Supervises:         Associate Veterinarians, Office Manager, Team Leads, Client Care Specialists, Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants, Kennel Assistants

Position Overview:          The practice manager will work with the owners to continue to grow and expand the client base and community reach of the practice. The practice manager is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the hospital; and is responsible for maintaining benefits programs; conducting new employee orientations; hiring, training, and reviewing support staff; assuring compliance with state and federal safety regulations; and maintaining the integrity of the medical records.  The practice manager must have good reporting and observational skills to keep the owners appraised of the status of the hospital operations and staff.  This is a leadership position with the additional responsibility of ensuring a positive work environment in which the practice achieves its goals.

Purpose of the Practice Manager:           

To manage the staff and office by instituting and maintaining compliance with policy and job descriptions and utilize statistical management.

To ensure smooth and efficient patient flow.

To create an environment where clients feel competently serviced and where staff can work together as a team.

Product of the Practice Manager properly doing that job:

An organization that is expanding and prospering.

The veterinary practice owners only have to wear their Doctor hat and Owner hat.

Staff members who know their jobs and are thereby productive and are operating together as a team.

Clients are satisfied and continue to come in for veterinary care and who refer others to the practice.

Position type and expected hours of work:

Full time position – 40 hours per week

Must be able to work between the hours of 7:50 am – 6 pm weekdays and 7:50 am – 12 pm Saturdays

4 1/2 day work week (Example: Mon 750-6pm, Tues 750-6pm, Wed 750-12pm, Thurs 750-6pm, Fri 750-6pm)

Saturday morning shifts may be required

Overtime may be required

Subject to recall in emergency situations

Pay and Benefits:

Salary based on experience and education

Incentive bonus based on meeting goals set for the position

Health/Dental/Vision Plan

401k Plan

Vacation and Sick Leave

Pet Discount

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

Certified Veterinary Practice Manager designation is desirable but not required

Hospital or veterinary management experience is desirable but not required

4 years or more of experience working in all aspects of a business enterprise including human resource management, customer service, and supervisory duties.

Personal Requirements:

Must have a positive, upbeat, cheerful tone and attitude at all times.

Must be able to work under the broad general administrative supervision of the owners, and to be able to use sound personal judgement in selecting methods, establishing priorities, and arriving at conclusions.

Must possess leadership qualities and supervisory abilities.

Must be able to tactfully demonstrate “take charge” capabilities.

May be required to work uncommon hours, overtime, and be subject to recall in emergency situations.

Deal intelligently, pleasantly, and efficiently with clients on the telephone and in person, often doing several things at one time.

Display tact and diplomacy with staff members and clients.

Work almost constantly in the presence of the other staff members and clients.

Quickly learn how to pronounce, know the meaning of, and spell commonly used veterinary terms.

Perform computers skills such as word, excel, powerpoint.

Physical:             Requires lifting and carrying of up to 25 lbs; requires sitting and standing for extended periods of time.

Work conditions:             May be exposed to unpleasant odors, noises, and animal feces, urine, and vomit.  May be exposed to bites, scratches, and contagious diseases.

General Duties:

Report directly to the practice owners.

Evaluate performance against goals and suggest improvements where required.

Lend assistance in all administrative matters as necessary.

Perform any duty that may be necessary in the best interest of the business and hospital.

Responsibilities:

               Client Relations:

Ensure that all clients and patients receive caring, personal service in a professional manner.  Promote client satisfaction and mediate client complaints when necessary.

Be a visible advocate for the hospital by becoming involved with community groups that influence public perception and policy.

Promote customer service practices to exceed client expectations.  Going above and beyond with clients.

Promote a client-centered environment and facilitates programs and processes that meet client needs.

Maintains the practice philosophy for attracting new clients and retaining existing clients.

Human Resources:

Recruit, interview, and hire hospital support staff.

Supervise support staff and act as the direct authority regarding disciplinary procedures, discharging, and all the legal responsibilities of employment.

Develop and update complete and accurate job descriptions, employee policy and procedure manual, and personnel files for all hospital positions.

Schedules and performs all quarterly and annual employee performance reviews under the direction of the owners.

With consultation with owners, sets and reviews employee salaries and benefits.

Is accessible by staff while maintaining a professional relationship with them.

Encourage adherence to company policies.  Create an environment in which corrective actions are taken if the system fails or if employee fails to follow established policies and procedures.

Assure that staff members are properly trained.  Training should communicate hospital goals and objectives, establish priorities, clarify the role of each employee, and provide safety education.

Organize, schedule, and conduct all staff meetings to provide training, improve communication, and hospital organization.

Provide agenda and dictation at weekly doctor, team lead, client care specialist, and leadership meetings.

Prepare staff work schedules.  Plan for optimal staffing to assure maximum productivity and service and control of overtime.

Track and record all employees PTO, sick leave, etc…

Educate and enroll employees in health/dental/vision/401k plans when necessary.

Receive communication from employees regarding tardiness and illness.  Reassign responsibilities of absent employees or call in another employee to cover shift.

Maintain culture and morale: praise, encourage, motivate, and reassure employees. Listen to employee problems, and grievances.  Resolve employee conflicts and issues.

Field inquiries regarding job openings and job references of former employees.

Coordinate continuing education for support staff and associate veterinarians.

Ensure compliance with regulatory agencies and laws, such as annual OSHA training.

Financial Management:

Review and discuss key performance indicators and goals with all staff.

Assist to set goals for hospital performance based on previous performance and vision. Design strategies for meeting these goals.

Provide counsel to owners regarding all accounting and financial matters.

Competency:

               Basic skills:

Demonstrates initiative and self-motivation to follow through on all responsibilities in a timely manner.

Possession of strong organizational skills.

Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to fulfill the requirements of this position.

Ability to multi-task

               Communication skills:

Strong communication, leadership, and motivational skills.

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing client and personal services.  This includes client needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of client satisfaction.

Excellent verbal and written communications skills.  Possess exceptional interpersonal communication skills.

Requires active listening skills, giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Requires face to face discussions with team members.

Requires the use of telephone, email, and texting.

Social skills:       

Ability to show unbiased judgement when managing people and make fair and just recommendations in regard to personnel issues and/or disciplinary action.

Work well with all employees and ensure that your actions support the hospital, the doctors, and the practice philosophy.

Ability to work independently on assigned tasks as well as to accept direction on given assignments.

Teaching others how to perform a task.

Actively looking for ways to help others and be present to help the employee succeed.