Lead Veterinary Technician

At PAWS Chicago, every patient has a story—and every member of our medical team plays a vital role in changing its ending.

The Shelter Medicine Lead Veterinary Technician plays a vital role in supporting the medical care of the homeless animals placed into loving homes through PAWS Chicago each year. Working closely with the Shelter Medicine leadership and the veterinary support team, the Lead Veterinary Technician helps ensure that every animal receives the highest standard of medical care and compassionate treatment. The Lead Veterinary Technician at PAWS Chicago applies advanced technical expertise while collaborating across departments to support the organization's mission.

This role provides day-to-day leadership for the Shelter Medicine Technicians and Veterinary Assistants, oversees workflow and staff assignments to maximize efficiency, helps drive positive outcomes for the thousands of animals cared for by PAWS Chicago each year and is experienced in maintaining accurate controlled substance records while ensuring compliance with DEA regulations. Whether caring for neonatal patients, assisting with emergency cases, managing hospitalized animals, or preparing pets for adoption, every day offers opportunities to lead, grow, and make a lasting difference.

• Provide exceptional medical care to animals of all life stages, from neonates to seniors, including emergency and intensive care as needed.
• Evaluate animals for disease, injury, parasites, and other health concerns, communicating findings to Shelter Veterinarians.
• Provide technical assistance to Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants and communicate changes in patient condition, diagnostic results, treatment plans, and medical concerns.
• Collect samples for and perform laboratory testing, including infectious disease diagnostics, ensuring accurate and timely results.
• Place and maintain intravenous (IV) catheters, administer treatments for hospitalized patients, and perform daily patient assessments in collaboration with veterinarians.
• Follow and enforce established shelter medical protocols, including the administration of prescribed medications and treatments.
• Provide emergency triage and urgent patient care as needed.

• Manage animal throughput by coordinating patient flow and prioritizing medical care to maximize capacity and efficiency.
• Monitor the Shelter Medicine department's medical capacity and communicate updates to partner departments, including Foster and Intake, to support population management.
• Assist the Shelter Medicine Senior Manager in monitoring the shelter population for infectious disease trends and behavioral concerns, participating in interdisciplinary Population Rounds.
• Maintain laboratory equipment and troubleshoot operational issues to ensure uninterrupted diagnostic services.
• Train staff on proper collection, handling, and submission of laboratory samples to maintain high diagnostic standards.
• Support continuous improvement of shelter medicine practices through adherence to protocols, efficient workflow management, and collaboration across departments.
• Collaborate with veterinarians, leadership, and cross-functional teams to ensure coordinated, high-quality patient care and efficient departmental operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Shelter Medicine team and PAWS Chicago's mission.

• Train Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants during onboarding and support ongoing professional development and skill advancement.
• Mentor Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants, externs, and interns, fostering a culture of learning and professional excellence.
• Coordinate volunteer training, delegate appropriate responsibilities, and partner with Volunteer Coordinators on volunteer recruitment and scheduling.

• Passion for animal welfare and PAWS Chicago's No Kill mission.
• Strong understanding of veterinary nursing principles, including patient assessment, disease recognition, medication administration, laboratory procedures, and animal restraint.
• Experience with blood collection, IV catheter placement, treatment administration, and patient monitoring.
• Ability to remain calm, organized, and compassionate while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced clinical environment.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Basic computer…