The Department of Psychiatry at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), is hiring a Clinical Veterinarian to serve as the Director of the Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM). This position involves responsibility for the entirety of DCM operations at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. This individual will lead a multi-disciplinary team managing the animal care facility and ensuring systems and processes meet the standards and regulations established by the institution, state and federal agencies, PHS policy and accreditation bodies promoting the humane treatment of animals. The DCM Director works closely with research scientists and staff to ensure a collaborative approach to ensuring an outstanding veterinary care and research program.

The salary range for the role will be jointly covered by Columbia University and NYSPI.

Veterinary Care Responsibilities:

•  Animal Care: Provide comprehensive medical and surgical care to a diverse range of animal species (including rodents (i.e., rats and mice) and non-human primates), ensuring their health and well-being. This includes delivery of veterinary care through accurate diagnosis and treatment; developing and managing the clinical program for all surgical cases; creating pre, intra and post-operative care plans in consultation with investigators; and establishing anesthesia, analgesia, and euthanasia protocols for various laboratory animal species.
• Disease Prevention: Oversee programs to prevent the introduction and spread of disease in rodent colonies through sentinel-free infectious agent monitoring, strict vendor compliance, and the implementation of quarantine or rederivation protocols for animals from non-approved sources. This role ensures colony biosecurity by managing imports, responding to outbreaks, and maintaining alignment with institutional and regulatory health standards.
• Emergency Response: Address urgent and after-hours medical situations, providing timely interventions to manage acute health issues in animals.

Research Responsibilities:

• Collaborative Research: Engage with research scientists and staff in assisting with interdisciplinary research projects aimed at improving animal and human health. Collaborate with research teams on animal model development, surgical planning, bioimaging and data interpretation; attend laboratory research meetings as necessary to assist with model development and optimization, interpret clinical and experimental data, and promote regulatory compliance.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that all research involving animals adheres to ethical principles and regulatory standards, promoting humane treatment and welfare. Provide guidance to investigators on IACUC protocol development and regulatory compliance; perform veterinary consultations on IACUC protocols; review animal use protocols and assist with facility inspections and programmatic evaluations; serve on the IACUC and oversee post approval monitoring and protocol compliance.
• Training: Develop training materials and conduct hands-on training for staff and investigators; provide surgical, anesthesia and technical support to investigators through animal model development, study conduct and training; and conduct didactic training of animal care personnel and investigators in the appropriate care and use of laboratory animals.

Educational Responsibilities:

• Teaching: Instruct DCM and research staff in clinical skills, animal care practices, and research methodologies.
• Curriculum Development: Contribute to the design and enhancement of educational programs including training modules, ensuring that course content remains current with advancements in veterinary medicine and laboratory animal science.
• Continuing Education: Stay abreast of the latest developments in veterinary science and integrate new knowledge into teaching and clinical practice.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Compliance Oversight: Serve on Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to review research protocols, ensuring ethical and humane use of animals in research. Work with the Facility Manager to oversee the maintenance and operation of animal care facilities, ensuring environments meet health and safety standards.
• Policy Development: Assist in formulating institutional policies related to animal care, research practices, and educational programs.
• Hiring: In conjunction with the Facility Manager and the Director of NYSPI/Chairman of Psychiatry, ensure that the DCM is staffed appropriately.
• Human Resource Management: Lead the recruitment, training, and performance management of staff to support research and animal care. Develop and implement strategic initiatives for staff retention, professional growth, and career advancement. Serve as a key liaison among administration and faculty to align workforce planning with the research.
• Budget: Manage departmental budget to align with the institutional research needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Educational Background: DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA accredited institution. Must possess ACLAM certification. ACLAM board eligible veterinarians may be considered if they possess advanced degrees (PhD, MS, etc.) and 10 years of laboratory animal experience.
• Licensure: Must hold a current license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of New York and maintain good standing with the New York State Board of Veterinary Medicine. USDA National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) Category II certification is required.
• Experience: Demonstrated experience in veterinary clinical and emergency care, animal research, and in vivo biomethodology training within an academic or research setting.
• Skills: Strong analytical abilities, effective communication skills, and proficiency in managing multiple responsibilities in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working collaboratively with senior leadership to implement institutional missions and visions across multiple stakeholders.
• Proven leadership abilities, including experience managing budgets, faculty development, and departmental resources.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a demonstrated commitment to cultural, academic, and clinical excellence

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10 years of previous leadership and managerial experience in an academic research program using animals or related fields.
• 5 years of experience in academic leadership, faculty mentoring, and interdisciplinary program development.
• Previous experience with AAALAC accreditation, NY State Department of Health and USDA inspections.
• A strong vision for advancing biomedical research in a rapidly evolving academic landscape.
• Prior experience in an academic environment and advanced research training (MS, PhD, MPH etc.) and nonhuman primate experience is desirable.
• Experience with animal management software (e.g. tick@lab).

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.  The above hiring range represents the University?s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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