Lead Veterinary Assistant
About The Position
Alpine Animal Clinic, an AAHA-accredited hospital in Helena, Montana, is seeking an experienced Lead Veterinary Assistant to combine hands-on patient care with team leadership and mentorship. The position supports daily hospital operations and serves as a clinical resource for the technical team. Working alongside new management, the Lead Veterinary Assistant will strengthen collaboration, develop staff skills, and expand clinical knowledge while contributing to medical quality, excellent patient care, and positive client experiences. The role includes clinical work across exam room, outpatient, surgical, and dental workflows, as well as helping coordinate and monitor daily operations. The Lead Veterinary Assistant supports team performance through task delegation, training, mentorship, and clinical guidance. The hospital provides a diverse range of care, from wellness and preventative medicine to urgent and emergency cases, and has advanced equipment and capabilities for services including blood transfusions, endoscopy, orthopedic procedures, and advanced diagnostics. This is a full-time role with a 4/10 schedule. The hospital is open Monday through Sunday, and the role requires weekday availability Monday through Friday, rotating weekends once per month (including Saturday and Sunday), and on-call weekend shifts once every six weeks. Compensation is $21–$23 per hour, with shift differentials for certain weekday hours, a daily weekend rate, and emergency pay.
Requirements
- At least 3 years of veterinary assistant experience.
- Proficiency in patient assessment, nursing care, and monitoring.
- Proficiency in anesthetic set-up, monitoring, and recovery.
- Proficiency in dental prophylaxis and dental radiography.
- Proficiency in venipuncture and intravenous catheter placement.
- Proficiency in radiology positioning and safety protocols.
- Proficiency in medication administration and accurate drug calculations.
- Proficiency in laboratory sample collection and in-house diagnostic testing.
- Availability Monday through Friday, rotating weekends once per month (including Saturday and Sunday), and on-call weekend shifts once every six weeks.
Nice To Haves
- Team or shift lead experience.
Responsibilities
- Support efficient exam room, outpatient, surgical, and dental workflows.
- Assist with anesthesia set-up, monitoring, and recovery.
- Assist in surgery and perform dental procedures, including prophylaxis and radiography.
- Maintain accurate medical records and communicate treatment plans and discharge instructions to clients.
- Delegate daily tasks and help coordinate workflow to support exceptional patient care.
- Provide training, mentorship, and clinical guidance to Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants.
- Monitor daily operations to uphold safety, efficiency, and medical standards.
- Build strong client relationships and foster a collaborative, positive team culture.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Life insurance and disability coverage.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Paid time off in accordance with site policy and applicable law.
- Personal pet discount.
- Uniform allowance.
- Free pet boarding up to 20 days.
- $500 bonus for candidates who meet certain experience criteria.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
