Veterinary Surgeon

Purpose of Role

The Veterinary Surgeon (VS) plays a pivotal role within the Veterinary and Behavioural Husbandry Services (VBHS) department. This position leads the Veterinary Internship (VI) and ensures that all Animals Asia veterinarians working in our Vietnam bear sanctuaries maintain the organisation’s high standards of animal welfare. The primary goal of the role is to mentor and develop Vietnamese veterinarians to be capable of independently managing the day-to-day veterinary care across all Animals Asia projects in Vietnam. In addition to providing guidance and oversight, the VS will also apply their clinical expertise to support more complex cases as needed.

 

This role works in close collaboration with the managers of the Bach Ma Bear Rescue Centre (BMBRC) and the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre (VBRC), to ensure consistent, high standards of veterinary care are upheld across all sites. The Veterinary Surgeon also partners with the other VBHS Veterinary Surgeon to deliver veterinary expertise and support to our Captive Wildlife project and external partner projects as needed.

 

Note: this is not a direct, clinical role – while there are many clinical components, key deliverables

are training, mentoring and capacity building of others.

Key Responsibilities

• The key deliverable of this role is to ensure the provision of an active and successful Veterinary Intern program, and proactively looking for opportunities to develop the professional skills and technical expertise of the veterinary team across all Animals Asia bear sanctuaries in Vietnam.

 

• Delivers technical oversight and support to the veterinary team, ensuring that all clinical decisions are grounded in sound veterinary principles, prioritise animal welfare, and are periodically reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness.

 

• Maintains strong relationships with specialist veterinarians to facilitate their involvement in complex cases and animal care programs when appropriate and feasible.

 

• Supports the other VBHS Veterinary Surgeon to ensure all program needs are met with the resources available. This may include covering during times of absence from the department.

 

• Ensures that all veterinary activities are carried out with the highest regard to human and animal health and safety by ensuring protocols and policies are in place, are followed and reporting of observed health and safety incidents are reported in a timely manner following established protocols.

 

• Key advisor to the department heads of Animals Asia bear sanctuaries to ensure that there is a rigorous biosecurity plan that considers animal to human, human to animal and animal to animal transfer of hazards and possible consequences. Develops and maintains the means to approve novel items that are used in direct contact with humans and animals.

 

• When requested, provides budgetary forecasting and advice for a range of administrative tasks including strategic planning and progress reporting to the VBHS director regarding veterinary needs, goals and outcomes.

 

• Ensures that international orders are fulfilled as required for Animals Asia’s projects, including for medications that aren’t available in Vietnam.

 

• Oversees bear clinical protocols to ensure they remain accurate, up to date, and aligned with evolving best practices in bear care. Responsibilities include reviewing and approving protocol updates submitted by the veterinary team and developing protocols for new veterinary techniques.

 

• As needed, acts as the key veterinary technical advisor to the Sanctuary Managers, Captive Wildlife Manager and Veterinary and Behavioural Husbandry Services Director, and implements actions as needed.

 

• Works closely with other Animals Asia Veterinary Surgeons across China and Vietnam to share knowledge, ideas and ensure the constant endeavor for excellence across all veterinary operations.

 

• Continues to keep their veterinary skills current, maintains CPD requirements, and keeps abreast of developments in the veterinary industry, applying those to Animals Asia programs were appropriate and feasible.

 

• Assists VBHS department in promoting its industry leadership through sharing veterinary technical expertise via presentations, seminars, outreach and demonstration to a range of audiences, both at the sanctuaries and offsite.
  
  
• Participate in on-call and out-of-hours care when required.

Requirements

• Skills / Abilities

1. Strong leadership skills.
2. Ability to teach students, interns, nursing staff and other veterinarians.
3. Good teamwork skills, able to communicate veterinary terminology to laymen at the sanctuary and throughout the organisation.
4. Strategic planning is advisable.
5. Budget preparation and oversight is worthy.

 

• Knowledge

1. Veterinary expertise, understanding and ability to treat a range of medical and surgical conditions that would be expected in a high volume general veterinary practice. An understanding of these in wildlife is not essential, as techniques used in domestic species are often directly transferable to wildlife.
2. Experience in developing SOPs, demonstrating the ability to contribute to the on-going review, development and implementation of changes.

 

• Experience

1. At least 3 years of experience working as a veterinary surgeon with at least some experience at a large mixed species veterinary practice, zoological facility, specialist referral centre, or similar working environment.
2. Ability to perform routine desexing surgeries of cats and dogs.
3. Demonstrable ability to develop veterinary skills in other veterinary surgeons beyond the level of graduation, especially in the field of soft tissue surgery.
4. Able and comfortable to lead emergency surgeries including of the acute abdomen (hepatic, gastric and intestinal surgeries) in one or more veterinary species.
5. Working experience in Asia, preferably Vietnam is worthy.
6. Experience with elephants, bears or other wildlife is advantageous.

 

• Languages

1. English.
2. Vietnamese is beneficial.

 

• Education / Qualification

1. Veterinary degree registerable with the Hong Kong Veterinary Surgeons board.
2. Continually up to date with the current veterinary board’s CPD requirements.

How to apply

Please send the PDF versions of your cover letter and CV (stating the applied position) to: hrhkg@animalsasia.org (stating the expected salary) or by click the link: https://animalsasia.bamboohr.com/careers/139

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified for interviews.  

To find out more : www.animalsasia.org

Animals Asia values candidates with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We welcome applicants of every ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, socioeconomic status, disability, or veteran status. We are committed to building an organization that creates an inclusive environment for all.

Using AI During Interviews

Animals Asia is committed to ensuring a fair and authentic interview process. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including but not limited to real-time transcription, automated response generation or assistance in formulating interview answers, is strictly prohibited during any stage of the interview process.

We will take a candidate's agreement to participate in an interview with us as confirmation that they will not use AI tools in any form during the conversation. If it is discovered or reasonably suspected that AI has been used, the interview will be terminated immediately, and the candidate will no longer be considered for the role.

We appreciate your understanding and adherence to this policy, which is in place to maintain the integrity, professionalism and reliability of our recruitment procedures.