Veterinary Technician (Full Time)

CommonSpirit Health • Austin, TX

4h • Onsite

About The Position

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no-kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non-traditional community-based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project, a collaborative movement of more than 10,000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,900 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.

The APA! Medical Clinic works on the cutting edge of shelter medicine, treating the most critical and vulnerable animals that other shelters and even some private clinics don't have the resources to help. This makes APA! the ideal learning environment for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of veterinary medicine and no-kill animal sheltering, with the added benefit of knowing you are helping homeless animals from all over Texas and the United States.

Our technicians rotate through different roles in the clinic including Wellness Technician, Emergency Technician, Hospital/Onsite Technician, and Prescription Technician. Once trained, our techs also assist in high volume spay/neuter surgery; including Recovery of patients, Gopher tech role, and ultimately Surgery Technician. Our veterinary technicians are crucial to the success of our lifesaving programs, providing hands-on care and treatment to the 10,000+ animals who come through our doors every year. The ideal candidate is passionate about creating the best experience for the public, adopters, and volunteers who visit APA!, all while making a difference for Austin’s most vulnerable pets. This is a full-time, nonexempt position and reports to the Medical Clinic Manager on duty or another individual designated by APA!.

The Veterinary Technician plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s Clinic Team. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for shelter operations.

The Veterinary Technician is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.

APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Veterinary Technician collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect.

This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

Requirements

• Preferred 6 months of experience working as a veterinary technician or surgery experience, preferably in a customer-facing role, but not required
• Proficiency in standard veterinary technician skills, including but not limited to proper handling and restraint techniques, blood draws and diagnostics, skin scrapes, TPR, SQ/IM/IV injections, and catheter placement
• Must possess moderate to expert veterinary pharmacy knowledge
• Must have basic knowledge of common dog and cat illnesses, injuries, conditions, and diagnostics and run basic medical tests
• Ability to do precise drug calculations and create accurate prescription labels
• Must be able to transcribe veterinarian notes
• Ability to work independently in a busy and dynamic environment
• Current Valid Driver’s License desired for occasional transport needs
• Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
• Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission
• Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials
• Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
• Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
• Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience
• Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
• Commitment to APA!’s no kill mission and care philosophies
• Willing and committed to working well with volunteers and staff in all roles Leadership identifies and puts forth
• Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds
• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, unpleasant smells, chlorine or other chemicals, indoors, and outdoors in all weather
• Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels, including those who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm, scabies, intestinal parasites, etc.
• Must be able to work in a medical clinic environment and be witness to a variety of animal medical conditions and procedures
• Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day
• Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away
• Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away with the ability to hear and discern dog vocalizations both soft and loud
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to pass all required dog handling training required for this position
• Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions
• Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers

Responsibilities

• Actively contribute to a volunteer-powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment
• Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program
• Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work
• Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager
• Contribute to a positive culture by recognizing volunteer contributions through appreciation, gratitude, and shoutouts
• Help set volunteers up for success by clearly explaining tasks, providing hands-on guidance, and offering in-the-moment support
• Complete hospitalized treatment, from beginning to end, at any complexity level
• Manage wellness appointment schedule efficiently and on time
• Follow technician protocols independently
• Understand x-ray positioning and terminology
• Use med chart proficiently
• Able to train for all non-surgical roles: Wellness, Emergency, Hospital/Onsite and Prescription Technician (see below); learning the positions’ duties quickly and willing to take on solo shifts within 30 days of commencing the role
• Ability to complete everything on the veterinary technician training checklist within 6 months of commencing the role, with surgical duties as an exception
• Treats animals with the highest level of compassion and consideration at all times.
• Works professionally with all staff, volunteers, and visitors
• Arrives to work on time and ready to work for all shifts and stays for the duration of all shifts to support other tasks if needed and unless otherwise scheduled.
• Based on APA Medical Protocols, elevates medical concerns to Clinic Managers, Veterinarians, and Medical Directors
• Administers medications as indicated in APA! Medical Protocols as prescribed and within the required timeframes
• Perform blood draws
• Perform point-of-care diagnostic tests
• Perform and read PCV/TP/BG
• Start learning microscopy: fecals, skin scrapes
• Diff Quick Staining
• Administer insulin to diabetic cats
• Able to identify common illnesses, injuries, and general health concerns, and respond and treat according to APA Medical Protocols
• Learn, understand, and calculate the uses of all medications in the APA! Medical Dose Chart
• Able to administer SQ and IM injections.
• Administer vaccines and maintain the associated data and records. Rabies vaccinations are administered with Veterinarian approval.
• Perform blacklight exams for ringworm.
• Concurrently document all vaccinations, preventatives, medications administered, and/or any diagnostic tests completed for a specific cat and the results in the electronic medical record and in a timely manner
• Basic APA! software knowledge - ShelterLuv, Waitwhile and Google Suite
• Records thorough and accurate patient histories and elevates information to veterinarians as outlined in APA! Medical protocols.
• Able to perform radiographs on patients with assistance
• Learn and understand X-ray positions
• Vaccinate animals and administer necessary treatment (oral, SQ, IM, IV etc) in accordance with protocols and/or directions received from veterinarian
• Monitors animal behavior and eating patterns
• Cleans and sanitizes cages, kennels, equipment, and treatment areas to maintain the sanitary conditions of the APA! Medical clinic
• Ability to run appointments with some assistance needed
• Assists in euthanasia appointments and appropriately stores and labels deceased animals
• Identify, triage and respond to emergency situations with assistance
• Assist colleagues in other clinic positions as outlined by management and as scheduled in Paycor
• Appropriately and effectively restrains and handles animals for exams and treatments
• Answers questions and provides information to the public and fosters/adopters on APA! policies and procedures
• Assists in maintaining accountability of scheduled drugs
• Maintain a safe, clean, and sanitary work environment
• Provide excellent customer service to all clients
• Provide quality and timely wellness-related medical care for scheduled medical clinic clients
• Follow vet-approved protocols for diagnostics and treatment of routine medical concerns
• Seek manager or vet involvement for all non-routine or chronic patients
• Provide fosters and adopters with clear communication and information regarding the animals in their care
• Prepare for daily appointments in advance, including reviewing medical history for each patient
• Maintain updated animal records through immediate data entry during and after each appointment
• Assist other team members when there is down time
• With veterinarian, provide quality and time-efficient medical care for offsite, emergency and urgent medical clinic clients
• Triage and react accordingly to urgent, critical, and contagious animals
• Follow veterinarian instructions or approved protocols for diagnostics and treatment of medical concerns
• Provide fosters, adopters, and animal program staff with clear communication and information regarding the animals in their care, including relevant APA! handouts when applicable at patient discharge
• Prepare for daily appointments in advance when applicable, including reviewing medical history for each patient
• Provide scheduled treatments to all hospitalized animals
• Request and administer all assigned medications appropriately and within acceptable time frames, as directed by clinic protocols and the veterinary staff
• Maintain proper care of all hospitalized animals, including identifying, monitoring, and documenting illness symptoms and changes
• Work with receptionists and clinic managers to coordinate intake and care for all incoming animals needing hospitalization
• Report declining hospitalized patients and urgent needs to veterinary staff immediately
• Work closely with onsite care teams to identify animals that need medical triage
• Triage requests for all onsite animals at the start of the day.
• Round with cat team & dog teams to address medical concerns
• Responsible for any appointments scheduled under the onsite column in our scheduler
• Ensure hand-off of hospitalized patients to other teams is effective and they go with their medications/treatments
• Efficiently and accurately fill all approved medical prescriptions for the APA! medical clinic in a timely manner
• Learn dosages for commonly used medications and calculate doses based on weight, dose and medication concentration
• Review medical records as needed to ensure all requested prescriptions are accurate and appropriate for the specific animal
• Follow veterinarian-approved protocols and written medical instructions regarding medication use
• Communicate with animal caregivers regarding prescriptions, as needed
• Make sure at-home-parvo packs are filled and handed off in a timely manner
• Assisting with check in, recording each animal's weight and health status. Setting up animals in an appropriate kennel and labeling the surgery sheets
• Giving each patient, especially small or young, a small amount of food before surgery
• Prepping recovery in the morning, making sure all your equipment is ready and getting vaccines and rabies certificates ready BEFORE surgery starts.
• Cleaning kennels throughout the day as needed
• Ability to preparing all post-surgery meds as calculated by the surgery tech
• During surgery, the recovery tech will recover each animal, administer any medications, vaccines or treatments that are required and then return it to its kennel once alert enough to hold their head up independently.
• Communicating with caretakers during discharge
• Cleaning recovery area
• Checking in surgery animals in the morning over the phone
• Prepping surgery in the morning: helping surgery tech draw up meds if requested, making surgical scrub, setting up gopher station, putting any un-sterilized packs in the autoclave.
• During surgery gopher will get each animal in turn, restrain for injection and hold for intubation. After surgery they will carry the animal down to the recovery tech
• Keeping on top of sterile packs is crucial. Packs should be remade throughout the day so instruments are consistently available for the surgeries. All packs should be cleaned and sterilized by the end of the shift
• Assisting with cleaning surgery suite
• Able to anticipate what Surgery Tech, Recovery Tech, and Vet needs without much prompting
• Assists the veterinarian in all clinical procedures including full surgery days
• Operates anesthesia equipment and performs anesthesia on various species and breeds of animals;
• Comfortability with handling animals with varied behavior levels
• Ability to run special surgeries solo with a veterinarian
• Learn or able to do dental prophylaxis on both cats and dogs
• Takes lead on emergency situations with little to no veterinary direction
• Maintains accountability of DEA controlled pharmaceuticals
• Applies bandages and/or places splints on injured animals
• Assists in monitoring all inventory and alerts management to low stock or needed items
• Trains Level 1 and 2 employees on Level 1 and 2 tasks
• Serves as Lead Veterinary Technician and keeps track of training progress for all trainee
• Confidently handles client complaints and identifies when to alert clinic management
• Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
• Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
• Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
• Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
• Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines

Benefits

• Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment.
• We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage.
• Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment.
• Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life-saving work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed