Veterinary Technician I

Iowa State University; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite childcare (Ames)

Health and dental benefits

Paid time off

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Iowa State University’s Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center is hiring Veterinary Technicians across Emergency & Critical Care, Anesthesia, and Large Animal Hospital. Roles involve hands‑on patient care in a teaching hospital setting, working with board-certified specialists, residents, interns, and veterinary students to advance animal health.

Eligible candidates may join multiple specialty areas with full onsite duties.

Qualifications

• AVMA/CVMA-accredited veterinary technology program required.
• Registered, licensed, or certified as a veterinary technician within one year of start date.

Responsibilities

• Provide compassionate nursing care to hospitalized, emergency, critical care and surgical patients.
• Perform veterinary technical procedures under supervision of licensed veterinarians.
• Monitor patient status and communicate findings to the team.
• Administer medications, treatments and fluids as prescribed.
• Assist with anesthesia, surgery, diagnostics and patient recovery.

Skills

Veterinary nursing

Communication

Education

AVMA/CVMA‑accredited program

Job description

Position Title:

Veterinary Technician I

Job Group:

Merit

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in a veterinary technology program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), and Registered, licensed, or certified as a veterinary technician within one year of the start date.

Job Description:

Whether you’re launching your veterinary technician career or looking to advance your expertise in a specialty area, the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center offers the opportunity to grow your skills, work alongside leading specialists, and make a meaningful impact on animal health.

The Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center (LVMC) at Iowa State University is seeking Veterinary Technicians to join our team. We are hiring across multiple specialty areas, including Emergency & Critical Care, Anesthesia, and the Large Animal Hospital.

As Iowa’s premier veterinary teaching hospital, the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center provides advanced medical and surgical care for companion and large animals from across Iowa and the surrounding region. Our board-certified specialists, residents, interns, veterinary technicians, staff, and senior veterinary students work together to deliver exceptional patient care while advancing veterinary medicine through education, research, and clinical excellence.

Apply once and be considered for multiple Veterinary Technician opportunities across Emergency & Critical Care, Anesthesia, and the Large Animal Hospital.

Successful candidates hired into a Veterinary Technician I, II, or III position within Emergency & Critical Care, Anesthesia, or the Large Animal Hospital between May 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 may be eligible for a $1,000 recruitment incentive. Payment terms and conditions will be outlined in a payment agreement at the time of hire.

Why Join the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center?

At Iowa’s premier veterinary teaching hospital, you’ll be part of a collaborative team dedicated to exceptional patient care, education, and innovation. Working alongside board-certified specialists, clinicians, residents, interns, and veterinary students, you’ll gain hands‑on experience with advanced medical and surgical cases while continuing to develop your technical and clinical skills.

Whether your passion is emergency medicine, anesthesia, or large animal care, you’ll have the opportunity to make a direct impact on patient outcomes while helping educate the next generation of veterinarians.

What You’ll Do

Responsibilities vary by specialty area but may include:

• Provide compassionate, high-quality nursing care to hospitalized, emergency, critical care, and surgical patients.
• Perform veterinary technical procedures under the direction of licensed veterinarians.
• Monitor patient status, recognize changes in condition, and communicate findings to the veterinary team.
• Administer medications, treatments, and fluid therapy.
• Assist with emergency procedures, anesthesia, surgery, diagnostics, and patient recovery.
• Collect and process diagnostic samples.
• Safely handle and restrain companion and/or large animal patients.
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot specialized medical equipment.
• Maintain accurate and thorough medical records.
• Collaborate with faculty clinicians, residents, interns, veterinary students, and fellow technicians to coordinate patient care.
• Demonstrate clinical techniques and support the educational experience of veterinary students.

Specialty Areas:

Emergency & Critical Care (ECC)

Provide nursing care for emergency and critically ill patients in a fast-paced environment that delivers advanced care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Technicians play an essential role in triaging patients, supporting emergency procedures, and providing continuous monitoring for hospitalized patients.

Anesthesia

Support all phases of anesthesia, including patient assessment, anesthetic preparation, induction, monitoring, pain management, and recovery while working alongside board-certified anesthesiologists and experienced anesthesia technicians.

Large Animal Hospital

Support the care of equine and food animal patients in emergency, intensive care, medical, and surgical settings. Technicians work closely with clinicians and students to provide comprehensive patient care while developing advanced large animal nursing and technical skills.

Work Environment

These positions are fully onsite at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center and involve hands‑on patient care in a collaborative clinical environment. Depending on the specialty area, schedules may include rotating shifts, on‑call responsibilities, weekends, holidays, and physically active work with companion and/or large animal patients. Candidates in positions requiring on‑call coverage must live within a reasonable distance of the hospital to meet response‑time expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with small and/or large animal patients in a veterinary clinical setting.
• Experience in a veterinary teaching hospital, specialty/referral hospital, or high‑volume general practice, including completion of clinical rotations in these settings.
• Experience providing nursing care to veterinary patients, including patient restraint, handling, monitoring, and treatment in emergency, anesthesia, medical, or surgical environments.
• Experience assisting with anesthesia, surgical procedures, emergency and critical care, or large animal procedures, including patient monitoring and recovery.
• Experience performing technical skills such as venipuncture, intravenous (IV) catheter placement, medication administration, collection of diagnostic samples, and operation of common veterinary equipment under appropriate supervision.

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Department Unit/Website:

http://vetmed.iastate.edu/vmc/

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Why Choose Iowa State University?

Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work‑life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:

• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long‑term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [e-mail], or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

Appointment Type:

Regular

Time Type:

Full time

Pay Grade:

7601a

Original Posting Date:

September 2, 2026

Posting Close Date:

November 30, 2026

Job Requisition Number:

R19892

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. [phone], email [e-mail].

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.