Associate Veterinarian

The Birmingham Zoo is seeking an Associate Veterinarian to join our team of 3 technicians, one animal care professional and two full time veterinarians. American College of Zoological Medicine certification is valued and financial and study time support may be provided. Salary for this position starts at $85,000/year with a generous benefits package. The Birmingham Zoo values the wellbeing of our staff, prioritizing schedule flexibility and work/life balance when considering the operational needs of the department.

Birmingham is a diverse and affordable city where you can enjoy nearby mountain hiking, or drive a few hours to the beach. The city offers a vibrant restaurant scene, cultural attractions, and mild winters to enjoy outdoor activities. The Zoo has secured initial funding to begin design on the new Alabama Veterinary Teaching Hospital this year, making this a an exciting time to join our team!

SUMMARY

The Associate Veterinarian provides the highest standard of animal care for the living collection and developing interdisciplinary partnerships to benefit animal welfare. As a member of the veterinary team, performs as a clinical veterinarian providing medical and surgical treatment to the animal collection as well as conducting clinical and health-related investigations. The Associate Veterinarian would also be expected to participate in education of veterinary student externs, interns and veterinary technician interns.  Collectively with other zoo staff, these activities will assist in presenting to the public an environment that is educational, entertaining, and serves to further the mission of the Birmingham Zoo, Inc. (BZI).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Provides comprehensive medical care from a preventative medical approach including, but not limited to: physical examinations, disease and parasite prophylaxis, treatment and quarantine procedures.
2. Provides treatment including but not limited to: anesthesia, prescribing and administering medications, surgery, using currently accepted veterinary standards to properly treat, cure, and/or control the affliction or injury. 
3. Prescribes, administers, and evaluates results of diagnostic examinations, radiographs, and clinical pathology specimens including microbiology, blood samples, and fecal tests. 
4. Recognizes various symptoms, diagnoses, and isolates causes of acute or chronic illnesses, infectious and noninfectious diseases, or injuries affecting animals in the collection. 
5. Supports and participates in behavioral training of animals for medical procedures.

1. Performs gross necropsies and interprets histopathological results with any ancillary diagnostics to prevent similar deaths if possible. Educates animal staff about mortalities.
2. Accurately and timely documents and prepares written medical records(s) of any procedure conducted on any animal in the collection and ensures the record is incorporated into the animal’s permanent medical record. 
3. Provides medical screening, quarantine examination, certification of health and/or crating of animals for new acquisitions and/or shipments of animals from the zoo.
4. Remains current on general, zoo, and wildlife veterinary knowledge as well as pertinent regulations and veterinary standards
5. Participates and engages in topic rounds and journal rounds.
6. Handles Class II narcotics and controlled substances accurately. 
7. Responds to requests from animal care staff concerning medical care for animals in the collection. 
8. In consultation with animal management staff, determines when animals require euthanasia due to their medical condition or quality of life and performs this procedure when appropriate.   
9. Provides training of animal keepers and other zoo staff about zoonotic diseases and veterinary considerations of zoo keeping and animal handling.
10. Develops and maintains professional contacts with veterinarians of other zoos and participates in professional organizations. 
11. With the General Curator, reviews and approves animal diets and enrichment.
12. Responds to AZA and VAG surveys in a timely manner.
13. Participates in education of veterinary student externs, interns, and veterinary technician interns.
14. Provides appropriate emergency response to animal escapes
15. Provides after hours coverage per on call procedures
16. Participates in Zoo committees and projects and provides support for Zoo events and programs,
17. Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. No direct reports; however, acts as manager in the Director of Animal Health absence.
2. Supervises the training of veterinary students.

SAFETY ANALYSIS

The Associate Veterinarian position is impacted by a wide variety of hazardous exposures: 

• A hospital environment with all hazards common to the health industry such as needles, medications, USDA drugs, X-ray equipment, etc.
• The handling of Class II narcotics and controlled substances.
• The Associate Veterinarian will have to deal with the unpredictability of wild animals.
• The care and husbandry of animals, some of whom are dangerous.
• The proper use and understanding of cleaning agents.

Specific training and procedures will be provided designed to maintain safety of people as the highest priority of the zoo followed by the safety of the animal collection. 

The use and understanding of a variety of personal safety equipment is mandatory. 

The Associate Veterinarian, as with any staff member of the zoo, is required to be familiar with the Zoo’s overall safety policies as outlined in the staff handbook as well as being responsible for reporting any injury immediately to the first aid department. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, staff should expect:

• Use of hands, fingers, tools or controls. 
• Frequently required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch and communicate with others. 
• Routinely lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. 
• Exposure to wet surfaces.
• Depending on assignment, wearing a face mask for long periods of time.
• Exposure to the elements can be expected.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

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Education and experience

1. Must have a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from an institution accredited or recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
2. Must be able to obtain a valid state veterinary license and controlled substance certificate, DEA controlled substance registration certificate, and national USDA/APHIS accreditation.
3. Two years relevant experience or training in zoo animal veterinary medicine preferred . 
4. Expected to be, or will become, an AAZV and AVMA member.
5. American College of Zoological Medicine certification or elilibility to pursue certification is encouraged.

Skills and Knowledge

1. Ability to build relationships, work effectively in a team environment and contribute to a positive work environment.
2. Ability to think critically and demonstrated time-management skills.
3. Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey scientific information clearly and concisely.
4. Presentation and public speaking skills.
5. Knowledge of the Microsoft Office and animal record keeping software
6. Strong organizational skills with strong attention to detail.

Other Requirements:

1. Must have current negative TB test and rabies titer and provide documentation, or be willing to have a TB test and rabies titer.
2. Must be First Aid/CPR certified or willing to be trained and certified.
3. Seasonal flu and COVID vaccination encouraged.
4. Must be willing to travel locally.  Must have a current valid driver’s license with no serious traffic violations within the last five years.

POSITION TYPE AND HOURS OF WORK

1. Full time
2. Weekdays and weekends required with occasional evening work and holidays.
3. Will be in “On Call” rotation.  Must be within 30 minutes of the Zoo when On Call.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Birmingham Zoo is dedicated to creating a global community where all people value wildlife and wild places. As a workplace, the Zoo is guided by its core values: Passion, Excellence, Teamwork, Sustainability, and Diversity & Inclusion. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and others who identify as nonwhite, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodiverse individuals, and those with diverse lived experiences are encouraged to apply for this role.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and functions of this position.