Chief of Veterinary Services ~Bonus Available~

REVISED

• Hiring Range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
• Pay Range is the entire compensation range for the position.

Applications reviewed upon receipt.

The Chief Veterinarian serves as the senior clinical leader for a complex, high-volume animal welfare system spanning Pima County’s 9,200 square miles. This role directs the full veterinary operation within an open-admissions shelter environment, where compassionate, high-quality care must be delivered across a wide spectrum of medical and behavioral conditions.

Reporting to executive leadership, the Chief Veterinarian provides oversight and mentorship to a team of staff veterinarians, while partnering closely with a robust clinic support structure that includes a clinic operations manager, operations coordinator, surgery and triage supervisors, and veterinary technical staff. Together, this team supports an annual intake of approximately 19,000 animals, in addition to managing the medical care of roughly 1,200 animals in foster at any given time.

The veterinary program operates at significant scale and pace, performing an average of 40 spay/neuter surgeries daily while also responding to emergency intakes, including those generated by Animal Protection Services (APS). The Chief Veterinarian ensures clinical excellence, operational efficiency, and humane outcomes across all service areas, balancing population-level medicine with individualized care.

This position also plays a critical role in advancing animal welfare and public accountability, as APS impound cases frequently involve forensic medical evaluation and require expert veterinary testimony in court related to cruelty and neglect. The Chief Veterinarian must therefore bring not only strong clinical and leadership expertise, but also the ability to operate effectively at the intersection of medicine, law enforcement, and community service.

A hiring bonus and relocation assistance may be available to the selected candidate. The hiring bonus will be provided by Friends of PACC.

This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

• Minimum five (5) years experience as a Veterinarian.
• Minimum three (3) years experience in high volume or emergency veterinary setting.
• Minimum five (5) years experience overseeing a team in a veterinary setting.

Licenses and Certifications: Valid driver license is required at time of application. Valid AZ driver license is required at time of appointment. The successful applicant will be subject to a 39-month DOT Motor Vehicle Record review to determine applicant’s suitability to operate county vehicles in accordance with Pima County administrative procedures. Failure to obtain and maintain the required licenses and certifications shall be grounds for termination. Any offer of employment resulting from this recruitment is contingent upon Fleet Services’ review and approval of the candidate’s driving record. A current Arizona license to practice veterinary medicine (per A.R.S. 32-2215 et seq) and a current Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) license for the prescription and administration of controlled substances is required at the time of appointment and must be maintained as a condition of employment.

Special Notice Items: The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education, and criminal conviction history. A prior criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment with the County. Some positions may require satisfactory completion of a personal background investigation by the court or law enforcement agencies, due to the need for access to County Attorney and Court facilities, records, and communication systems. Within nine months of appointment, employees must receive the full series of pre-exposure rabies immunizations. Medical inability to be immunized or previous immunization must be verified by the County Physician prior to employment. Recommended boosters are required for the duration of employment unless medically excused or physiologically unable to develop immunity. This position will require post-job offer proof of immunization(s) or immunization(s) and/or a TB screening. This position will require a post-job offer physical and/or drug screen. Pima County determines whether a position is eligible for visa sponsorship at the time of recruitment. Eligibility is based on the requirements of the position and applicable laws and regulations. Not all positions with Pima County are eligible for visa sponsorship.

Physical/Sensory Requirements: Physical and sensory abilities will be determined by position. Frequently required to lift 50 pounds, push or pull objects weighing up to 100 pounds. Action Activity - bending, crawling, kneeling, reaching, squatting, stooping; Motion Activity - grasping; Hearing Activity - in noisy areas, on a radio, behind themselves, and equipment alarms; Speaking Activity - In person, on a phone, on a radio; Vision - operate motor vehicle, distinguish colors, depth perception, and peripheral vision. 

Working Conditions: Working conditions will be determined by the position. 
 

EEO Information: Pima County Government is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to an inclusive and diverse workforce and will not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, kinship, political interest, or any other characteristic protected by law.