Shelter Veterinary Services Supervisor

The Lost Dogs' Home; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development funding

Paid parental leave

Employee Assistance Program

Leadership growth opportunities

Special projects involvement

Job summary

The Lost Dogs’ Home in Victoria seeks a Shelter Veterinary Services Supervisor to lead a dedicated veterinary team across Cranbourne and North Melbourne, delivering high‑quality shelter medicine and streamlined clinical operations.

You will mentor veterinary nurses and assistants, drive continuous improvement and ensure best‑practice standards while providing hands‑on support for complex cases and cross‑site collaboration.

Qualifications

• Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or equivalent is required.
• Experience in a senior veterinary nursing, veterinary operations or clinical leadership role.
• Strong leadership with experience building and guiding teams.
• Sound knowledge of veterinary workflows, shelter medicine and animal welfare practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of veterinarians, veterinary nurses and support staff with clinical oversight.
• Recruitment, onboarding and workforce planning for the team.
• Oversee ongoing training, competency maintenance and professional development.
• Manage efficient clinical workflows, patient scheduling and surgery planning.
• Monitor operational performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and outcomes.
• Coordinate high‑volume desexing programs.
• Manage inventory, purchasing and resource utilisation.
• Champion best‑practice shelter medicine, infection control and animal welfare standards.
• Develop and review clinical SOPs and workflows.
• Ensure compliance with veterinary, animal welfare and workplace safety standards.
• Drive operational and clinical improvements that enhance animal outcomes and staff experience.

Skills

Veterinary leadership

Team development

Shelter medicine knowledge

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

Vet Nursing / Animal Science degree

Job description

Shelter Veterinary Services Supervisor

About us

At The Lost Dogs’ Home, we are a foundation in Victoria's animal welfare landscape, celebrated for our compassionate care of around 20,000 lost and abandoned dogs and cats every year. Beyond caring for animals, we are dedicated to providing diverse animal welfare and community programs, all aimed at giving animals the best chance of a happy and healthy life. Our mission is upheld by passionate individuals who embody a profound affinity for animals, community, and advocacy.

About the Role

In this newly created position reporting to the Lead Veterinarian‑Shelter Medicine, the Shelter Veterinary Services Supervisor plays a pivotal leadership role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality, consistent and welfare-focused veterinary care at our Cranbourne Shelter. You will oversee day-to-day veterinary operations, lead and develop a dedicated team of Veterinary Nurses and Veterinary Assistants, drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure best‑practice shelter medicine standards are maintained.

This is primarily a leadership and operational role, with hands‑on clinical involvement as required to support complex medical and surgical cases. You will work closely with veterinary and operational leaders across both Cranbourne and North Melbourne to ensure consistency of processes and excellence in patient care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of veterinarians, veterinary nurses and support staff and provide advances nursing leadership and clinical oversight.
• Foster a positive, collaborative and harmonious work culture, including the recruitment, onboarding, performance development and workforce planning for the team.
• Ensure ongoing training, competency maintenance and professional development across the team
• Oversee efficient clinical workflows, patient scheduling and surgery planning.
• Monitor operational performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and outcomes.
• Coordinate high‑quality, high‑volume desexing programs.
• Manage inventory, purchasing and resource utilisation to support sustainable operation
• Champion best‑practice shelter medicine, infection control, pain management and animal welfare standards.
• Contribute to the development and review of clinical SOPs and workflows.
• Ensure compliance with relevant veterinary, animal welfare and workplace safety standards.
• Drive operational and clinical improvements that enhance animal outcomes and staff experience.

About You

You are an experienced veterinary nursing or clinical operations leader who enjoys building and guiding capable teams, improving systems and creating positive outcomes for animals and people alike.

To be successful, you will bring:

• Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and/or qualifications in Veterinary Nursing, Veterinary Technology, Animal Science, Veterinary Administration or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in a senior veterinary nursing, veterinary operations or clinical leadership role.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing and developing teams.
• Sound knowledge of veterinary workflows, shelter medicine and animal welfare practices.
• Experience developing procedures, implementing change and driving continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic, high-volume environment.
• Leadership qualifications and previous shelter medicine experience (highly regarded)

What We Offer You:

• Make a meaningful impact on the lives of shelter animals.
• Play a key role in shaping and improving shelter medicine practices.
• Access to professional development and leadership growth, including generous financial assistance for approved studies and developmental activities.
• Paid parental leave entitlements
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program.
• Opportunity to be involved in special projects.

The successful applicant will be required to complete satisfactory background screening checks.

The Lost Dogs' Home is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Only candidates with the right to work in Australia may apply for this position.

You can find us at https://dogshome.com/

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