Associate Veterinarian

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians Co.; West Palm Beach (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Excellent benefits package

100% paid medical & dental

Life insurance 100K

Short/long-term disability covered

401K with employer match

Vision, accident, etc. optional

Generous PTO and Zoo membership

Job summary

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is seeking an Associate Veterinarian to join our Wildlife Care & Conservation team. You’ll provide comprehensive veterinary care for resident zoo animals, collaborate with care leadership, and contribute to conservation initiatives while embracing our behavioral training approach.

You’ll lead rounds, mentor staff, and help develop preventive medicine programs using population health data, with opportunities to engage in research and guest interactions during

Qualifications

• DVM degree from an accredited School of Veterinary Medicine.
• Florida veterinary license, or ability to obtain within six months.
• Strong communication, leadership, organization, and teamwork skills.
• Experience mentoring staff, volunteers, or interns.

Responsibilities

• Provide preventive, diagnostic, surgical, and emergency veterinary care for resident zoo animals.
• Partner with animal care leadership to promote wellbeing and an inclusive work environment.
• Participate in veterinary rounds and stay current with literature and disease trends.
• Develop preventive medicine programs based on population health data.
• Collaborate with local specialists for advanced diagnostics and treatment.
• Support behavioral training to minimize stress during procedures.
• Serve on the Animal Wellbeing Committee focusing on nutrition and welfare.
• Supervise veterinary staff and hospital operations personnel.
• Create training opportunities for students and staff.
• Provide ongoing veterinary education to Zoo staff and volunteers.
• Participate in the Zoo’s animal recapture team and invasive species management.

Skills

Strong communication

Leadership

Teamwork

Education

DVM degree from an accredited School of Veterinary Medicine

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

What if your veterinary career could go beyond the exam room?

At Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, veterinary medicine is about more than treating animals when they are sick. It’s about advancing animal wellbeing, building trust through behavior-based care, supporting conservation, and helping ensure the best possible quality of life for the incredible animals in our care.

We are seeking an Associate Veterinarian to join our Wildlife Care & Conservation team and play an essential role in the health and wellbeing of the animals that call Palm Beach Zoo home.

Your Impact

As an Associate Veterinarian, you’ll provide comprehensive medical and surgical care for our resident zoo animals—from preventive and routine care to diagnostics and emergency medicine. You’ll work closely with animal care leadership, veterinary professionals, animal care staff, and outside specialists to continually improve the health and welfare of our collection.

But your impact won't stop at the hospital.

Palm Beach Zoo has a strong culture of behavioral training and voluntary participation in medical care. Our veterinary team is integrated into this approach, creating opportunities to use animal behavior and positive training techniques to make veterinary procedures safer, less stressful, and more empowering for the animals in our care.

You’ll also have opportunities to contribute your veterinary expertise to the Zoo’s local and global wildlife conservation efforts following a successful onboarding period.

What You'll Do

• Provide comprehensive preventive, diagnostic, surgical, and emergency veterinary care for resident zoo animals.
• Partner with animal care leadership to promote excellent animal wellbeing and an inclusive, collaborative work environment.
• Participate in regular veterinary rounds and stay current on veterinary literature and emerging disease trends.
• Develop and adapt preventive medicine programs based on population health data.
• Collaborate with local veterinary specialists to provide advanced diagnostics and treatment.
• Support the Zoo’s behavioral training program, prioritizing voluntary participation in veterinary procedures whenever possible.
• Serve as an essential member of the Animal Wellbeing Committee, contributing veterinary expertise related to nutrition and other welfare priorities.
• Supervise veterinary technicians, hospital volunteers, and the hospital operations manager, including commissary operations.
• Develop training opportunities for veterinary and veterinary technician students.
• Provide ongoing veterinary education and training to Zoo staff and volunteers.
• Participate in the Zoo’s animal recapture team.
• Help survey and manage invasive species on Zoo grounds as part of protecting animal and human health.
• Participate in research and share findings when appropriate.
• Interact with guests and donors during special events and behind-the-scenes experiences as needed.

What We're Looking For

Required:

• DVM degree from an accredited School of Veterinary Medicine.
• Minimum of three years of experience as a licensed veterinarian.
• Florida veterinary license, or ability to obtain one within six months of employment.
• Strong communication, leadership, organization, and teamwork skills.
• Experience managing or mentoring staff, volunteers, and/or interns.
• Ability to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as needed.
• Ability to work outdoors in all South Florida weather conditions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Preferred:

• Experience working at an AZA-accredited institution and knowledge of AZA accreditation standards and policies.
• Experience with Species360 ZIMS.
• Active involvement with the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) or other professional veterinary associations.

What We Offer:

• A competitive salary, commensurate with your skills and experience
• An EXCELLENT benefits package, which includes:
• 100% paid employee level coverage for designated medical & dental plan
• 100% paid coverage for 100K of life insurance
• 100% paid short-term disability
• 100% paid long-term disability
• 401K – Employer contributes 3% of your salary
• Optional vision, accident and critical illness coverages available through pre-tax payroll deductions
• Generous paid time off policy, Zoo Membership and FREE admission to other Florida Attractions!

The position will be open until filled. We will contact qualified candidates whom we have chosen to move forward in the interview process.

Palm Beach Zoo is an equal opportunity and drug free employer and makes all employment decisions, including those related to recruitment, hiring, training and promotion without regard to race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

More Than a Job. A Conservation Mission.

Every employee at Palm Beach Zoo contributes to our commitment to saving wildlife in wild places. For our veterinary team, that mission comes to life through exceptional animal care, advancing animal welfare, sharing knowledge, and contributing expertise that can help wildlife both within the Zoo and beyond our gates.