Veterinary Assistant

Coyne Veterinary Center - St. John seeks experienced veterinary assistant to join our team!

The primary job for a veterinary assistant is to exceed our client's expectations with exceptional patient care. The assistant is the veterinarian's primary support. He/she is routinely entrusted with patient assessments, anesthesia, procedures and treatments. The assistant must be a detail-oriented person who can make good decisions, respond quickly and calmly to crises, and maintain high standards of patient care. Veterinary assistants need to communicate clearly with the doctors, other hospital personnel and clients to ensure that patients receive the care that they need.

Veterinary assistants should enjoy working with diverse people and animals and be friendly and flexible in the face of varying expectations from clients and co-workers. A veterinary assistant's focus is ever changing according to the priority of the moment. This often requires significant multi-tasking and creative thinking ability. They must remain calm and collected in the face of emergency situations in order to lead others through the tasks that must be accomplished.

Veterinary assistants must share a firm belief in the quality of care we provide and communicate this sense of assurance to clients. It is important to know and understand our services and recommendations and be able to clearly convey the value of the services to the clients. Excellent client communication skills and a commitment to outstanding client service are essential.

Reports to: Head Technician and/or Technician Shift Leader

Educational Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent, some college preferred
• Minimum age requirement of 18 years old
• Minimum of two years experience as a veterinary assistant

Skills Needed:

• Ability to read and comprehend instructions
• Effective communication with clients in person and by phone
• Experience in caring for animals, proper restraint techniques
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals
• Ability to work with computer-based veterinary software
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Physical Obligations:
• Able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Endure standing and walking on hard floor surfaces for extended periods of time
• Able to work in noisy work conditions with sounds from animals and equipment
• Take safety precautions for exposure to toxins, drugs, anesthesia and radiation

Coyne Veterinary Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Old Town Animal Care Center complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.