Veterinary Training Center Assistant

About the job

Veterinary Training Center Assistant Location: Chicago, IL $48,000 - 58,000/ annually | Full- time | Monday - Friday with weekend assistance as needed

We are looking for a dependable, hands-on team member to support the daily operations of our veterinary training center. In this role, you will work with a team and assist with cadaver and live-animal labs, prepare classrooms and surgical spaces, care for equipment and instruments, manage supplies, and help keep every course running smoothly and safely. This job is for you if you enjoy variety, work well behind the scenes, want to learn, and are comfortable around animals.

Compensation and Benefits:

• $48,000- $58,000/ annually

Schedule:

• Schedule varies based on the training calendar. Hours are set around scheduled courses and labs, so consistent, reliable attendance on assigned days is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

Live Animal Lab Support

• Assist with safe animal handling and restraint during live-animal training labs.
• Walk, monitor, and support animals through anesthetic recovery and discharge during live-animal training labs.

Cadaver Preparation

• Prepare and maintain cadavers for dental, surgery, ophthalmology, and veterinary technician training courses, including washing, clipping, and stapling.

Lab, Classroom & Event Setup

• Set up and break down classrooms, laboratories, surgical areas, equipment, and supplies for all training programs.
• Prepare sign-in sheets, attendee materials, scrub tops, and other course supplies.
• Assist with setup and breakdown of attendee meals.

Equipment & Instrument Care

• Clean, sterilize, autoclave, and wrap surgical instruments and instrument packs.
• Clean, maintain, and perform routine quality-control checks on laboratory and training equipment.
• Maintain dental equipment and machines so they are fully functional and ready for each course.

Facility Cleaning & Sanitation

• Clean and sanitize surgical suites, treatment areas, classrooms, restrooms, and break rooms.
• Maintain a clean, organized, safe, and fully prepared training environment.

Documentation & Records

• Prepare required case documentation, including intake forms, anesthesia records, and postoperative records.
• Scan and distribute anesthesia and postoperative records to participating rescue organizations.
• Maintain accurate tracking records for live animals and partner rescue organizations.
• Support compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

Inventory & Supplies

• Receive, organize, and maintain inventory of medical supplies, instruments, scrub tops, and training materials.

Social Media & Content

• Assist in managing the training center’s Instagram account, including photographing, editing, curating, and posting content.
• Curate and provide photo and video content for internal and external marketing.

Qualifications:

• Experience with animal handling and restraint.
• Comfortable working with both cadavers and live animals.
• Dependable, punctual, and consistent in attendance.
• Eager to learn, proactive, and comfortable taking on a wide variety of tasks.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Ideally, this would be a VA, and if it's not a VA, one of the requirements would be to go through the VA program and become an approved veterinary assistant.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs with assistance.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, and handle animals for extended periods.

Know Someone Amazing? If this role isn’t the right fit but you know someone great, send them our way! Email [email protected]—you could earn a $1,250 referral bonus if they’re hired.

Considering Relocating? Great talent can come from anywhere, and we welcome candidates who are considering a move. Whether you're relocating from another city, another state, or across the country, our Talent Acquisition team is here to support you throughout the hiring process and answer questions about the role, the hospital, and the surrounding community.

About Ethos Veterinary Health

Ethos Veterinary Health, part of the NVA Group, is where you come to practice world-class medicine, and help shape what veterinary care becomes next. Across our network of 140 specialty and emergency hospitals, science moves forward, standards are elevated, and innovation is put into practice every day. You’ll work alongside respected veterinary leaders in academic-caliber hospitals designed for learning, teaching, and discovery. Here, mentorship is a two-way street. You’ll share your expertise, learn from others, and continue to grow, clinically, professionally, and personally. At Ethos, you inspire hope, deliver exceptional care, and pursue veterinary medicine at its highest level, together. Join Us At Ethos, this isn’t just a job, it’s an opportunity to practice medicine at the highest level and help shape the future of veterinary care. Equal Opportunity Employer Ethos is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Ethos does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, competence, merit, and business need.