French is the primary working language at the SPCA de l’Outaouais. Fluency in spoken and written French is required for this position.

Job Summary

The Chief Veterinary Officer will work closely with senior management to ensure strategic vision, clinical governance, and integrated management of all services related to veterinary medicine, animal care, and the animal’s overall care journey.

As a key member of the executive team, the Chief Veterinary Officer assumes strategic and operational responsibility for animal care and the animal’s journey at the shelter. With a focus on organizational transformation, the Chief Veterinary Officer provides visionary leadership to orchestrate the animal’s entire journey, from admission through discharge. This unified leadership approach aims to break down operational silos through guidance of a multidisciplinary team to harmonize practices, standardize processes for all species, and establish a management culture focused on results and accountability.

Job Type

Permanent, full-time executive position (5 days/week – 40 hours), based on-site at the SPCA de l’Outaouais in Gatineau.

Salary

Starting annual salary of $115,000 to $128,250 depending on experience (determined according to the current pay scale).

What We Offer

· Attractive employee benefits and group insurance program;

· 4 weeks of annual vacation;

· Flexible work arrangements;

· A caring, collaborative work environment focused on animal welfare;

· Opportunities for professional development and continuing education;

· The chance to directly contribute to a mission that makes a tangible impact in the community.

Key Responsibilities

Change Management and Structuring the Animal’s Journey:

· Provide leadership for the animal’s journey at the shelter, from admission through adoption or permanent placement, ensuring smooth, consistent coordination centered on animal welfare;

· Consistently promote and ensure the implementation of best practices within the organization, particularly regarding capacity, length of stay for animals, and the ethical and sustainable management of the animal population;

· Integrate shelter management principles and best practices into the organization’s continuing education programs and internal tools;

· Clarify the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder along the care pathway to eliminate task overlaps, redundancies, and gray areas;

· Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for each stage of the care pathway to measure workflow efficiency, length of stay, quality of care, workload, and adoption success rates.

Clinical Governance, Ethics, and Compliance:

· Serve as Chief Veterinarian and be responsible for standards of care, clinical practice, and animal welfare within the SPCA de l’Outaouais;

· Ensure that all of the organization’s activities comply with the Act respecting the welfare and safety of animals, the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ), and best practices for animal shelters;

· Oversee and validate biosafety protocols and daily animal care procedures at the shelter;

· Ensure ethical, legal, and medical guidance for protocols related to vaccination, antiparasitic treatment, medical care, and euthanasia;

· Provide clinical leadership to the veterinary team by promoting the application of guidelines and best practices in shelter medicine;

· Actively participate in the recruitment, onboarding, integration, and training of new veterinarians.

Service Management and Guidance:

· Unify and coordinate the efforts of the various departments involved in the animal care process (veterinary care, animal health, behavior, adoption, intake, foster families, transfer, and complaints);

· Develop and support initiatives and programs aimed at optimizing animal care and shelter operations;

· Establish transparent accountability mechanisms to align the teams’ daily work with the expectations of the organization and government partners;

· Oversee the development and monitoring of the annual budget for the departments under your supervision.

Partnerships and Representation

· Collaborate closely with senior management and other departments (patrol services, corporate) to maintain an integrated organizational vision;

· Provide clinical and strategic expertise during complex post-patrol interventions, seizures, or cases of animal abuse;

· Represent the organization before medical and government authorities and partners in the veterinary community in Quebec.

Desired Profile

Requirements

· Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and active membership in the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ);

· Proven experience in team management and department leadership (in private practice, shelter settings, academic institutions, or the public sector);

· Experience in veterinary practice, particularly in spaying and neutering, preventive care, vaccination, general medicine, and animal health care management;

· Strong interest in shelter medicine, animal population management issues, and applicable regulatory frameworks, as well as in the continuous improvement of practices;

· Excellent communication and writing skills in French and English.

Desired Skills

· Leadership to mobilize multidisciplinary teams and strong change management skills;

· Ability to design, implement, and analyze performance indicators and accountability mechanisms;

· Strong sense of professional ethics, scientific rigor, and excellent clinical judgment;

· Ability to navigate a high-volume, emotionally demanding environment with empathy and resilience;

· Unwavering commitment to animal welfare and deep alignment with the values of the SPCA de l’Outaouais.

To Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter to:

· mcadieux@spcaoutaouais.ca

· Deadline: July 24, 2026, at 11:00 p.m.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.