Veterinarian

Why join the Oakland Animal Services?

Oakland Animal Services (OAS) is the open admission shelter for the City of Oakland. In the last two years, OAS has grown the veterinary team to two full-time veterinarians and two registered veterinary technicians. The needs of the veterinary team are also supported by contracts with 24-hour emergency veterinary services and external support for some spay/neuter and general medicine. The person hired for this position will join a compassionate and dedicated team committed to increasing lifesaving outcomes for shelter animals. The team also provides services to low-income pet guardians, helping keep animals with their families whenever possible.

OAS has introduced equity focused shelter-intake and community-serving programs, such as providing access to veterinary care, low-cost spay/neuter, and free vaccines. With support from Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS), OAS has established an Outcome Team composed of Foster, Adoption, and Transfer Coordinators. The team conducts community outreach focused on hard-to-place animals and reducing length of stay. These efforts have resulted in a live release rate exceeding 90% for shelter animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small animals.

The OAS Animal Control Officers (ACOs) significantly increased their capacity to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases. The veterinary team plays an integral role in supporting these investigations, as well as being supported by a contract vet who specializes in forensic medicine. At the same time, the ACOs focus much of their time connecting with pet guardians who need support. It’s an exciting time for OAS as we shift from a reactionary model to one that is community serving. The person hired for this position will play a key role in shaping OAS’s approach to access to care for low-income pet guardians, while helping build a sustainable veterinary program to support life saving for shelter animals.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Pragmatic and able to make the most of limited resources. You will need to evaluate treatment options and make effective diagnostic decisions in an environment with limited funding.
• A skilled communicator that understands how to reach a variety of audiences. Oakland is a diverse community with many different stakeholder groups, you will interact with members of the public, volunteers, and other city employees in the course of work.
• Caring and compassionate with a positive attitude. You will handle and treat sick or injured animals, and support pet owners during both exciting and difficult times.
• A strong problem solver. You will encounter unexpected or challenging situations that require you to work well under pressure and balance multiple priorities.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Performing surgical procedures including high volume spay/neuter as well as other common shelter surgeries (wound repairs, amputations, enucleations, etc.). With approximately 80% of animals coming into the shelter intact, high volume spay/neuter is a large part of the job.
• Directing, coordinating, and performing the screening, diagnosis, and basic and emergency medical treatment of animals in the shelter.
• Performing medical rounds, prescribing treatments for, and making recommendations for disposition of shelter animals.
• Serving as a “resource person’” on whom others rely for direction and advice.
• Performing and directing staff to perform euthanasia of animals that are irremediably suffering from serious illness or severe injury, as necessary.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• OAS helps the people and animals with the greatest needs in the Oakland community.
• You will see a wide range of medical issues and have the opportunity to develop a well-rounded set of skills.
• Unlike private practice, veterinarians largely can do what they believe is best for the animal without interacting with guardians.
• There is a lot of opportunity to share ideas and help OAS evolve into a more progressive, community-serving organization.
• The people at OAS care deeply about the mission.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• As an open admission shelter, OAS cannot control intake and many animals have behavioral or medical challenges.
• OAS often operates at full capacity, requiring our vets to balance priorities to address the needs for spay/neuter services, triaging urgent needs of incoming animals, and providing adequate care for shelter animals with general medical needs.
• OAS operates with very limited resources and less staffing than private clinics or nonprofit organizations.
• The veterinary team relies on far fewer diagnostic tools than would be utilized in private practice.
• The work is emotionally (and physically) challenging and requires the ability to set boundaries and find time for self-care.

Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner

Handling Stress: Maintaining emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenge, or adversity

Teamwork: Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals

Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job

Environmental Exposure Tolerance: Performing under physically demanding conditions

Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims

Professional Integrity & Ethics: Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability

Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires

Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products

Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment

Leadership: Guiding and encouraging others to accomplish a common goal

Delegating: Sharing responsibility, authority, and accountability

Manual Dexterity: Using senses, hands, and fingers in manipulating objects quickly and efficiently

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable.

Education:
Doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from an accredited college or university

Experience:
Two years of recent experience in veterinary medicine at an animal shelter, clinic or kennel/hospital.Experience in animal shelter medicine is highly desirable.

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for each position.

Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications.

In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.

For Structured Interview Exam:

For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be invited to the structured interview (sometimes referred to as an Oral Exam) (weighted 100%), which will be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The structured interview will be conducted as a one-way video interview, where you will record your responses to a set of questions. You will have 7 days from the time you receive the interview link to complete and submit your video responses. The tentative date of the structured interview is the week of May 4, 2026.

Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you’re applying to a “restricted” posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every element of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

• Work/Life Balance:37.5-hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation:2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement:CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health:The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental:Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision:VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave:Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation:457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

*Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

How to Apply

Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oaklandca/default.cfm.

If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238-3112 for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Melinda Tierney atMTierney@oaklandca.gov.