SUMMARY OF JOB PURPOSE AND FUNCTION The primary purpose and function of the Shift Lead is to perform the duties of a veterinary assistant/technician, as well as provide continuity and operational support across all shifts, ensuring that the hospital always has leadership onsite to support associates and clients.

The Shift Lead will help coordinate and guide the paraprofessional staff and support hospital leadership in maximizing the productivity and profitability of the hospital.

This position will work with the Practice Manager and Chief of Staff (COS) to help ensure effective communication with clients, associates, Field Leadership, Central Team Support, and PetSmart.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

The ratio of time spent on leadership duties and paraprofessional responsibilities will vary depending on the hospital situation; the Shift Lead must use good judgment in prioritizing their duties on any given day, ensuring hospital productivity.

On average, the ratio is expected to be about 20% leadership duties (primarily when the Practice Manager and/or Chief of Staff are not present) and 80% paraprofessional duties. Paraprofessional Responsibilities (approximately 80% of time):

• Live and exemplify the Five Principles of Mars, Inc. within self and team.

• Assist with surgery as applicable.

• Utilize technical skills to the fullest, within state practice acts and as outlined in the NAVTA guidelines for veterinary assistant skills and duties.

• Actively recruit new clients by promoting hospital services.

• Manage routing the flow of clients and pets to ensure superior client care and maximum productivity of the veterinary medical team.

• Maximize the number of pets seen by the hospital team through a productive and efficiently run hospital to support the needs of our wellness plan clients.

• Provide professional, efficient and exceptional service at all times. This includes encouraging hospital visits, welcoming clients and pets, ensuring that they are comfortable in the hospital, educating them about their pet's health, performing or preparing procedures that do not require veterinarian or veterinary technician assistance, completing preparatory work for other procedures, and monitoring hospitalized or surgical pets as allowed in the state practice acts.

• Educate clients about Optimum Wellness Plans, preventative care, pet health needs and hospital services.

• Assist outgoing clients by providing all necessary instructions, information and invoices, dispensing prescription items per the veterinarian's instructions, selling retail products and scheduling future appointments.

• Act as the extra eyes, ears and hands for the veterinarian and veterinary technician to ensure the best quality pet care and to maximize the veterinarian's and veterinary technician’s productivity, and communicate with the other associates to maintain the flow of patients.

• Obtain relevant information and history from clients and maintain proper and complete medical charts. 

• Ensure the safety of pets, clients and associates by utilizing safe restraining techniques, following standard protocols, and maintaining clean, sterile and organized treatment areas, exam rooms and labs.

• Support Practice Manager in hospital labor management which may include adjusting paraprofessional team’s schedules on a shift by shift basis.

• May assist Practice Manager in the selection, training, and day-to-day supervision of the paraprofessional team to ensure quality medical care, exceptional client service, associate engagement and maximum productivity.

• Quality check medical records, go home medications, regulatory documentations, hospital cleanliness, and timeliness of doctors seeing exam room patients.

• Address broken equipment issues and assist in inventory management.

• Other job duties as assigned.

THE FIVE PRINCIPLES

• Quality – The consumer is our boss, quality is our work and value for money is our goal.

• Responsibility – As individuals, we demand total responsibility from ourselves; as associates, we support the responsibility of others.

• Mutuality – A mutual benefit is a shared benefit; a shared benefit will endure.

• Efficiency – We use resources to the full, waste nothing and do only what we can do best.

• Freedom – We need freedom to shape our future; we need profit to remain free.

HIRING QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPENTACIES

• Priority Setting
• Approachability
• Directing Others Position
• Conflict Management
• Customer Focus Functional
• Peer Relationships
• Communication Skills
• Functional/Technical Skills
• Action Oriented
• Motivating Others
• ATTITUDES (WILL DO)

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS

• Ability to be confident around pets (i.e., dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.)
• Client needs and work volume may often require more than 40 hours per week to complete essential duties of this job. This position often requires working weekends and evenings.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderately high.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
• Requires ambulatory skills sufficient to perform duties while at hospital and to visit various locations.
• Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb as well as manipulate (lift, carry, move) up to 50 pounds.
• Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm-hand-finger dexterity with the ability to reach and grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read information.
• Associate is routinely exposed to a variety of pets that may bite or scratch, and on occasion, exposed to anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards and medication/controlled substances.

EDUCATION AND/OR TRAINING

• Associate’s degree or veterinary technician certification/licensure preferred, or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Two years experience (required, with six months experience at Banfield preferred.
• Prior supervisory experience preferred.