Full-Time Associate Veterinarian (32 Hours/Week) - Smoky's Spay & Neuter Clinic (Richmond SPCA) in Mechanicsville, Virginia at Richmond SPCA

Location: Richmond, VA
Clinic: Smoky’s Spay & Neuter Clinic (Richmond SPCA)

Compensation & Schedule

• Salary: $80,000 - $104,000/year (commensurate with experience)
• Schedule: Four 8-hour weekday shifts (32 hours). No weekends, no nights, no on-call hours.

Why This Isn’t Your Typical Veterinary Role

If you are frustrated by corporate medicine, production pressure, and the heartbreak of euthanasia for economic reasons, we offer a radical alternative.

Smoky’s Spay & Neuter Clinic is a vital engine of the Richmond SPCA's mission to sustain a no-kill community. We deliver high-impact surgical services to pets in local shelters and rescues and to free-roaming, unowned community cats.

• Practice Mission-Focused Medicine: Your success is measured by the lives you impact and the surgeries you perform, not the inventory you move. There are no sales targets or production-based quotas.
• No Financial Euthanasia: We practice medicine aligned with our no-kill philosophy. We don't let economic hardship stand in the way of lifesaving care.
• Boundaries: When your shift ends, you go home. Enjoy your evenings and weekends.

What You Will Do

As an Associate Veterinarian, you will work alongside a collaborative team of skilled doctors, licensed veterinary technicians, and dedicated support staff to provide exceptional high-volume surgical care and access-to-care support.

• Surgical Excellence: Perform high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) surgeries adhering to strict veterinary standards and efficient techniques.
• Community Impact & TNVR: Act as a critical resource for shelter-diversion and community-powered cat programs, ensuring the highest standards of safety and welfare for every patient.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Act as a flexible and collaborative resource across our entire veterinary services ecosystem, providing backup and operational support as needed to our full-service, low-cost public hospital or shelter medicine team as dynamic organizational needs arise.
• Disease Prevention & Records: Follow strict infectious disease protocols and maintain thorough, accurate medical records.

Who You Are

• Qualified: You hold a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree from an AVMA-accredited college.
• Licensed: You have (or can successfully obtain) a valid Virginia Veterinary License and DEA license in good standing.
• Mission-Driven: You possess a deep commitment to the no-kill philosophy, shelter diversion, and serving vulnerable populations with dignity and empathy.
• Adaptable & Collaborative: You thrive in a fast-paced environment, multi-task with a positive "can-do" outlook, and communicate compassionately with clients and internal shelter teams.

Experience in a shelter, high-volume spay/neuter clinic, or public veterinary hospital is a major plus, but a passion for access to care is required.

Benefits & Perks

We care for our people just as deeply as we care for our patients.

• Professional Coverage: Full reimbursement for Virginia Veterinary license renewal, DEA license, AVMA membership, and professional liability insurance.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, short-term disability, and paid wellness leave.
• Student Loan Forgiveness: Access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• Holidays & Personal Leave: Paid holidays and generous paid personal leave.
• Retirement: 401(k) retirement plan with an employer contribution (once eligible) of no less than 3%.
• Pet Care Perks: Access to employee discounts at our full-service hospital.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Environment: A rapid-pace, high-energy environment with exposure to high noise levels, animal waste, disinfectants, radiation, and anesthetic gases.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to stay on your feet for a 10-hour shift (accommodations can be coordinated with physician recommendations) and routinely lift, carry, or move up to 50 pounds. Reliable transport is required, including during inclement weather.

What Richmond Has to Offer

Richmond is a vibrant city with an active, accessible, and welcoming community culture. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the James River Park System, which offers urban whitewater rafting, miles of riverside trails, and sunbathing on Belle Isle right in the heart of downtown. Our nationally-recognized, James Beard-nominated dining and craft beer scenes mean you'll always have a great new culinary spot to discover. For entertainment, you can catch a baseball game at the new CarMax Park—located just a few hundred yards from our Hermitage Road campus—or enjoy outdoor concerts at the stunning new riverfront amphitheater. Plus, Richmond’s central location puts you an easy drive away from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Atlantic coast beaches, and Washington, D.C.