Clinical Veterinarian, Part-time Contract

Altos Labs•San Diego, CA

21d•$92 - $117•Hybrid

About The Position

This part-time, contract Clinical Veterinarian will serve as a key veterinary and regulatory leader supporting in vivo research across multiple Altos sites. In this role, you will act as the Attending Veterinarian (AV) for Altos Labs and provide veterinary oversight, clinical care, and technical training. You will help ensure that animal research is conducted ethically, with scientific rigor and in full compliance with applicable standards, including Public Health Service (PHS) Policy and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. You will play a central role in shaping a program that emphasizes animal welfare, regulatory excellence, and continuous refinement of in vivo models. You will also help establish core guidelines, best practices, and the Post-Approval Monitoring (PAM) program needed to support consistent execution, protocol adherence, animal welfare, and continuous improvement across sites. You will partner closely with scientists, operations, IACUC coordinator, and external collaborators to enable high-quality discovery and preclinical development programs. This includes providing expert veterinary input, strengthening biosecurity and clinical care programs, and driving a culture of care that integrates animal welfare, scientific excellence, and operational discipline.

Requirements

DVM or equivalent veterinary degree; licensed or eligible for licensure in California.
Significant experience in laboratory animal medicine, including rodent and non-rodent species.
Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, including USDA/Animal Welfare Act, AAALAC, and IACUC processes.
Demonstrated experience with inspections, audits, accreditation activities, and animal welfare investigations.
Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Experience supporting discovery and preclinical development programs.

Nice To Haves

Board certification, such as ACLAM, strongly preferred.
Experience developing guidelines, best practices, training programs, or PAM activities preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Attending Veterinarian (AV) for the Altos Labs (Redwood City & San Diego). Some travel to Redwood City may be required.
Ensure protocol quality, appropriate humane endpoints, and continuous improvement aligned with the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement.
Lead regulatory programs to ensure compliance with Animal Welfare Act, The Guide, and other applicable standards.
Establish and maintain veterinary and IACUC-related guidelines, best practices, and program standards to ensure consistent, humane, and scientifically rigorous animal use across sites.
Develop and support the Post-Approval Monitoring (PAM) program, including protocol adherence checks, procedure observations, documentation review, and feedback loops for training, refinement, and continuous improvement.
Maintain inspection readiness; lead site inspections, and applicable audits.
Provide direct clinical veterinary care for rodent species.
Lead and enhance biosecurity, disease prevention, and health surveillance programs.
Drive continuous improvement in enrichment and behavioral management programs.
Support and participate in the veterinary on-call program.
Lead technical training and development programs for in vivo research teams.
Mentor scientists and staff in technical excellence and best practices, fostering a strong culture of care.
Guide refinement of animal models, ensuring scientific rigor and humane practices.
Proactively prepare the organization for novel models and emerging technologies, ensuring technical and operational readiness.
Foster cross-functional partnerships to drive continuous improvements in animal welfare, compliance, and execution excellence.
Deliver program performance through both direct leadership and indirect influence across teams.
Support development of team members in technical capability, continuous improvement, and career growth.
Help shape a scalable, standardized veterinary and animal care model across sites.