Hybrid Director of Shelter Medicine bei San Francisco SPCA

Description

 The Director of Shelter Medicine leads a dynamic and passionate team of veterinarians, support staff, and volunteers to provide high-quality, compassionate medical care to the thousands of homeless animals entering the SF SPCA shelter each year. This leader also supports partner shelters in promoting strong animal welfare and improving outcomes within their own facilities. Operating within a progressive, high-volume shelter environment, this role demands a results-driven, collaborative approach rooted in innovation, efficiency, urgency, and a commitment to evidence-based practices.

At the SF SPCA, high volume and high quality are not competing priorities, they are the standard. Through evidence-based, population-level medicine and a commitment to both speed and excellence, the Director ensures that every animal receives timely, compassionate, and medically sound care while advancing the organization’s lifesaving mission.

This is a hands-on management position that works closely with leaders across the Adoption, Volunteer, Behavior, Hospital, and Community Medicine departments to deliver excellent shelter medicine outcomes and uphold high standards of accountability and performance. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of current sheltering and population medicine standards to drive meaningful progress. A commitment to continuous improvement, transparent leadership, and practical problem-solving is essential. The Director is a key member of the organization’s leadership team and plays an active role in shaping and executing its strategic vision.  The role reports to the Chief Medical Officer.

Core Responsibilities

Leadership and Veterinary Medical Care 

• Partners with the VP of Shelter Operations (VPSO), Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and cross-departmental leadership to advance the organization’s lifesaving goals and uphold animal welfare through population-level strategies.
• Designs, updates, and implements medical protocols to support throughput targets, rapid medical clearance, and timely decision-making, in alignment with best practices from recognized shelter medicine experts, particularly in HQHVSN and shelter population health.
• Ensures the clinical and surgical needs of animals in the shelter and foster system are met through a proactive, population-focused approach emphasizing disease prevention, outbreak control, timely treatment, and reduced length of stay.
• Provides high-quality veterinary medical and surgical care, including performing High-Quality, High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) surgeries, and supports regional partner shelters- particularly in the Central Valley- through capacity-building and direct services.
• Leads and contributes to the continuous monitoring, analysis, and protection of overall shelter population health (rather than focusing solely on individual animal outcomes) using data to measure throughput, quality outcomes, and resource utilization, and to adjust strategies in real time.
• In collaboration with Source to Home departments, develops and implements population health management systems rooted in Capacity for Care, data-informed decision-making, medical innovation, and measurable accountability for results.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with all state and federal laws related to the practice of veterinary medicine, controlled substances, and animal welfare.
• Fosters communication and collaboration across departments and with external partners—including SF Animal Care & Control and the SF SPCA Hospital—to ensure coordinated care and maximize lifesaving efforts.
• Participates in strategic planning, departmental budgeting, and implementation of the organization’s vision while navigating key issues and driving innovation in shelter medicine practices.
• Makes and supports euthanasia decisions in alignment with the organization’s approach to humane euthanasia.

Staff Development

• Ensure all medical staff understand and embrace the philosophy that high-volume, high-quality care is achievable and central to our mission.
• Attract, develop, and retain talent to ensure that people with the right skills and motivations are in the right place at the right time.
• Develop staff capacity to make timely, population-minded medical decisions that move animals efficiently through the system.
• Create an environment that embraces change, continuous improvement, innovation, and inter-departmental collaboration.
• Empower medical and support staff to learn, lead, and innovate through teaching, mentoring, and cross-training opportunities.
• Promote a strong commitment to teamwork, high professional standards, and continuing skills development through regular communication, team meetings, and knowledge exchange.
• Assist staff in setting annual goals, provide ongoing feedback, and conduct performance reviews for direct reports.
• Foster a culture aligned with the SF SPCA’s mission and values.

Department Administration

• Set and monitor performance metrics related to throughput, length of stay, medical clearance rates, and resource efficiency.
• In collaboration with the VPSO, CMO, and Finance Department, develop and manage the Shelter Medicine budget.
• Ensure appropriate staff utilization, performance feedback, and recognition to support departmental effectiveness.
• Provide oversight for department supplies, equipment, and facility needs, including cleaning and maintenance.

Travel

• Veterinary Services – As the need arises and/or directed by Senior Leadership, travel to California’s Central Valley partner shelters with the goal of increasing lifesaving by decompressing overcrowded shelters through rapid intake and processing at scale. Partner shelter locations include, but are not limited to, Stockton, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Madera counties.
• Training – as needed or encouraged, travel to regional, national or global destinations to continue learning and growing as an expert in the Shelter Medicine field.
• Conferences - Represent the SF SPCA at industry conferences either as a speaker or attendee, ensuring professional branding of our organization and leveraging opportunities to recruit other clinicians to our organization.

Requirements

Education and Experience

• DVM or VMD degree from an accredited veterinary medical college 
• Licensed to practice in the State of California
• Ability to obtain a DEA license
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience as practicing Veterinarian, with at least 2 years’ experience in an animal welfare environment 
• Experience in shelter medicine, herd health, animal welfare, high volume spay/neuter, and/or shelter operations
• Experience in leadership and direct staff management 

Benefits

Salary & Benefits 

The starting salary for this position depends on the depth and breadth of experience. The expected range is $250,000 - $270,000.

 Regular, full-time positions are eligible for a benefits package including:

• Paid Time Off and Holiday pay
• Medical, Dental & Vision insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan and contribution matching
• Student debt relief program
• Pre-tax Commuter Benefits
• Discounts on retail and pet supplies
• Discounts on veterinary care at our SF SPCA Mission Campus Veterinary Hospital and Spay/Neuter Clinic

The San Francisco SPCA welcomes everyone! We welcome all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, political persuasions, languages, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, and national origins. Diversity brings innovative ideas, perspectives, and opinions. We consider our differences to be valuable assets that will help us continually strive to be better at what we do and to advance our mission. 

The SF SPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job ad reflects the assignment of essential functions and does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. The San Francisco SPCA is an at-will employer and may conduct pre-employment background checks and drug screening depending on the role.