Instrument Veterinary Assistant Level 1

DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 27,552 - 30,307; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

403(b) retirement

Job summary

DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Portland, OR is seeking a full-time Instrument Veterinary Assistant Level 1 to clean and sterilize instruments and support the surgical team. A love of animals, teamwork, and strong client service are essential. Valid driver’s license is required. The role offers weekend and overnight differential with hourly wages from $19.95 to $22, and opportunities to grow within a teaching hospital environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• 1+ year experience in a veterinary setting preferred.
• Valid Oregon or Washington driver's license required.
• Strong animal handling skills and knowledge of safety.
• Love and respect for animals is essential.

Responsibilities

• Maintain clean, sterile hospital environment through sweeping, mopping, dusting and disinfecting.
• Clean, sterilize, and stock general hospital instruments across departments.
• Closely following protocol for instrument and equipment care.
• Minor troubleshooting of sterilization equipment.
• Coordinate with surgical, facilities and inventory teams to maintain stock of supplies.
• Collect dirty/expired instruments for maintenance and sterilization.
• Stocking, organizing, and inventory checks for Lac station, crash carts, and other areas with stocked instruments.
• Prepare, turnover and stock the surgical suite and treatment areas.
• Perform other miscellaneous tasks or assigned projects during slow times.

Skills

Animal handling

Teamwork

Client service

Problem solving

Valid driver’s license

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital is hiring a full-time Instrument Veterinary Assistant Level 1 to join our team.

The Instrument Veterinary Assistant Level 1 is responsible for the cleaning and sterilizing of general hospital instruments.

A genuine love of and respect for all animals is required, as is an appreciation of the human‑animal bond.

Wage Range: Overnight and weekend differential pay is available for applicable shifts.

$19.95-$22 hourly for Veterinary Assistant Level 1

DoveLewis is a 24/7/365 emergency hospital with day, swing, and overnight shifts and requires the ability to work at least some of every weekend and holidays.

What you will do:

• Maintain clean and sterile work environment in the hospital including sweeping, mopping, dusting, and disinfecting.
• Cleaning, sterilizing, and stocking of general hospital instruments for all hospital departments.
• Closely following protocol for instrument and equipment care.
• Minor troubleshooting of sterilization equipment.
• Regular communication with all members of the surgical team, Facilities and Inventory departments to maintain appropriate stock of supplies and instruments.
• Gathering dirty and expired instruments from throughout the hospital for maintenance, turnover, and sterilization.
• Stocking, organizing, and inventory checks for Lac station, crash carts, and various other areas where instruments and packs are continuously stocked.
• Prep, surgical suite, and Tx area turn over, stocking and set up.
• Perform other miscellaneous tasks or assigned projects during slow times.

What are we looking for in a candidate?

• A genuine love of and respect for all animals is required, as is an appreciation of the human‑animal bond.
• A strong desire to problem‑solve and help others.
• Excellent client service and teamwork skills.
• Experience or education equivalent to a High School Diploma is required.
• Valid Oregon or Washington driver's license for driving the DoveLewis transport van.
• Understanding of animal behavior and knowledge of safe animal handling and transport practices.
• 1+ year experience working in a professional veterinary setting. Experience with specialty medicine preferred.
• Any suitable combination of experience or education may substitute for the above.

What you can look forward to at DoveLewis:

• Advancing your emergency and critical care skillset at a teaching hospital dedicated to the growth of our employees.
• Equitable Health Benefits including
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • $0 mental health copays
  • preventative care
  • LGBTQIA-friendly providers
  • options for families
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (medical and dependent care)
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Holiday pay
• Bereavement leave, including time off when a pet family member passes away
• 403(b) retirement account with free financial advising available
• Student debt repayment assistance for all employees
• As part of a nonprofit with community‑focused services your work makes a difference to the animal-loving community and to individual pet owners on a daily basis.

How to apply:

To be considered, you must complete the online application and upload a resume. Resumes received without a completed online application will not be considered.

DoveLewis is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity and a drug‑free workplace. Pre‑employment drug and background screening required.