Virscio is seeking an experienced Chief Veterinarian to provide oversight and guide continued development of our veterinary care program. In collaboration with the broader veterinary care team, this individual will directly oversee and support veterinary care activities and provide training and veterinary care recommendations.  The position requires clinical experience with nonhuman primates, experience managing veterinary care programs, proficiency clinical evaluations and competency with large animal surgical techniques.   The Chief Veterinarian’s proficiency with associated best veterinary practices and familiarity with related clinical fields is critical for both effective animal care and colony health. The role will also require experience maintaining AAALAC accredited veterinary care programs. The Chief Veterinarian serves on the facility Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and directly manages testing facility veterinarians and oversees animal care and research technicians who may be delegated specific animal care and technical responsibilities.

Primary responsibilities will include:

·       Ensuring the veterinary care program is maintained and continually improved based on broadly adopted advances in research veterinary practice and development programs instituted by Facility management.

·       Maintaining the health and welfare of the facility colony, including proper study recruitment, preventative medicine, veterinary care, health record maintenance, husbandry, health surveillance, and appropriate use of in vivo models in biomedical research.

·       Supporting the Facility and Research Veterinarians in conducting protocol specified qualitative and quantitative clinical exams, surgical procedures and the acquisition and application of new procedural and clinical management skills.

·       Provide technical oversight of animal care and technical staff regarding animal care procedures.

·       Oversee training of animal care and technical staff regarding animal care practices.

·       Contribute to the development and refinement of quality systems related to animal medical records and colony census database maintenance.

·       Engage with vendors and suppliers to identify and procure specific veterinary equipment and supplies required for effective veterinary care and remaining current on standards of care.

·       Contributing to the maintenance of facility SOPs and in-depth knowledge of defined procedures and associated training.

·       Contributing to the maintenance of facility good laboratory practices (GLPs) and AAALAC credentials and apply ongoing changes in regulatory requirements to associated procedures.

·       Performing regular Testing Facility site inspections and provide written findings to help assure compliance with test facility standard operating procedures, AAALAC accreditation standards and OLAW guidelines.

·       Engaging in client and regulatory inspections and vendor interactions.

·       Remaining informed of, and responsive to, regulatory changes.

·       Contributing to the surgical, procedural, and post-procedural care methodologic components of IACUC protocols, amendments, and renewals.

·       Maintaining fluency with advances in veterinary care management and associated technologies as well as the study objectives and methodologies of primate preclinical research, specifically related to evaluating the efficacy, pharmacology and safety of new therapeutics, medical devices, and drug delivery technologies, and applying that knowledge to participation in preclinical studies.

·       Attending meetings, conferences, online training, or other clinical and scientific dialogue that advance the Facility's animal care objectives and/or professional development, as approved by Senior Management.

Education/Experience Requirements

·       DVM, preferably with 5 or more years of clinical experience in an academic or industry setting

·       Laboratory experience working with in vivo models, preferably including primate translational models

·       Surgical modeling experience preferred

·       ACLAM/ECLAM Board certified

Additional Requirements

·       Able to live and work in St. Kitts

·       Demonstrated ability to adapt to the unique challenges of fast-paced research environments

·      Virscio requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID to ensure personal, team, and animal research safety.