Seasonal Wildlife Rehabilitator/ Veterinary Assistant

The Wildlife Center of Virginia is an internationally acclaimed teaching and research hospital for wildlife and conservation medicine, located in Waynesboro, Virginia, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. The Center’s mission is to “teach the world to care about and care for wildlife and the environment.” Since its founding in 1982, the Center has cared for more than 100,000 wild animals, representing 200 species of native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The current annual caseload averages about 4300 patients.

The Wildlife Center has a professional staff of about 35 individuals who work together in the veterinary, outreach, operations, and advancement departments. While each of these departments carries out different functions, all staff work closely together as a team to support one another and the Center’s overall mission.

Position Description
Seasonal Rehabilitators/Veterinary Assistants support animal care and daily Center operations during the busy spring and summer season, when admissions may reach 20–40 patients per day. This position reports to the Hospital Manager and Rehabilitation Supervisor and works closely with the veterinary and rehabilitation team. The Wildlife Center is seeking three seasonal assistants for the 2026 season, with staggered start dates ideally beginning in February, March, and April 2026.

Duties and Responsibilities (training provided)
• Work as part of a team to complete daily patient treatments, including preparation and administration of medication
• Provide support to other hospital staff as needed, including patient restraint, cage cleaning, cage set up, diet preparation and other husbandry
• Help with daily center operation and maintenance, including general cleaning, restocking, completion of daily patient records, and autoclaving
• Maintain treatment and animal care areas to ensure they are clean and organized
• Assist with rehabilitation tasks, including diet preparation, feeding orphaned animals, etc.
• Other duties, responsibilities, and special projects, as requested

Required Qualifications
• Commitment to wildlife, conservation, and the environment
• Professional appearance and demeanor
• Minimum of High-school Diploma or equivalent
• Valid driver’s license
• Ability to lift/carry equipment and animals up to 50 pounds
• Rabies pre-exposure vaccine series and/or titer within the last 2 years are required before starting

Preferred Qualifications
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to prioritize tasks and complete them efficiently
• Experience working with animals is required, experience with wildlife is preferred
• Demonstrated ability to handle diverse, competing tasks independently, efficiently and flexibly
• Attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Salary & Benefits
Weekend and holiday work is required. Schedule will be four 10-hour days per week, but five 8–hour days may also be required depending on the season and workload, for a total of 40 hours per week. Compensation provided is $16.50 /hour. Position start and end date may be flexible depending on candidate availability, however, start dates of February, March, or April running through August, September, and October are preferred.

Application Requirements
Interested applicants must submit the following by February 1, 2026, through the Center’s website at http://www.wildlifecenter.org/hiring:
• Resume
• Letter of interest
• Three references
For further inquiries, please contact:
Jess Ransier, LVT, CWR
Hospital Manager
jdyer@wildlifecenter.org

No phone calls, please. Center phone lines are best kept open for wildlife emergencies.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) is an equal opportunity employer. WCV will not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical condition), disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, citizenship, or any other class protected by applicable law. We reserve the right to alter, change, modify, and/or terminate this job posting at any time without notice, or obligation, to any party.