Veterinary Technician - The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota

Position description: This position provides veterinary technician services at The Raptor Center (TRC)’s veterinary hospital. The primary responsibilities include supporting diagnostic procedures and providing anesthesia assistance during medical and surgical procedures, along with performing a variety of veterinary medical support services and patient care duties. Incumbents are expected to develop proficiency in TRC clinic protocols and required tasks and, following training, to independently and completely carry out assigned responsibilities without close supervision. This position requires flexible scheduling, including working weekends, holidays, and outside normal business hours.

Essential functions: To support the overall daily functions of TRC’s clinic by providing a continuum of veterinary and animal care support, including when a senior certified veterinary technician (CVT) is not on duty. This role requires exceptional communication and organizational skills to successfully work with multiple staff members, students, and volunteers.

Responsibilities vary seasonally and will include:
Veterinary technician duties - 45%
- Laboratory tests and procedures: perform manual avian complete blood cell counts, in-house blood lead testing, in-house fecal evaluations, in-house culture and sensitivity testing; coordinate sample submission to external labs; and enter diagnostic results into a digital medical record system.
- Anesthesia and Surgery: set-up for surgical and anesthetic procedures, pre-medicate and induce general anesthesia in raptor patients, monitor general anesthesia, address anesthetic-related complications, place intravenous and intraosseous catheters, assist with sterile surgical procedures, recover patients from general anesthesia, enter anesthetic records into a digital medical record system, and assist with cleaning, restocking, and sterile instrument preparation.

Clinic support tasks and general patient care - 40%
- Assist with care of wild raptor patients undergoing medical treatment, which may include but is not limited to: basic patient restraint, bloodwork, radiographs, medication administration and treatments, feeding, cleaning, and completing all related medical records and paperwork.
- Assist with clinic maintenance tasks, such as but not limited to: cleaning instruments, wrapping packs, autoclaving, restocking the treatment room space, compounding medications, inventory, and receiving.

Teaching, training, and public communication - 10%
- Assist with hands-on training of visiting students and professionals
- Strong communication skills and ability to represent the organization professionally with the general public, visiting students and professionals, and TRC volunteers.
- Interface with the public, answering questions about injured birds, and assist in arranging transport for injured patients as needed.

Other duties as assigned - 5%

Minimum Qualifications:
- BA/BS degree or a combination of related education and work experience to equal at least four years
- Graduate of an Animal Health Technician Program or equivalent training, or actively pursuing training for this career path
- Ability to work effectively both in a team environment and independently
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to effectively communicate with diverse groups, including volunteers and the general public
- Strong observational skills
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and effectively with others
- Physical abilities: must be able to lift and move awkward objects up to 50 pounds regularly, walk ½ mile, and stand for prolonged periods of time
- Basic competency in the Microsoft suite: Word, Excel, Gmail, Google Office Suite

Desirable Qualifications:
- Certified or eligible for certification as a licensed veterinary technician in Minnesota.
- Experience with avian hematology and manual complete blood cell counts
- Basic raptor knowledge
- Experience working with raptors or other wildlife in a rehabilitation setting
- Experience working with volunteers
- Problem-solving skills and strong interpersonal skills
- Knowledge of veterinary medicine terminology
- Knowledge of proper restraint and handling of large and small animals
- Flexibility to meet patient care needs.
- Flexibility in schedule that includes an ability to work during all seasons, weekends, evenings, and holidays, and the ability to fill some shifts on short notice.

Hourly Pay Range - $24-26 per hour

Expected Hours: This is a full-time position averaging 40 hours per week. Shifts vary throughout the year based on daylight hours. Typical shifts are 8 hours in length, with start and end times scheduled within the window of 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Regular days off will generally fall midweek (most commonly Tuesday/Wednesday or Wednesday/Thursday). Staff schedules may be adjusted, with advance notice, to provide coverage during vacations. Due to the high volume of patient care during the summer months, vacation time in July and August is limited for this position.

How to Apply: All applications for this position are required to be submitted online at: https://humanresources.umn.edu/jobs with the Job ID #372012