning.

Why Join HSSW?

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is entering an exciting phase of growth and innovation. The Medical Director - Shelter Medicine will help shape the future of animal welfare services across Southwest Washington through leadership, collaboration, and evidence-based shelter medicine practices. This role offers the opportunity to influence organizational strategy, mentor veterinary professionals, and improve outcomes for tens of thousands of animals each year.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Nor does this document create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. HSSW participates in E-Verify. 

How to Apply 

Does HSSW sound like the right place for you?  

Does this job sound like a great fit & do you meet the qualifications for this position? 

If so, then click the Apply button to begin your journey to join our team today. HSSW participates in E-Verify 

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations during the hiring process for qualified applicants with disabilities. 

For more information visit https://HSSW.org/careers/.  

Application Deadline: Open until filled.