Shelter Veterinary Assistant & Animal Care

The Lost Dogs Home; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Animal Referral Hospital Essendon Fields in Melbourne is seeking an experienced ECC Veterinary Manager to lead a busy emergency service while continuing to practice emergency medicine. This role blends frontline clinical work with leadership, mentoring and operational management, working alongside 7 specialists, 2 registrars and a large nursing team.

The position is a 12-month maternity leave contract, commencing November 2026, with potential to transition to a longer leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the busy Emergency & Critical Care service.
• Balance frontline clinical work with leadership, mentoring and operational management.

Job description

ECC Veterinary Manager - ARH Essendon Fields

Are you an experienced Emergency & Critical Care Veterinarian ready to lead and inspire a high-performing team?

Do you thrive in a role where you can shape clinical excellence while continuing to practice emergency medicine?

Animal Referral Hospital (ARH) Essendon Fields is one of Melbourne's premier multidisciplinary referral hospitals, delivering exceptional specialist and emergency care across a broad range of disciplines. We are seeking an experienced ECC Veterinary Manager in leading and developing our busy emergency service.

This is an outstanding opportunity to combine frontline clinical work with leadership, mentoring and operational management, helping shape the future of one of Melbourne's leading emergency teams and working alongside our criticalist! Our site has 7 Specialists (including an ECC Specialist), 2 Registrars , 12 Membership-qualified Emergency Veterinarians and an amazing nursing team.

This is a 12-month maternity leave contract , commencing in November 2026 , with the opportunity to transition into an ongoing leadership position beyond the initial contract. If you're available to start sooner, we'd love to chat. We are open to bringing the successful candidate on board earlier in a Senior Emergency & Critical Care Veterinarian role, allowing you to integrate with the team and hospital before stepping into the leadership position in November.

Why Join ARH Essendon Fields?

• No full overnight shifts required. Enjoy a predominantly Monday-Friday leadership schedule, complemented by some evening and weekend clinical coverage.
• Flexible working arrangements. We're happy to discuss start and finish times that suit your lifestyle while supporting the needs of the hospital.
• The perfect balance of leadership and clinical practice. Spend approximately 50% of your time leading and developing the department, while maintaining your emergency and critical care skills on the floor.
• Work alongside an exceptional multidisciplinary team. Collaborate daily with experienced emergency