Essential Job Duties

This role provides advanced surgical support for both small and large animals at the Terry Companion Animal Medical Center and the Equine and Farm Animal Veterinary Center. Candidates must have advanced veterinary knowledge and thrive in a fast-paced teaching environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Surgical Prep & Aseptic Technique: Validate sterility, set up equipment, and prepare surgical suites and patients using aseptic techniques.
• Intraoperative Support: Maintain sterile fields, assist during surgeries, calculate medications, and manage isolation/infectious cases.
• Equipment & Sterile Processing: Operate, clean, and sterilize advanced surgical equipment (e.g., cautery, drills, C-arm) and instruments.
• Turnover & Inventory: Disinfect suites post-procedure, restock supplies, and maintain inventory and OSHA-regulated sterilization logs.
• Coordination & Training: Coordinate schedules with anesthesia teams, document patient data, and instruct students, interns, residents, and new staff.

Professional Standards

• Safety: Comply with OSHA, EHS, radiation safety, and infectious disease protocols.
• Collaboration: Work independently with sound judgment while actively contributing to team problem-solving.
• Physical & Operational Agility: Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, work around potential hazards (chemicals, gases, zoonotic diseases), and extend hours based on patient needs.

Minimum Experience/Education

Completion of an accredited training program in the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Clinical OR Experience: Previous experience working in an operating room or sterile processing support role within a veterinary or human healthcare setting; experience in a teaching hospital environment preferred.
• Training & Instructional Support: Experience teaching, coaching, or mentoring veterinary students, interns, residents, or junior staff in clinical or surgical workflows.
• Surgical & Sterile Processing Expertise: Competency in sterile processing and OR support, including handling complex surgical instrumentation, maintaining sterility standards, and supporting specialty or high-volume surgical services.
• Critical Thinking & OR Workflow Management: Ability to prioritize surgical cases and instrumentation needs, troubleshoot equipment or workflow issues, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced surgical environment.
• Communication & Professionalism: Strong communication skills with the ability to support OR teams effectively, respond to instrumentation and supply needs, and maintain professionalism in high-pressure clinical settings.

Required license or certification

NC Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) or ability to obtain NC Registration within 6 months of date of hire. NC RVT exam eligibility requirements include graduation from an AVMA-accredited veterinary technician program and a passing score on the National Veterinary Technician Exam.