Veterinary Technician: Small Animal Operating Room (SAOR)

About the role

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• Job Category: University Staff
• Employment Type: Regular
• Job Profile: Veterinary Technician I

Job Summary

Are you an experienced Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) or a recent graduate looking to grow your career in veterinary medicine? At UW Veterinary Care (UWVC), we welcome CVTs at all experience levels and provide training and opportunities for professional growth.

If you're passionate about patient care, enjoy learning and teaching, and thrive in a collaborative environment, we encourage you to join our Small Animal Operating Room (SAOR) team at UW-Madison's veterinary teaching hospital.

Position Overview

The Veterinary Technician (CVT) in the Small Animal Operating Room plays an essential role in supporting surgical services and delivering safe, high-quality patient care across a variety of surgical specialties.

Key responsibilities include surgical patient preparation, perioperative patient care, maintaining aseptic technique, and serving as the circulating nurse during surgical procedures. This position also involves working with advanced surgical equipment and instrumentation in a fast-paced academic teaching environment.

As a member of the SAOR team, you will collaborate closely with faculty clinicians, house officers, veterinary students, and hospital staff to support efficient surgical operations and positive patient outcomes.

Successful candidates will demonstrate strong attention to detail, adaptability, effective communication skills, and a commitment to teamwork and continuous learning.

This position is 90-100% FTE (36-40 hours per week).

The anticipated schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On-call hours are required based on hospital needs. The schedule is subject to change based on departmental needs.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Monitors animal health status and records, notifies veterinarian when status changes, and ensures care plans are completed and recorded in the medical record (10%)
• Prepares, completes, and documents basic technical animal care procedures, assessments, and medication administration according to established care plans and medical necessity (20%)
• Serves as a point of contact for animal owners and stakeholders providing information and answering questions (10%)
• Documents and disseminates results to the appropriate entities (10%)
• Completes routine laboratory tests and collects specimen according to established medical orders and care plans (10%)
• Assists with the execution of more complex animal care procedures and affiliated activities (10%)
• Maintains organization of and updates records related to medical procedures and billing (20%)
• Tracks supply inventory levels and places replenishment orders (10%)
• Department: School of Veterinary Medicine
• UW Veterinary Care (UWVC) Hospital
• Small Animal Operating Room

Compensation

The starting hourly rate for this position is $21..00 (but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications).

This position is being posted at Vet Tech levels 1, 2 and 3. Level and pay are commensurate with experience.

UW Veterinary Care offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package, along with additional perks and professional development opportunities.

Benefits Package

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance through the UW-Madison employee benefits program.
• Generous paid leave benefits, including vacation, sick time, and personal holidays.
• Participation in the renowned Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).
• Annual shoe allowance and hospital-provided uniform apparel.
• Financial support for Continuing Education (CE) and pursuit of Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS in ECC) certification.

Required Qualifications

This position is posted at Vet Tech levels 1, 2 and 3. Level is determined by qualifications based on type of prior veterinary tech experience:

• To qualify for Level 1: Entry level, new CVT grad with minimal experience
• To qualify for Level 2: Generally, over 2 years of veterinary tech experience, may substitute years of experience for specialization
• To qualify for Level 3: Veterinary Tech Specialist (VTS), or highly qualified and specialized in a specific area, may have prior experience from another university hospital

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience in veterinary surgical preparation, including knowledge of aseptic techniques and assisting during surgical procedures, preferred.
• Experience working in veterinary surgery or a specialty surgical practice.
• Knowledge of surgical instrumentation, operating room procedures, and workflows.
• Experience with surgical patient preparation, circulating nurse responsibilities, and perioperative patient care.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced surgical environment.

Physical Demands

• Ability to life a minimum of 50 pounds independently
• Physical and manual dexterity to perform specialized technical tasks

Education

• Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) Required
• High School Diploma Required
• Associates Degree Preferred

How to Apply

Begin the online application process by clicking the 'Apply' button. You will be asked to submit a current resume.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

The deadline for assuring full consideration is November 18, 2026; however, this position will remain open and applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

• The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

• Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
• The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.