Job Description

Medical Director (Director of Veterinary Medicine)
Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League – West Palm Beach, FL

Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (Humane Society of the Palm Beaches) is seeking a Medical Director (Director of Veterinary Medicine) to join our team in beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida—just six miles from the beach.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Make a meaningful impact Provide lifesaving care to shelter pets and owned animals in need

• Lead an experienced team Oversee 6 veterinarians and 35 medical support staff

• Collaborative leadership Partner with a strong leadership team, including four directors and a CEO, all committed to a “One Team, One Mission” culture

• Modern facilities Recently renovated medical space (2022) with advanced equipment and a dedicated dental suite, plus a newly built adoption center (2021)

• Mission-driven medicine Practice high-quality, evidence-based care that prioritizes animal welfare

• Compassionate culture We are committed to nonjudgmental care and keeping pets with their families whenever possible

• Veterinary-led organization Report directly to a CEO who is a veterinarian—ensuring alignment on medical priorities and animal welfare

What You’ll Do

• Lead and support veterinarians rotating through shelter medicine, surgery, dentistry, and wellness clinic, based on individual strengths and interests

• Guide a high-quality spay/neuter program modeled after ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance

• Perform surgeries based on your comfort and expertise

• Serve as a key member of the organizational leadership team alongside Directors of Operations, Finance, Human Resources, and Marketing & Development

• Develop and implement medical protocols that support best practices and high standards of care

• Ensure alignment with ASV guidelines and capacity-for-care principles

• Oversee and expand our Safety Net program to help keep pets in their homes

• Foster a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and continuous learning

• Role is 60/40 administrative to clinical split

Equipment & Facility Highlights

• Digital radiology and digital dental radiology

• VetPro 1000 dental units

• Cold laser therapy

• In-house IDEXX laboratory (CBC, chemistry, urinalysis, coagulation, cytology)

• Ultrasound, tonometry, Cardell monitoring

• Spacious, modern exam rooms, treatment areas, and surgical suites

Licensure

• DVM or VMD degree

• Florida veterinary license (or ability to obtain)

• USDA accreditation (or ability to obtain)

• DEA license (or ability to obtain)

• Professional liability insurance

Experience

• Experience or training in shelter medicine and HQHVSN (High-Quality, High-Volume Spay/Neuter)

  • Strong preference for formal shelter medicine training (internship, residency, Master’s, certificate, or fellowship)

• Proven leadership and management experience

• Proficiency in general medicine, HQHVSN, soft tissue surgery, and dentistry

• Experience mentoring veterinarians, interns, or students

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary starting at $185,000, DOE

• Relocation assistance available

• 20 days PTO (first 5 years) + 7 paid holidays + 2 floating holidays

• 80% employer contribution to employee only health insurance

• 100% employer-paid $10k basic life & AD&D policy

• Dental, vision, additional life, short-term & long-term disability, hospital, accident, cancer, critical illness, identity protection, legal services, pet wellness plans

• Flexible Spending Account

• 401(k) with 4% employer match

• Employee Assistance Program

• $2,500 CE allowance with no limit on CE days

• Licensing and professional memberships reimbursed

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility

About Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League

• Nonprofit, limited-admission animal shelter

• Serving a community of 1.5 million residents

• ~5,000 annual intakes | 94.7% live release rate (2025)

• 14,700 spay/neuter surgeries performed in 2025

• New adoption center (2021) and renovated medical facility (2022)

• Celebrating 101 years of lifesaving work in 2026

Join Our Team

If you’re ready to lead a dedicated team, practice impactful medicine, and be part of a collaborative and mission-driven organization, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape the future of animal welfare in our community.

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Medical Director (Director of Veterinary Medicine) Job Description

Job Title: Director of Veterinary Medicine

Department: Medical Services

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

FLSA Status: Exempt

Pay Rate: Starting at $185k Annually, negotiable DOE

The Director of Veterinary Medicine is responsible for providing guidance and leadership to department staff and veterinarians as well as assuring regulatory compliance relating to the practice of veterinary medicine within the shelter. The Director of Veterinary Medicine will act as lead shelter veterinarian and provide direct oversight to all medical operations and staffing. The Director of Veterinary Medicine is responsible for revenue goals and ensures a safe, operational, and motivating working environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Ensure every animal in the shelter’s care has clear and objective medical notes in the shelter database to support efficient movement through the shelter, and ultimately, shortened length of stay.

• Coordinate daily rounds with shelter veterinarians and other key staff to ensure all animals in the shelter’s care receive necessary medical attention in a timely manner.

• Lead, guide, and consult shelter veterinarians on medical treatment plans for shelter animals.

• Perform physical exams, treatment plans, and surgical or other procedures as deemed necessary by the organization.

• Maintain and improve quality of medical and surgical procedures.

• Provide oversight and direction of medical standards and protocols, ensuring they are in line with progressive animal sheltering and high quality of care.

• Make humane euthanasia decisions when deemed medically appropriate.

• Perform humane euthanasia when necessary. Teach FAPAA euthanasia course when needed.

• Minimize waste and control costs related to medical supplies, surgical instruments, and drug inventories.

• Document the required hours of continuing education credits per calendar year and CE completion, including for staff veterinarians.

• Perform high quality, high volume spay and neuter surgeries, medical examinations, dental procedures, and other surgical procedures.

• Directly manage performance of veterinarians and medical managers. Provide oversight for remainder of medical staff.

• Conduct and lead productive regular medical meetings during which shelter medical cases and treatment plans are discussed.

• Create and maintain a workplace conducive to high employee morale and output, ensuring positive working relationships between clients, doctors, staff, and volunteers.

• Participate in the recruiting and interviewing process for veterinarians and other staff positions as deemed appropriate.

• Create a culture of embracing volunteerism, emphasizing the importance of volunteers in all aspects of the Medical Services department.

• Provide leadership and oversight to Safety Net program while continuing to advance and grow the program.

• Provide accurate, concise medical information to clients regarding adopted animals and wellness clinic clients.

• Ensure client experience is exemplary when interacting with the Medical Services department (e.g., adopters, foster parents, Wellness Clinic and surgery clients, etc.).

• Ensure revenue goals are met for Wellness Clinic and public surgery appointments.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must have Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited university.
• Minimum of three (3) years hospital or shelter supervisory experience.
• Ability to lead and direct professional veterinary staff.
• Supports the Animal Rescue League’s mission, policies, and practices.
• Currently licensed by Florida Department of Professional Regulations or ability to obtain license prior to beginning employment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of shelter medicine experience.
• Minimum of (3) years High Quality, High Volume, Spay/Neuter experience.
• Currently USDA accredited veterinarian or ability to obtain accreditation within (3) months of beginning employment.
• Ability to obtain DEA license within (3) months of beginning employment.
• Ability to work independently and effectively with managers, directors, staff, and volunteers to accomplish daily tasks as well as strategic plans and contribute effectively as part of a team.
• Affection for animals, concern for their welfare, and an ability to handle the physical and emotional aspect of work in an animal shelter environment, including euthanasia.
• Working knowledge of shelter database systems, preferred.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, required.
• Bilingual, a plus.
• Willing to stay at the shelter during a hurricane or other disaster.
• Willing to work weekends as needed.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

• Consistently required to stand, sit, kneel, move body, and bend and twist body.

• Consistently required to talk, hear, and use hands for grasping, reaching, and other operative tasks.

• Consistently required to lift an animate or stationary object of up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

• Exposure to animal biomaterial, animal odors, fumes, and airborne particles.

• Exposure to wet and humid conditions, moderate heat, and moving mechanical parts.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.