Director, Shelter Medicine and Animal Health

Humane Colorado is hiring a dynamic Director of Shelter Medicine and Animal Health to lead our veterinary and behavior programs with expertise, empathy, and innovation. In this high-impact leadership role, you will oversee medical and behavioral care standards across the organization, ensuring every animal receives compassionate, evidence-based treatment.

As the organization’s senior authority in shelter medicine and animal behavior, you will manage a multidisciplinary team, guide complex case decisions, shape protocols, and align operations with Humane Colorado’s mission. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced DVM with a passion for progressive animal welfare, teaching, and strategic leadership.

We offer a collaborative culture, robust benefits, and the chance to lead meaningful change in animal lives and the people who care for them.

Serve as Humane Colorado’s lead veterinary and surgical and behavioral authority, establishing policies and standards that guide all aspects of animal care within shelter operations. Develop innovative, evidence-based approaches to ensure the medical and behavioral needs of every animal sheltered at Humane Colorado are met. Provide strategic direction to optimize resources and ensure that veterinary and behavior operations are aligned with Humane Colorado’s mission and goals.

• Provide leadership and oversight for all shelter veterinary and behavior operations, working collaboratively across departments to enhance organizational effectiveness and deliver integrated, high-quality care.
• Practice, teach and direct incremental medicine, using critical thinking and decision-making skills within the organization’s scope of care. Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of veterinary policies and programs that improve the standard of care for all sheltered animals.
• Oversee management of medical, behavior, and complex animal cases to ensure best outcomes for animals in a timely, efficient process.
• Develop shelter management policies, create corresponding SOPs, and ensure they are updated, understood, and practiced with staff and volunteers.
• Oversee contagion management, including isolation practices, sanitation standards, and disease-prevention workflows.
• Develop, implement, and oversee anesthesia protocols to ensure safe, consistent, and high-quality perioperative care for all surgical patients.
• Ensure animals receiving medical or behavioral investment meet established adoptability criteria.
• Lead and direct the shelter veterinary and behavior services team to ensure the highest level of people care is delivered to staff, volunteers, patrons, donors, partners, and vendors.
• Develop medical and recordkeeping protocols to ensure consistency, safety, and compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Adhere to mandated standards (e.g., PACFA) and ensure a safe and sanitary environment for animals and people.
• Perform the duties of a shelter veterinary services (SVS) veterinarian including public appointments, physical exams, diagnostics, High Quality/High Volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN), dentistry, soft tissue and orthopedic procedures, owner requested euthanasia, and necropsies.
• Partner with departmental managers to develop, monitor, and control departmental budgets to ensure fiscal responsibility. Oversee appropriate utilization of department resources to maximize the value, control expenses, and minimize waste.
• Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness across the department, including statistical analysis and report creation and presentation. Implement improvements, ensuring efficient use of resources and effective operations.
• Remain informed and up to date with relevant industry trends and practices to keep the organization at the leading edge of animal welfare, medical and behavior practices and building toward the future. Continuing education in behavior science, enrichment, and welfare assessment.
• Maintain highly effective relationships with all other directors to ensure successful allocation of resources and coordination of activities in support of strategic objectives. Communicate regularly with other directors, VPs, and the CEO…