Lead Certified Veterinary Technician

Lakeland Veterinary Hospital is hiring a full-time Lead Certified Veterinary Technician to provide skilled care to our patients and exceptional service to our clients. Our ideal candidate has experience in animal care, client communication, and veterinary procedures, with a passion for improving the lives of pets and their owners.

What to Expect

As you join our mission, expect to be supported in your work and home life with:

• All the benefits you deserve—medical, dental, vision, retirement for full-time employees

• Paid time off. Take the time you need to recharge.

• Employee pet discount because we know your pets are family, too.

• 401(k) with a generous company match to help you invest in your future while you care for pets today.

• Employee referral bonus. Earn $1,000 when you refer a new team member to one of our 180+ partner hospitals across the country.

• Continuing education opportunities for our licensed technicians to grow and thrive in their careers

• Uniform allowance and yearly shoe credit.

• Free adult YMCA membership!

Salary: $24.00 - $30.00 per hour, determined by the candidate's skills, experience, and qualifications. We’re excited to offer a $7,500 Sign-On Bonus to welcome you to our team!

Schedule: Enjoy a 4-day work week with shifts from 7:20 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. This position includes on-call duty just once every 2–3 months on weekends.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This role includes providing daily support and weekly check-ins with new team members. A structured training guide is in place to assist with onboarding and ensure clear expectations.

• The Supervisor will also lead ongoing education sessions with current staff at least once per month.

• Oversee daily clinical operations and staff workflow.

• Coordinate and lead training for technicians and assistants.

• Support veterinarians and specialists with daily workflow.

• Ensure compliance with hospital policies and safety procedures.

• Participate in hiring, orientation, and staff development.

• Promote team engagement, morale, and a positive culture.

• Collaborate with leadership to enhance hospital efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Client Communication: Provide status updates for hospitalized patients, home care instructions, pre- and post-op instructions, and medication administration guidance. Address client medical questions with confidence and direct complex inquiries to veterinarians.

• Client Education & Support: Educate clients on preventative medicine, wellness care by age, vaccine requirements, laboratory procedures, and support hospital financial policies by preparing estimates and discussing financial commitments.

• Customer Service: Greet clients, escort them and their pets into exam rooms, ensure smooth transitions to the front desk, and promote the practice’s products, programs, and services.

• Animal Handling & Care: Restrain animals safely and compassionately, assist veterinarians in medical, surgical, and dental procedures, prepare patients for surgery, administer anesthesia, monitor patients during surgery and recovery, and administer fluids.

• Facility & Equipment Maintenance: Properly care for all surgical materials, maintain hospital equipment and inventory, and ensure the surgery room, ICU area, exam rooms, and treatment areas are prepared and maintained.

• Record Keeping: Maintain accurate and detailed patient records using a paperless medical record system, ensuring all procedures, vaccinations, and notes are documented for proper billing.

• Pharmacy Assistance: Assist with dispensing medications as directed by the veterinarian, prepare prescription labels, and appropriately package medication.

• Safety & Technical Skills: Follow DEA, OSHA, and hospital safety guidelines; administer SQ, IM, and IV injections; perform laboratory tests, radiographs, and electrocardiograms; place IV catheters; perform emergency treatments such as bleeding control and external cardiac massage.

Qualifications:

• Must be a Certified Veterinary Technician in Minnesota.

• Ability to handle animals safely and compassionately.

• Knowledgeable about common disease states and able to alert veterinarians to changes in patient conditions.

• Familiarity with DEA, OSHA, and hospital safety guidelines.

About Lakeland Veterinary Hospital

Our well-established, AAHA-Accredited Hospital is proud to have Dr. Deb Piepgras, DVM, as our Medical Director. Lakeland Veterinary Hospital maintains a higher standard for veterinary service, and therefore opted to participate in the accreditation process, and adopt the standards of the AAHA to ensure we are offering the most technologically advanced and safe methods for veterinary medicine. Our practice has proudly been AAHA-accredited since 1999.We offer a comprehensive suite of services, including Preventive Care, Diagnostics, Dental Care, Surgery, Specialty Services, Puppy & Kitten Care, and Senior Pet Care.Our facility has five exam rooms, one euthanasia suite, and a doctor’s office. We have been voted 'Best Veterinary Clinic' and 'Best Grooming" in the Brainerd Lakes Best Of Competition!