Veterinary Receptionist

TORREY PINES ANIMAL HOSPITAL, INC.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off

Employee pet-care discounts

Job summary

Torrey Pines Animal Hospital is seeking a friendly and organized Veterinary Receptionist to join our Carmel Valley team in San Diego. You will greet clients, schedule appointments, and help manage patient flow in a fast-paced setting.

As the first point of contact, you will handle phones, payments, and medical record updates while coordinating with doctors and the team. Prior Shepherd software experience is a plus, and full-time benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• Experience in a fast-paced front desk role is preferred.
• Strong customer-service and communication skills are essential.
• Ability to manage multiple conversations and tasks simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Greet clients and patients at the hospital entrance.
• Answer and manage a busy phone system and appointment scheduling.
• Check patients in/out and process payments accurately.
• Maintain electronic medical records and coordinate with doctors and staff.
• Explain services, pricing, and policies to clients.

Skills

Customer service

Phone handling

Scheduling

Multitasking

Communication

Teamwork

Tools

Shepherd Veterinary Software

Job description

Starting at $22/hour | Pay Based on Experience

Full-Time | 4-Day Workweek | Four 10-Hour Shifts

Love Animals, People & A Fast-Paced Workday?

Veterinary Receptionist

Torrey Pines Animal Hospital | Carmel Valley, San Diego

Starting at $22/hour | Pay Based on Experience

Full-Time | 4-Day Workweek | Four 10-Hour Shifts

Love Animals, People & A Fast-Paced Workday?

If you can answer a ringing phone, greet a client, schedule an appointment, keep track of three different conversations, and still remember that the Frenchie in the lobby is named Kevin — you might be exactly who we're looking for.

Torrey Pines Animal Hospital (TPAH) is a busy, privately owned veterinary hospital in Carmel Valley looking for an outgoing, organized, dependable Veterinary Receptionist / Client Service Representative to join our team.

Our front desk is the heartbeat of our hospital. You're the first person our clients speak to, the person helping keep our doctors' schedules running smoothly, and often the reassuring voice a worried pet parent needs.

We are busy and fast-paced, and we're looking for someone who enjoys that environment. Flexibility, teamwork, attention to detail, and the ability to pivot when the day changes are essential.

What You'll Be Doing

• Welcoming clients and patients to the hospital
• Answering and managing a busy phone system
• Scheduling appointments appropriately and efficiently
• Checking patients in and out
• Processing payments and reviewing invoices
• Maintaining accurate electronic medical records
• Communicating messages between clients, doctors, and the medical team
• Reviewing incoming patient records and identifying important information
• Coordinating prescription and medication requests
• Discussing hospital services, pricing, estimates, and policies with clients
• Requesting and sending medical records
• Coordinating communication with specialty and emergency hospitals
• Assisting with domestic and international pet travel documentation
• Helping manage doctor schedules and overall patient flow
• Keeping the reception area organized and welcoming
• Handling difficult or emotional conversations with empathy and professionalism
• Jumping in wherever needed to keep the day moving

We use Shepherd Veterinary Software for our practice management and electronic medical records. Previous Shepherd experience is a plus, but we're happy to train the right person who is comfortable learning new technology.

Help Our Patients Travel the World

One unique part of our practice is assisting clients with domestic and international health certificates and pet travel.

Our reception team helps coordinate the many moving pieces involved in getting pets safely to their destinations, including:

• Travel timelines and appointments
• Vaccination and rabies documentation
• Microchip information
• Laboratory testing and results
• Required medical records
• Health certificate appointments
• Communication and follow-up with pet owners

You do not need to come in knowing international health certificates — we'll teach you.

You do need to be detail-oriented. When someone's pet is getting on a plane to another state or country, names, dates, deadlines, vaccines, and paperwork matter.

Who We're Looking For

You’ll probably thrive at TPAH if you:

• Genuinely enjoy working with both people and animals
• Have excellent customer-service skills
• Are friendly, confident, and professional
• Can multitask without losing track of important details
• Stay calm when the phones are ringing and the lobby is full
• Communicate clearly with clients and coworkers
• Are comfortable discussing pricing and collecting payments
• Have strong computer and typing skills
• Are dependable and accountable
• Take initiative instead of waiting to be told every next step
• Are receptive to feedback and interested in learning
• Can adapt when the schedule changes
• Understand that veterinary medicine requires teamwork
• Can show compassion to someone saying goodbye to a beloved pet and then turn around and celebrate with a family bringing in their new puppy

Previous veterinary reception experience is strongly preferred, but we're also open to candidates with excellent customer-service experience, strong organizational skills, and a genuine interest in veterinary medicine.

Knowledge of veterinary terminology, vaccines, medications, and common veterinary workflows is a big plus.

A 4-Day Workweek

Our full-time team operates on an Alternative Workweek Schedule of four 10-hour shifts per week (4×10).

That means you get your full-time hours while typically working four days instead of five.

Because we're a veterinary hospital, flexibility is important. Scheduling may include weekdays, weekends, and some holidays based on hospital needs.

The days can be busy and the shifts are long — but having three days off each week isn't too bad either.

Compensation & Benefits

Starting at $22/hour, with compensation based on experience and skillset.

Candidates with previous veterinary reception experience, strong veterinary knowledge, Shepherd experience, or the ability to confidently step into a busy front‑office environment may be considered at a higher rate.

Full-time employees are also eligible for benefits including:

• Medical insurance
• Dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid time off
• Employee pet-care discounts
• Opportunities for professional growth and additional training

Why Torrey Pines Animal Hospital?

We're proud to be a privately owned veterinary hospital where our team knows our clients, knows our patients, and plays an important role in how the hospital operates.

Reception isn't "just the front desk" here.

Our receptionists help coordinate the entire hospital. They build relationships with clients, support our doctors and technicians, manage complicated schedules and travel paperwork, communicate with specialty hospitals, and help make sure clients feel taken care of from their first phone call through checkout.

We work hard. We're busy. Sometimes the schedule changes five minutes after you thought you had it figured out.

But we also support each other, laugh a lot, love our patients, and take pride in the medicine and service we provide.

Come Join TPAH

If you're organized, personable, quick on your feet, comfortable with a little controlled chaos, and looking for a four-day workweek, we'd love to meet you.

Starting at $22/hour with pay based on experience.