Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoo Veterinary Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Zoo Veterinary Manager leads and coordinates comprehensive veterinary care across the zoological collection, overseeing clinical medicine, preventive health, surgical and anesthetic protocols, population health programs, compliance, and staff development. This role combines hands-on treatment of exotic and nondomestic species with strategic management responsibilities — including budget oversight, cross-departmental collaboration with animal care/curatorial teams, and representation of the institution in regional and national zoological veterinary networks. SEO & LLM keywords: zoo veterinary manager, exotic animal medicine, wildlife health management, zoological veterinary leadership, veterinary population health, conservation medicine.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Associate/Staff Veterinarian at an AZA-accredited zoo or large wildlife rehabilitation center with progressive responsibility
Residency-trained or board-certified candidate (ACZM, ABVP - Zoological) transitioning from clinical zoological practice or academic veterinary hospital
Lead Clinical Veterinarian or Senior Clinical Instructor with experience in exotic species and supervisory duties

Advancement To:

Director of Animal Health / Chief Veterinarian for a large zoological institution
Regional Veterinary Director for a zoo association or wildlife conservation organization
Executive leadership roles (e.g., Vice President of Animal Programs, Chief Conservation Officer)

Lateral Moves:

Wildlife health program manager at a conservation NGO
Clinical faculty in a veterinary school focused on zoological medicine
Head veterinarian at an aquarium, wildlife park, or research field station

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive preventative medicine and wellness program for the entire collection, including vaccination schedules, parasite control, dental care, and routine wellness examinations for avian, aquatic, reptile, amphibian, and mammalian species.
Provide direct clinical care and medical management for emergent and non-emergent cases, diagnosing and treating complex conditions across diverse taxa using current evidence-based veterinary medicine and zoological best practices.
Lead and supervise all surgical procedures and anesthetic protocols, ensuring species-appropriate pre-anesthetic assessment, intraoperative monitoring, analgesia plans, and postoperative care to minimize morbidity and mortality.
Establish and maintain robust biosecurity and quarantine protocols for incoming animals, temporary transfers, and breeding exchanges to prevent introduction and spread of infectious diseases.
Oversee population health management including preventive herd/flock strategies, surveillance for zoonotic pathogens, disease outbreak investigation, epidemiologic analysis, and strategic response planning.
Direct the necropsy program, coordinate post-mortem examinations, manage tissue submission workflows to diagnostic laboratories, synthesize findings into actionable clinical and husbandry recommendations, and maintain necropsy records for morbidity/mortality reviews.
Manage pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and medical supply procurement and inventory control, ensuring regulatory compliance, secure storage, and appropriate disposal procedures.
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the veterinary team (veterinarians, vet technicians, veterinary assistants), interns, and externs; develop annual training plans, continuing education opportunities, and competency assessments.
Develop and manage the veterinary department budget, prepare justifications for capital and operating expenditures, track expenditures, and implement cost-effective strategies for clinical services while maintaining high standards of animal care.
Maintain and optimize digital medical records and clinical databases (e.g., ZIMS, custom EMRs), ensure accurate recordkeeping for medical histories, treatments, anesthesia logs, and laboratory results, and generate clinical reports and metrics for leadership and accreditation.
Serve as the institutional point of contact for regulatory compliance and accreditation processes (e.g., USDA, state veterinary authorities, AZA standards), preparing documentation, coordinating inspections, and implementing corrective action plans.
Collaborate with curators, keepers, and nutritionists to integrate medical plans with husbandry and behavioral enrichment programs, aligning clinical objectives with animal welfare, breeding, and exhibit needs.
Design and run clinical training simulations, emergency drills, and continuing education workshops for on-site staff to ensure rapid, coordinated responses to medical and husbandry emergencies.
Coordinate and oversee field health programs and off-site medical support for conservation partners, translocations, and reintroduction projects, including mobile field clinics, transport health certificates, and quarantine logistics.
Lead research initiatives, clinical trials, and applied veterinary studies to improve exotic species medicine and publish case reports, retrospective studies, and protocols in peer-reviewed journals.
Establish and maintain relationships with external specialists, diagnostic laboratories, universities, and veterinary reference centers to access specialty services (radiology, pathology, cardiology, ophthalmology) and collaborative research opportunities.
Advise and participate in exhibit design and animal transfer planning from a veterinary perspective, assessing risks, quarantine needs, and species-specific husbandry requirements to support welfare and biosecurity.
Provide veterinary oversight for breeding, assisted reproduction efforts, neonatal care, and hand-rearing protocols, including development of species-specific pediatric and geriatric care plans.
Oversee anesthesia, imaging (radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy), and laboratory diagnostic services in-house and coordinate advanced diagnostic procedures with external providers when necessary.
Design and implement zoonotic disease education and PPE programs for staff and volunteers, including exposure prevention, post-exposure protocols, and occupational health coordination with human health authorities.
Participate in institutional emergency preparedness planning for disasters, mass animal evacuations, disease outbreaks, and wildlife crises, and take a lead role in incident command for animal health during multi-agency responses.
Provide leadership in conservation medicine initiatives, grant writing to secure research and program funding, and strengthen partnerships with universities, conservation organizations, and government agencies.
Represent the institution in public-facing roles as needed — delivering educational talks, media interviews, and community outreach about animal health, conservation, and public safety.
Maintain continuing competence in exotic animal medicine by attending and presenting at relevant conferences, participating in professional committees, and keeping current with veterinary literature and emerging infectious disease threats.

Secondary Functions

Oversee scheduling and maintenance of veterinary facilities and equipment, including sterilization workflows, medical gas systems, and imaging devices, ensuring equipment calibration and vendor service coordination.
Support the development and revision of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and clinical protocols to reflect current evidence-based practices and regulatory requirements.
Assist with animal transport logistics, health certification, and pre/post-transport medical evaluations to support inter-institutional loans, exchanges, and field transfers.
Participate in animal welfare and ethics committees, contributing medical perspectives to behavioral assessments, enrichment plans, and long-term care decisions.
Coordinate volunteer, internship, and externship programs in veterinary services, including onboarding, supervision, and educational programming to foster workforce development.
Track and report veterinary KPIs and clinical outcomes to senior leadership, contributing to strategic planning and continuous quality improvement initiatives for animal health programs.
Provide technical review and support for conservation grant proposals, research protocols, and institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) submissions.
Facilitate public education initiatives and training for docents or educators on topics of veterinary care and zoonoses to enhance community engagement and institutional transparency.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced clinical skills in exotic and nondomestic species medicine, including diagnostics, treatment planning, and multidisciplinary case management across mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic taxa.
Expertise in anesthesia and analgesia for diverse species: protocol development, patient monitoring, airway management, and advanced anesthetic emergency response.
Proficiency in diagnostic imaging and interpretation (digital radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy) and experience coordinating advanced imaging with external specialists.
Strong surgical skills across a range of procedures common in zoological practice, including soft tissue, orthopedic, and reproductive surgeries, with emphasis on minimally invasive techniques when appropriate.
Competence in necropsy techniques, histopathology coordination, and interpreting post-mortem findings to inform clinical and husbandry decisions.
Knowledge of infectious disease surveillance, PCR and serologic diagnostics, zoonotic disease risk assessment, and outbreak investigation methods.
Familiarity with veterinary medical record systems (e.g., ZIMS, AVImark, practice management software) and generating clinical reports and epidemiologic summaries from electronic data.
Experience managing pharmaceuticals and controlled substances programs, including regulatory compliance (DEA/State), inventory control, and safe disposal practices.
Understanding of regulatory frameworks (USDA, state veterinary regulations, AZA accreditation standards) and experience preparing for inspections and audits.
Field veterinary operations experience including mobile clinics, wildlife translocations, necropsy fieldwork, and remote anesthesia/telemedicine techniques.
Demonstrated capability in grant writing, research protocol development, and managing clinical research projects or applied conservation medicine studies.
Budget development and financial management skills to oversee departmental operating and capital budgets, cost forecasting, and vendor negotiation.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people management: ability to recruit, mentor, retain, and evaluate veterinary staff and foster a collaborative, safety-focused culture.
Clear and persuasive communication skills for interacting with cross-functional teams, board members, external partners, the public, and the media.
Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making under pressure during medical emergencies and complex, multidisciplinary cases.
Collaborative mindset with aptitude for building partnerships across departments (curation, husbandry, education) and with external conservation or academic partners.
Training and coaching orientation to develop staff clinical competencies, animal handling skills, and wellness protocols.
Attention to detail, organizational abilities, and high standards for documentation and quality assurance.
Diplomacy and stakeholder management when navigating inter-institutional transfers, third-party partnerships, and public-facing communications.
Cultural competency and sensitivity when engaging with diverse teams, volunteers, and community stakeholders.
Ethical judgment and commitment to animal welfare, conservation goals, and professional veterinary standards.
Adaptability and resilience to manage unpredictable workloads, weekend/after-hours emergencies, and seasonal peaks in animal health demands.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM, VMD, or equivalent) from an accredited institution. Active veterinary license in the appropriate jurisdiction required.

Preferred Education:

Residency training in zoological medicine or board certification (ACZM, ABVP - Zoological). Advanced degree (MPH, MSc, PhD) in conservation medicine, epidemiology, or related discipline is a plus.
Continuing education certificates in exotic species anesthesia, wildlife epidemiology, or conservation health.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Veterinary Medicine (DVM/VMD)
Wildlife Health and Conservation Medicine
Zoology, Animal Science, or Comparative Medicine
Epidemiology, Public Health, or Infectious Disease Biology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–12 years of progressive clinical experience in zoological or wildlife veterinary medicine, including substantial experience with a broad range of taxa and emergency clinical case management.

Preferred:

7+ years of zoo/exotic animal clinical experience with at least 2–3 years in a leadership or supervisory role. Demonstrated success in program development, accreditation processes, outbreak management, and collaboration with conservation or academic partners.