Veterinary Technician (Full-Time)

Fort Wayne Zoo•Fort Wayne, IN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Applications are being accepted for a full-time Veterinary Technician to join the Fort Wayne Zoo team. This is a full-time position requiring availability for a 40-hour work week year-round. The Veterinary Technician assists the Staff Veterinarian by conducting clinical and laboratory procedures in the vet hospital. This includes caring for animals, assisting in surgery, collecting specimens, etc. This position also contributes to positive guest experiences and performs other duties as required.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited Veterinary Technology program is required.
Valid Indiana Veterinary Technician registration is required within one month of hire and must be maintained throughout employment.
Valid driver’s license is required.
Knowledge of advanced animal care and handling.
Ability to endure high-stress situations such as examining, restraining, or treating animals.
Ability to utilize specialized tools (ladders, spin trimmers, mowers, hand drills, etc.).
Ability to identify native trees and shrubs when providing browse to animals.
Ability to adapt to a rapidly changing, dynamic work environment.
Demonstrated knowledge of zoo policies, standards, operations, cleaning, and maintenance techniques.
Ability to professionally and effectively communicate with others through written correspondence.
Ability to troubleshoot, analyze situations, and make sound business decisions.
Ability to make independent decisions and manage time effectively.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
Strong organizational skills.
Ability to work a highly flexible schedule; weekend, evening, holiday, and irregular hours will be required.
Ability to handle confidential information.
Ability to understand and follow all safety regulations.
Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Ability to arrive to work on time and maintain a positive attendance record.
Ability to serve in every respect and at all times as a goodwill ambassador for the Fort Wayne Zoological Society and the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in contacts with zoo visitors and the general public.
Ability to deal tactfully and politely with guest questions and misbehavior.
Excellent communication skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, partners, and/or the public.
Ability to operate office equipment, including computers, copiers, fax machines, and phones.
Ability to professionally and appropriately interact and communicate with others, both in person and through phone, email, and written correspondence.
Ability to regularly travel to assigned areas several times per day and efficiently enter all assigned areas.
Ability to negotiate a confined workspace while working with one or more coworkers.
Ability to handle and restrain a variety of small animals in a program setting.
Ability to properly lift and carry items up to 50 pounds.
Ability to stand and sit for periods of time and to move intermittently throughout the workday.
Good speaking and listening skills.
Ability to perform focused work with close attention to detail.
Ability to work both indoors and outdoors, with exposure to extreme temperatures and inclement weather conditions; the environment may include wet, icy, or muddy conditions.
This position may include exposure to hazardous materials, fumes/odors, dirt, and dust; potentially dangerous or venomous animals; zoonotic diseases; noxious native plants; and native biting insects and arthropods.

Nice To Haves

Three years of experience working as a veterinary technician in a zoological setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Sets up for all routine and emergency veterinary procedures; prepares equipment and supplies, inspects and tests anesthesia machines, charges radiograph plates and creates radiograph studies to be performed within the radiograph software system, and has medications, fluids, and vaccines drawn up and ready to be administered.
Assists the veterinarians during procedures; provides manual restraint of animals, intubations of patients, intravenous catheter placement, anesthesia monitoring and recordkeeping, diagnostic sample collection and processing, radiograph positioning/processing/recordkeeping, dental prophylaxis, and administration of medications, fluids, and vaccines.
Cleans up immediately after all veterinary procedures; disinfects all equipment and supplies that were used during the procedure, returns all used equipment and supplies to their proper storage location, restocks supplies used during the procedure, recharges equipment that uses battery power, disinfects the area(s) of the vet hospital used during the procedure (e.g., sweeps, mops, and wipes countertops), and closes the radiograph software system for backup to the server.
Serves as the veterinary contact for staff and triage animal health emergencies, as directed by the veterinarian on call.
Assists the Hospital Keeper in maintaining the veterinary hospital in a clean, organized, professional order.
Organizes and tracks disposal of drugs and hazardous waste.
Performs the Hospital Keeper’s duties when he or she is absent.
Provides daily medical treatments to animals, including holidays and other off days, as directed by veterinarians.
Performs all in-house laboratory testing including blood chemistries, blood gasses, manual CBCs, urinalyses, and cytologies; records and reports all laboratory sample collection and testing results.
Processes and ships diagnostic samples, alters samples as needed (e.g., centrifugation, freezing, etc.), packages samples for shipment in accordance with appropriate regulations, prepares shipping carrier and laboratory submission forms and retains appropriate copies for the zoo’s Registrar, and arranges for pickup of samples (e.g., calls courier, drops off packages, etc.); maintains required IATA training necessary for packaging animal samples for delivery.
Implements the zoo’s parasite control program; requests routine, pre-shipment, quarantine, and post-treatment fecal samples from each area of the zoo; performs direct exams, parasite concentrating techniques, and special staining on fecal samples; records in-house parasitology exam results on the appropriate forms; and ensures keepers have all the necessary supplies and forms needed for fecal sample submissions.
Keeps the veterinary hospital well-stocked with all necessary drugs and supplies; maintains a list of drugs and supplies to be ordered, maintains an ample supply of paper and other office supplies, keeps all paper goods well stocked, orders and picks up drugs/supplies weekly or as necessary, distributes supplies throughout the veterinary hospital, inspects the expiration dates of all drugs monthly and discards/reorders if necessary, and organizes the ordering/distribution of other medical supplies for other areas of the zoo.
Maintains the vet hospital’s gas supplies (e.g., oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.); turns on centralized oxygen tanks each morning, turns them off each evening, and orders additional tanks when needed.
Maintains necessary sterile equipment (e.g., package and autoclave surgical equipment and supplies), maintains cold sterile solutions and supplies, coordinates gas sterilization of equipment with local hospitals, inspects sterilization dates monthly, and resterilizes equipment when necessary.
Maintains and provides recordkeeping for the zoo’s serum, plasma, and blood sample bank.
Files and maintains processed radiographs.
Euthanizes mice and other pests caught in live traps throughout the zoo.
Prepares and distributes medications, refills, and treatment compliance forms as prescribed by veterinarians.
Coordinates inspection and maintenance of hospital equipment by outside regulatory agencies and contractors (e.g., radiograph equipment, radiograph processor, anesthesia machines, etc.).
Maintains the veterinary hospital in accordance with OSHA and other regulations; maintains SDS sheets for veterinary medications and chemicals, including acquiring sheets for new materials, and checks and inverts all fire extinguishers monthly.
Enters ZIMS clinical notes as needed.
Performs necropsies or assists the veterinarians with necropsies as needed.
Prepares necropsy samples and appropriate records/forms for shipment to the pathology lab.
Maintains the hospital’s controlled drug usage log and performs a yearly inventory of all safes with the zoo’s veterinarians.
Manages the zoo’s radiation exposure badges and reports.
Provides veterinary hospital tours to groups as needed.
Writes and presents papers for conferences or publications.
Assists the keeper staff with animal training for medical purposes.
Engages with guests both informally and through formal presentations (e.g., Keeper Chats, Wild Encounters, VIP tours, etc.).
Consults with or provides consultation to colleagues at other zoos/institutions via phone, mail, and email.
Operates vehicles to transport animals and medical supplies within the zoo and between other facilities.
Supervises veterinary technician students and veterinary students during externships.
Supervises volunteers that may be working in the hospital and oversees tasks assigned to volunteers.
Supports the zoo’s commitment to continued growth of diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging for zoo team members, volunteers, guests, and supporters.
Assists with special projects and helps other zoo employees as needed.
Actively contributes to positive guest experiences.