Director of Clinic Operations

Overview

Director of Clinic Operations Jobs in Philadelphia, PA at PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society)

PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, is seeking an accomplished, resourceful, and compassionate leader dedicated to providing accessible veterinary care and advancing PAWS’ mission to make Philadelphia a place where every savable pet is guaranteed a home, and every pet owner has the support they need to keep their family whole.

General Position Summary:

The Director of Clinic Operations (DCO) plays a vital role in maximizing the positive impact that PAWS’ clinics make in the communities we serve. The DCO is responsible for ensuring efficient, accessible, and sustainable clinic operations, including maximizing scheduling capacity based on staff resources, and demonstrating and upholding high standards of veterinary care and customer service. The DCO works in collaboration with other departments to ensure optimal treatment and outcomes for all animals who come into PAWS’ care, fosters a sense of teamwork in a positive, productive, and inclusive workplace environment, and embodies PAWS’ values. As a member of PAWS’ leadership team, the DCO collaborates with directors and managers across the organization to shape PAWS’ strategic goals and develop short- and long-term actionable plans to achieve them.

Management Duties:

— Directly supervise veterinary technicians and manage the Customer Service Manager and Northeast Clinic Manager in:

Ensuring a strong workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being, engagement, and growth, as well as organizational health:

▪ Set high standards of conduct, hold staff accountable for their performance, offer praise and constructive criticism as appropriate to elicit each staff member’s best work, and take disciplinary action as needed in accordance with PAWS’ employment policies.

▪ Develop and implement thoughtful onboarding and training processes to ensure new staff members are welcomed onto the team, knowledgeable about their role and responsibilities, and integrated into the organization as a whole.

▪ Lead and mentor PAWS’ team of veterinary technicians, defining their roles, assessing and building their skills, and identifying opportunities for growth.

▪ Identify and coordinate continuing education and training needs and opportunities.

▪ Assist in screening, interviewing, and vetting candidates as needed.

▪ Provide coaching and mentoring to managers on leadership and staff management.

▪ Offer guidance and support to managers in conducting probationary period and annual performance reviews, and conduct managers’ annual reviews and additional counseling as needed, with an eye toward nurturing talent and developing leadership.

▪ Foster open communication and solicit regular feedback in an effort to understand concerns, receive input and ideas, and proactively address issues.

Ensuring surgical, clinic, and shelter medicine appointments and staff are scheduled appropriately, services are maximized and delivered efficiently, and customer concerns and complaints are addressed promptly and effectively.

▪ Set the schedule for veterinarians and veterinary technicians at PAWS’ Grays Ferry location.

▪ Receive communication from direct reports who are unable to make their shift or running late and adjust schedule as needed, ideally preventing the cancellation of services.

▪ Identify opportunities to improve and streamline operations and develop plans to effectively implement them.

▪ Empower client care staff to appropriately triage requests for medical care, identifying needs that are within our scope of services and referring other cases elsewhere.

▪ Meet weekly with the managers to review service schedules/capacity, check in on project progress, and troubleshoot challenges.

▪ Handle customer concerns that require additional or further management involvement.

— Work with the Customer Service Manager, Northeast Clinic Manager, Medical Director, and staff veterinarians to shape, create, uphold, and communicate policies, procedures, and protocols for:

client service interactions that:

▪ promote a hospitality-first approach that is judgment-free and trauma-informed;

▪ meet high standards for customer service; and,

▪ enable ease of access to services by the community.

medical services that:

▪ facilitate the provision of quality veterinary care;

▪ ensure the safe, sanitary and humane treatment of animals in PAWS’ care;

▪ provide for disease control according to best practices and follow established professional standards and requirements, and applicable laws and regulations; and,

▪ protect the inventory of medications, drugs and treatment supplies.

facilities that are secure, well-maintained, inviting and clean.

— Develop and maintain relationships within the local veterinary community to build partnerships and coordinate care for animals rescued by PAWS needing specialized and emergency medicine outside the scope of what PAWS’ medical team can provide.

— Develop and maintain full knowledge of software programs utilized by PAWS’ clinics (primarily/currently ClinicHQ) to:

ensure they are utilized to their fullest potential by training staff on new or under-used functions;
implement unutilized functionalities to improve staff and client experience; and,
identify alternatives if current programs are deemed inadequate.

— Work collaboratively with the veterinary and shelter leadership teams – including coordinating and convening quarterly meetings – to share ideas and foster communication, engagement, and understanding across departments, ensure PAWS’ clinic services and policies are in keeping with trends and best practices in community veterinary medicine, maximize PAWS’ lifesaving ability, and meet program goals.

— As part of the leadership team, help establish clear goals and performance metrics for the clinics, reporting on and analyzing progress on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis to identify trends and challenges and make adjustments accordingly.

— In collaboration with the Executive Director, working within established budgets to manage medical and administrative costs; planning for department needs including staffing, equipment, and inventory.

— Serve as the primary contact for medical supply, service, and equipment vendors, and, in partnership with the Executive Director, review product and service costs annually and as vendors announce them and implement price increases when appropriate/necessary.

— Ensure proper record keeping and cash management procedures are in place and followed.

— Liaison to PetSmart Charities (average of 1-2 hours per week):

With the Executive Director, take a lead role in representing PAWS, which is a member of the first Accelerator Grant cohort, during the remaining two years of our four-year grant period (2025-2026).
Engage in strategic conversations with and provide updates to Petsmart Charities leaders, and discuss operations, approaches, successes, and challenges with fellow cohort members.
Analyze data and audit operations to determine opportunities to make PAWS’ clinic services more accessible to the community, to increase capacity, and to enhance sustainability.
Share knowledge gained from cohort discussions and internal analysis with clinic staff, and solicit input from staff that can inform additional opportunities for growth and improvement.

Required skills and qualities:

At least five years’ management experience in the veterinary field, including supervising staff and coaching on performance and accountability.
At least three years’ experience in hospital operations and process/efficiency improvement.
At least three years’ experience in managing team leads/managers, with demonstrated commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Commitment to PAWS’ mission to keep families together by providing excellent, accessible veterinary care to pet owners who may not be able to afford it otherwise, and to provide lifesaving opportunities to stray and surrendered animals, with the ultimate goal of a loving home for every savable pet.
Commitment to and embodiment of PAWS’ values of urgency, volume, quality of care, approachability, leadership, and organizational health.
Ability to handle all animals properly and with compassion, including those who are sick, injured, feral or aggressive, and to promote a humane and caring attitude toward all animals.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication, organizational, and customer service skills.
Empathy, patience, an outgoing nature, and the ability to get along well with a variety of people.
Ability to think strategically and execute effectively, while being flexible and innovative as needs and opportunities arise.
Strong analytical skills with experience in data-driven decision making.
Maturity, strong sense of leadership, and ability to take initiative and problem-solve, identifying and prioritizing tasks appropriately, and working independently with minimal supervision and direction.
Ability to maintain a calm, professional, and respectful demeanor at all times when dealing with the public, even in stressful situations.
Computer proficient in Microsoft Office and Google products.
Proficient in, or willingness to become proficient in, the various shelter and clinic management systems utilized by PAWS (Clinic HQ, ShelterLuv, Airtable, and others).

Educational Requirements:

Post-secondary education in veterinary practice management and related concentrations strongly preferred.
BA/BS strongly preferred.
CVT/LVT license a plus.
Fear-Free Certification a plus.

Physical Requirements:

Allergic conditions that would be aggravated when exposed to animals may be a disqualification.

Hours:

This is an exempt position. PAWS is open seven days a week. A minimum of 40 hours per week is required, typically including one weekend day. Daily schedule and hours may vary according to the needs of the organization. Depending on staff and operational needs, this position may have the flexibility to work from a remote office of their choosing up to one day per week. While onsite, the DCO will work from PAWS’ Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood and from PAWS’ Northeast Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic in Northeast Philadelphia. Please note that, as PAWS operates seven days per week and this position is responsible for the smooth functioning of both clinics, the DCO must be available to field callouts and make schedule adjustments as needed, in collaboration with managers at each facility.

Benefits:

Medical insurance and prescription coverage through Independence Blue Cross (two medical plans to choose from); PAWS pays majority of premiums
Dental insurance through MetLife; PAWS pays majority of premium
401(k) plan with employer matching, administered by TransAmerica
9 paid holidays per year
Generous paid time off (PTO)
Free and heavily discounted clinic services, lab work, prescription diets, and medications for your own pets
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through HealthAdvocate
Voluntary benefits (long- and short-term disability, life, and accident insurance) through Colonial Life

Direct Supervisor: Executive Director

About the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
PAWS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS is the city’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable veterinary care for pet owners and rescue organizations that cannot otherwise access it. Each year, PAWS saves and finds loving homes for thousands of animals in need. Through its two low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter and wellness clinics, PAWS serves approximately 28,000 animals each year, enabling families to keep their cherished pets and preventing shelter surrenders. PAWS is working to make Philadelphia a place where every savable pet is guaranteed a home.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Employee assistance program
Employee discount
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance

Schedule:

8 hour shift
Day shift
Weekends as needed

Application Question(s):

What interests you about joining PAWS?

Experience:

veterinary practice management: 5 years (Required)
managing team leads/managers: 3 years (Required)
hospital/clinic operations: 3 years (Required)

License/Certification:

Veterinary Technician Certification (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Title: Director of Clinic Operations

Company: PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society)

Location: Philadelphia, PA