Job Description

Companion Wicker Park is seeking a compassionate, clinically excellent Medical Lead Veterinarian to guide the medical direction and daily operations of our community-focused small animal practice in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. In this role, you will serve as the primary clinical leader for a team of veterinarians and support staff, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based care for dogs and cats while fostering a warm, collaborative, and inclusive environment that reflects our practice values. As Medical Lead Veterinarian, you will carry a primary caseload of canine and feline patients while overseeing medical standards, protocols, and quality improvement initiatives across the hospital. You will perform comprehensive wellness and preventive care, internal medicine workups, general soft-tissue surgeries, dentistry, and basic urgent care, using sound clinical judgment grounded in current veterinary research and best practices. You will collaborate closely with our technical and client service teams to deliver trauma-informed, low-stress, and culturally responsive care to a diverse community of pet owners who value thoughtful communication and shared decision-making. You will provide clinical mentorship, case consultation, and real-time support to associate veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and assistants, modeling inclusive leadership that prioritizes psychological safety, curiosity, and continuous learning. You will help design and refine hospital protocols, including standards for diagnostics, anesthesia and pain management, preventive care recommendations, infection control, medical record keeping, and follow-up communication, ensuring they are both clinically rigorous and accessible to clients from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences. In partnership with practice leadership, you will contribute to hiring, onboarding, and developing clinical staff; participate in regular medical rounds and case reviews; and help shape a practice culture grounded in anti-oppressive principles, respect for diversity, and sustainability for clinicians and staff. You will be an active voice in aligning day-to-day medical practices with the hospital’s mission, including thoughtful use of evidence-based guidelines, collaborative care planning, and transparent communication around prognosis, risk, and cost. The ideal candidate is an experienced small animal veterinarian who enjoys balancing hands-on clinical work with leadership, coaching, and systems thinking. You are comfortable managing a wide variety of primary care and general practice cases, coordinating with specialists when appropriate, and communicating clearly and empathetically with clients in moments of both joy and crisis. You are attentive to how culture, identity, finances, and family systems influence veterinary decision-making, and you value building long-term relationships with clients and their animals. Responsibilities include performing physical exams, diagnostics, treatment planning, surgery, and dentistry; supervising and mentoring veterinarians and support staff; providing clear, compassionate client education; maintaining accurate, timely electronic medical records; collaborating on scheduling and workflow to support clinician well-being; and contributing to community engagement efforts within the Wicker Park neighborhood. You will also help monitor key medical and operational metrics, participate in budgeting conversations related to medical equipment and pharmacy, and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. This is a full-time role based in Chicago, with a primarily on-site clinical presence and limited flexibility for remote case management, teleconsultation, or administrative tasks as appropriate. We offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience, bonus eligibility tied to personal and hospital performance, and a comprehensive benefits package that supports your health, professional growth, and long-term stability. At Companion Wicker Park, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of a neighborhood-focused veterinary practice, collaborate with a thoughtful and mission-driven team, and provide inclusive, affirming care to pets and the people who love them in the heart of the Wicker Park community.

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