Medical Director - Shelter Medicine

Description

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is currently seeking a Medical Director - Shelter Medicine to join our team. This is a full-time, FLSA exempt opportunity.

Since 1897, HSSW has been the leader in animal welfare across Southwest Washington. With an annual operating budget of $15 million, we are one of the largest and most innovative animal welfare organizations in the region. Our shelter campuses in Vancouver and Longview, WA serve more than 10,000 animals each year
, providing high-quality care, medical services, and the compassion they deserve.

Our community-based approach helps keep pets and people together. Through the Nierenberg Community Veterinary Clinic
, the Sandra Richardson Miller Mobile Veterinary Clinic
, the Swigert Family Behavior & Training Center
, and programs like free pet food and other essential resources, we serve more than 18,000 owned animals annually expanding access to affordable veterinary care, spay/neuter, training, and support.

We also own and operate Re Tails
Thrift Store
, a top shopping destination named Best Thrift Store in Clark County for eight consecutive years, providing vital funding for our mission.

At HSSW, you’ll find an innovative, high-energy culture where your passion for animals and people can make a real difference. We’re looking for team members who want to be part of something bigger: supporting pets, strengthening families, and shaping the future of animal welfare in Southwest Washington. HSSW has been honored as Best Non-Profit for two years running—a recognition of our impact and leadership in the community.

The Medical Director - Shelter Medicine serves as the clinical and strategic leader of HSSW's shelter medicine program. This position is responsible for establishing and maintaining high standards of veterinary care, animal welfare, population health management, disease prevention, and medical operations across all shelter medicine programs. The Medical Director collaborates closely with organizational leadership to advance lifesaving outcomes, support operational excellence, and ensure alignment with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters and contemporary shelter medicine best practices.

This position combines direct clinical care with strategic leadership and is structured as approximately 60% clinical work and 40% administrative, leadership, and program oversight. The Medical Director serves as the primary shelter medicine subject matter expert for the organization while working in close partnership with the Director of Clinical Operations, who oversees technical and administrative medical support teams, and with operations program directors across shelter, foster, behavior, adoption, and community-based programs.

Classification: Full-time, FLSA Exempt

Reports To: Vice President of Veterinary Services

Supervises: Shelter Veterinarians and other assigned medical personnel

Schedule: Full-time, flexible schedule including occasional weekends, evenings, and on‑call responsibilities as needed

Position Purpose

The Medical Director - Shelter Medicine provides vision, leadership, and oversight for shelter medicine activities while ensuring exceptional animal welfare, high-quality veterinary care, and evidence-based population management practices. This role is both hands‑on and strategic, with direct clinical responsibilities balanced against administrative leadership, protocol development, medical oversight, and cross‑department collaboration.

The Medical Director is responsible for:

• Establishing medical standards of care
• Leading shelter medicine operations and medical decision‑making
• Managing population health and disease control initiatives
• Developing and mentoring veterinary staff
• Supporting organizational strategic goals through medical expertise
• Collaborating across departments, including with the Director of Clinical Operations and operations program directors, to maximize lifesaving outcomes
• Ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Medical Leadership

• Develop, implement, and maintain shelter medicine standards, policies, and protocols.
• Serve as the organization's primary authority on shelter medicine and population health.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to establish strategic medical priorities and goals.
• Evaluate emerging shelter medicine practices and recommend improvements to organizational operations.
• Partner with the Director of Clinical Operations to align medical protocols, technical team workflows, administrative support systems, and day‑to‑day clinical operations.
• Collaborate with operations program directors to ensure medical decision‑making supports shelter operations, animal flow, foster care, adoptions, behavior