Skip to Main Content

Assistant Director & Clinical Veterinarian

Position Details

Position Information

Position Title Assistant Director & Clinical Veterinarian
Department/Unit Carleton Animal Care Facility
Location Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Posting Number S108-24
Employee Group DPMG
Position Type Term
Duration of Contract (if applicable) Two (2) years
Employment Type Full Time
Full-time Equivalency (FTE) 1.0 FTE
Salary Commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Classification ADM-07
Provisional Statement
About Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.
Job Summary
The Division of Animal Care (DAC) provides professional services and oversight for the Faculty of Medicine’s Animal Care facilities. Reporting to the Director, DAC, the Assistant Director & Clinical Veterinarian will provide the highest quality of animal care, and support research teams and students, ensuring animal welfare and adherence to regulatory requirements and university policies and procedures.
Key Responsibilities
  • Provide daily veterinary clinical care for all DAC species.
  • Provide training, coaching and support to research teams and students regarding animal care.
  • Ensure welfare and health monitoring occurs regularly in accordance with approved protocols and guidelines. Work with research groups in developing best practices that support research goals and the well-being of animals. Act as a resource for research teams and students regarding animal care.
  • Chair DAC’s Surgical Subcommittee. Provide guidance and recommendations for pre-operative, surgical and post-operative procedures and care. Manage the daily operations of the DAC’s surgical services program. This includes all scheduling for surgical areas; ensuring safe and functioning equipment; managing and ordering inventories; and overseeing the preparation of instruments, equipment, etc for surgeries.
  • Supervise technical staff including hiring, training, and scheduling for a 365-day-a-year operation. Ensure staff compliance with required safety standards and animal welfare regulations and policies.
  • Work with the Director and DAC team to identify gaps in meeting best practices, professional and regulatory guidelines, and university requirements. Research, develop and implement training, documentation, workshops, etc. to address identified needs.
Note
On a rotating schedule, the incumbent will provide University-wide on-call emergency care on evenings, week-ends and holidays.

Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in-person on campus.
Required Qualifications
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from a CVMA accredited school and eligible to be licensed to practice in Nova Scotia as well as five years progressive relevant general clinic veterinary experience, including solid clinical experience in all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery in a wide range of animal species.
  • Clinical experience in laboratory animal medicine. This includes a demonstrated understanding of laboratory animal science and animal ethics as it applies to academic biomedical research, and knowledge and experience with CCAC guidelines and other regulations governing the use and care of laboratory animals.
  • Excellent interpersonal, and communication (verbal and written) skills.
  • Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
  • Previous supervisory experience.
  • Ability to perform the physical demands of the job including good manual dexterity, mobility, auditory, olfactory, and visual skills.
Assets
  • Experience with zebrafish and aquatic systems.
  • Experience on animal ethics committees.
  • Supervisory experience in a unionized environment.

Job Competencies
The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core and leadership competencies (https://www.dal.ca/dept/leaders.html), in particular:

- Self-Awareness & Professionalism
- Integrity
- Respect & Inclusion
- Knowledge & Thinking Skills
- Communication

Additional Information
Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.
Application Consideration
Applications from current university employees and external candidates are assessed concurrently. Current university employees will be given special consideration.

We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or Human Resources.
Diversity Statement
Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity.
Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies One (1)
Open Date 05/03/2024
Close Date 05/24/2024
Open Until Filled No
Special Instructions to Applicant
Quick Link for Direct Access to Posting

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Documents Needed to Apply

Required Documents
  1. Résumé / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Optional Documents
  1. Cover Letter