Experienced Veterinary Assistant or Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)

Portlandvma; Molalla (OR); On-site; USD 65,904,000 - 85,962,000; Full time

Job summary

Molalla River Veterinary Center in Molalla, Oregon, is seeking an experienced Veterinary Assistant or Certified Veterinary Technician to join our privately owned small-animal practice. This hands-on role emphasizes patient care, anesthesia, dentistry, and collaborative teamwork with the veterinarian and support staff.

The ideal candidate has strong clinical skills, can mentor less-experienced teammates, and is comfortable with outpatient appointments and charting.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years veterinary clinical experience preferred
• CVT license welcomed but not required for an experienced veterinary assistant
• Current Oregon CVT license required if applying as CVT
• Proficiency in obtaining diagnostic-quality dental radiographs
• Proficiency with COHAT procedures including dental charting, scaling and polishing
• Proficiency with venipuncture, IV catheter placement, sample collection, and in-house lab procedures
• Experience with anesthesia induction, monitoring, and recovery
• Comfortable assisting with surgery and outpatient patient care
• Strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills
• Ability and willingness to train and mentor less-experienced veterinary assistants

Responsibilities

• Venipuncture and sample collection
• IV catheter placement and fluid therapy
• Anesthesia induction, monitoring, and recovery
• Surgical preparation and assistance
• Dental prophylaxis and dental radiography
• Patient restraint and low-stress handling
• In-house laboratory testing and sample preparation
• Medication preparation and administration
• Assisting with examinations, diagnostics, and treatments
• Obtaining patient histories and communicating with clients
• Maintaining accurate medical records
• Cleaning, stocking, and maintaining treatment, surgery, and dental areas
• Training and mentoring veterinary assistants in technical skills and clinic protocols
• Helping develop consistent standards and workflows across the clinical team
• Working closely with the veterinarian and other team members to keep patient care and workflow running smoothly

Skills

Venipuncture

Anesthesia monitoring

Dental radiography

Surgical assistance

Client communication

Mentoring others

Low-stress handling

Laboratory procedures

Education

CVT license

Oregon radiography certification

Job description

Molalla River Veterinary Center is seeking an experienced Veterinary Assistant or Certified Veterinary Technician to join our privately owned small-animal practice.

This is a hands-on clinical position for someone who enjoys using their technical skills and working collaboratively with the veterinarian and support team. The ideal candidate is confident with patient care, anesthesia, dentistry, laboratory procedures, and outpatient appointments and is comfortable helping train and mentor less-experienced team members.

Responsibilities

• Venipuncture and sample collection
• IV catheter placement and fluid therapy
• Anesthesia induction, monitoring, and recovery
• Surgical preparation and assistance
• Dental prophylaxis and dental radiography
• Patient restraint and low-stress handling
• In-house laboratory testing and sample preparation
• Medication preparation and administration
• Assisting with examinations, diagnostics, and treatments
• Obtaining patient histories and communicating with clients
• Maintaining accurate medical records
• Cleaning, stocking, and maintaining treatment, surgery, and dental areas
• Training and mentoring veterinary assistants in technical skills, patient care, and clinic protocols
• Helping develop consistent standards and workflows across the clinical team
• Working closely with the veterinarian and other team members to keep patient care and workflow running smoothly

We are looking for someone with solid veterinary technical experience who can anticipate what is needed, communicate well, take ownership of their role, and enjoy helping others develop their skills. CVT certification is welcomed but is not required for a highly experienced veterinary assistant with equivalent clinical skills.

This position is approximately 32-36 hours per week, ideally Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. There are no weekend or on-call shifts.

Compensation is $23-30/hour, depending on experience and credentials.

Benefits include a medical insurance stipend, 401(k) with 3.5% employer match, paid time off, paid holidays after eligibility requirements are met, continuing education support, and employee discounts.

Molalla River Veterinary Center is a privately owned practice in Molalla, Oregon. We emphasize individualized medicine, thoughtful patient care, low-stress handling, and a collaborative team environment.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of veterinary clinical experience preferred
• CVT license welcomed but not required for an experienced veterinary assistant with equivalent skills
• Current Oregon veterinary radiography certification, or ability to obtain certification as required
• Proficiency in obtaining diagnostic-quality dental radiographs
• Proficiency with COHAT procedures, including dental charting, scaling and polishing, and assisting the veterinarian with comprehensive oral assessment and treatment
• Proficiency with venipuncture, IV catheter placement, sample collection, and in-house laboratory procedures
• Experience with anesthesia induction, monitoring, and recovery
• Comfortable assisting with surgery and outpatient patient care
• Strong patient-handling skills and commitment to low-stress, compassionate care
• Ability and willingness to train and mentor less-experienced veterinary assistants
• Strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills
• Dependable, self-motivated, and able to anticipate patient and team needs
• Comfortable working in a busy small-animal practice and prioritizing multiple tasks
• Ability to safely lift and carry up to 40 pounds independently and assist with larger patients using appropriate team-lifting techniques and equipment
• Reliable transportation and ability to consistently commute to our Molalla, Oregon location for scheduled shifts
• Current Oregon CVT license required if applying as a Certified Veterinary Technician