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Medical Director, Veterinarian

King County

Kent, WAJob$153–194K/yrPosted 1 day agoStill listed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$153–194K/yr
Location
Kent, WA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Unrestricted Washington Veterinary License Or Ability To ObtainDEA Registration Or Ability To ObtainDoctorate

Job overview

Regional Animal Services of King County seeks an experienced Animal Shelter Veterinary Medical Director to lead its veterinary services program and help prepare for operations in a new shelter in 2027. The role is part of the senior leadership team and provides strategic direction for shelter medicine, mentors veterinary professionals, drives continuous improvement, and supports exceptional care for animals.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Shelter MedicinePopulation ManagementMedical Decision-MakingOperational Decision-MakingEmployee CoachingPartnership BuildingStakeholder CommunicationData-Driven Decision-MakingCustomer ServiceEquityAnimal WelfareShelter Medicine LeadershipBudget ManagementGrant AdministrationChameleonLeanContinuous Improvement

Qualifications

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or EquivalentUnrestricted Washington Veterinary License or Ability to ObtainDEA Registration or Ability to ObtainProgressive Veterinary Management ExperienceHigh-Volume Spay/Neuter Surgery and Shelter Medicine Experience

Full job description

Are you a visionary shelter medicine leader committed to advancing animal welfare, public service, and organizational excellence? Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) is seeking an experienced Animal Shelter Veterinary Medical Director to lead our veterinary services program and help shape the future of one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier municipal animal service organizations.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a collaborative veterinary team while preparing for operations in a new animal shelter in 2027. The Medical Director serves as a member of the RASKC senior leadership team, providing strategic direction for shelter medicine, mentoring veterinary professionals, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring exceptional care for thousands of animals each year. About RASKC RASKC provides animal sheltering, animal control services, pet licensing, adoptions, foster care, and community programs for 25 cities and unincorporated King County. We are committed to protecting public health and safety while promoting the humane treatment of animals.

SCOPE OF JOB DUTIES: In order to be considered minimally qualified for this role, you must demonstrate knowledge, skill and ability to perform the following:

  • Lead all veterinary clinic operations, shelter medicine programs, and medical staff.
  • Supervise veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, and clinic volunteers.
  • Establish strategic goals, policies, and performance measures.
  • Oversee surgery, diagnostics, treatment, vaccination, disease prevention, and humane euthanasia.
  • Lead infectious disease surveillance and outbreak response.
  • Manage foster medical programs and animal population health.
  • Develop and manage clinic budgets, grants, contracts, and controlled substance inventory.
  • Partner with animal welfare organizations, veterinarians, universities, and community organizations.
  • Participate in labor relations, organizational planning, and leadership initiatives.
  • Promote Lean continuous improvement, innovation, employee engagement, and evidence-based decision making.

The successful candidate is:

  • A collaborative and forward-thinking leader.
  • Experienced in shelter medicine and population management.
  • Comfortable making timely medical and operational decisions.
  • Passionate about coaching and developing employees.
  • Skilled at building partnerships and communicating with diverse stakeholders.
  • Data-driven and committed to continuous improvement.
  • Dedicated to exceptional customer service, equity, and animal welfare.
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent.
  • Unrestricted Washington veterinary license (or ability to obtain).
  • DEA registration (or ability to obtain).
  • Progressive supervisory or management experience in veterinary medicine.
  • Experience performing high-volume, quality spay/neuter surgery and shelter medicine.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Shelter medicine leadership.

  • Budget development and management.

  • Grant administration.

  • Public sector or nonprofit leadership.

  • Experience with Chameleon software.

  • Lean or continuous improvement experience. Why Join Us

  • Lead a highly respected regional animal services program.

  • Help open and shape a new animal shelter.

  • Influence the future of shelter medicine in King County.

  • Work alongside a collaborative leadership team committed to innovation, employee development, and exceptional service Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. Application Process If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Brittney Marzest, Senior Talent Advisor at [email protected] King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us. King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here. King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

How this job compares

Set against the 2,389 open Veterinarian jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$153–194K/yr
  • Washington median$120–180K/yr51 salary ranges
  • US median$108–155K/yr1,438 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $174K, is 20% above the Washington median midpoint ($145K) — in the middle half of Veterinarian salary ranges in Washington.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 61 open Veterinarian jobs in Washington and 2,389 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Washington
Experience
Veterinarian postings that state a minimum ask for 3 years of experience at the median (208 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a doctorate or professional degree; 1,783 of the 2,389 open Veterinarian jobs (75%) ask for a doctorate or professional degree.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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