Director of Operations (California)

Western Veterinary Partners is seeking a Director of Operations (DO) to lead a portfolio of veterinary hospitals. The ideal candidate for this role is someone who has successfully managed multiple locations (ideally 10+) in a healthcare, veterinary or multi-site setting. Our ideal candidate is a strong general manager with a goal-oriented attitude, a passion for training and team development, and the business, financial, and strategic acumen to help scale a rapidly growing business and team.

Market Area to include the following geographies:  Northern California and Southern Oregon, including Sacramento, San Jose, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Chico, Redding, Medford, Eugene, Salem, and Klamath Falls. 

Preferred Home Base:  Sacramento (strongly preferred) or San Jose, or Central Oregon.

In partnership with the Vice President of Operations and Senior Director of Operations, the chosen candidate will focus on supporting veterinary practices in achieving operational excellence, building culture, recruiting and retaining veterinarians, technicians, and support staff. The Director of Operations will spend extensive time in the field with hospital leadership and staff and be responsible for supporting the overall operations of 8 - 12 general practice veterinary hospitals.

About us:

Western Veterinary Partners (WVP) is a mission-driven company based in Denver, CO. We are driven by our values of integrity, alignment, support, collaboration, growth and relationships. WVP is a private equity backed company that acquires, invests in, and supports animal hospitals throughout the United States. WVP is a highly acquisitive company focused on continued growth and expansion into new markets and states. Post-acquisition, WVP supports its partner practices with the non-clinical side of the business. Our local and collaborative support provides veterinarians with attractive operational benefits of a larger group while maintaining the clinical autonomy and local practice identity.

Job Responsibilities:

Leadership and Culture

Develop strong relationship with DVMs to assist with recruiting, training, and retention to drive overall business growth

Achieve results through influence and partnership versus through authority or directives

Maintain regular communication with doctors and office staff to review practice trends and performance objectives

Champion WVP’s culture and develop teams and leaders through coaching, mentorship, and programs that deliver on the strategic mission

Provide oversight and support to practice level managers and administrative staff, as well as regional managers

Instill a sense of accountability and service excellence with our teams at all levels

Identify opportunities to improve and maintain site-level employee engagement

Facilitate connections and community among individuals and hospitals within markets and the region

Develop collaborative and productive relationships across the organization

Contribute to growth and innovation across WVP by supporting other geographies and organization-wide initiatives

Financial and Business Objectives

Understand business drivers and create opportunities to optimize them, with a strong focus on volume growth, service mix and offerings, pricing, and margin improvement

Set, manage and exceed WVP’s financial objectives in partnership with sites, regional leaders, and the executive team, with an eye toward future growth opportunities for the company

Provide overall P&L management for the business, along with a vision for near and long-term value creation

Partner with hospital leaders, field operators and functional support to diagnose issues, identify opportunities, and develop corresponding action plans

Employ structured and repeatable management processes with hospital leadership teams to drive operational effectiveness and growth

Prioritize areas of focus based on impact and urgency; help team do the same

Growth and Strategy

Assist in the timely and accurate onboarding and integration of recently affiliated veterinary practices while minimizing disruption to the existing business

Partner with WVP departments (marketing, recruiting, HR, business development, and finance and accounting) to create and implement plans that support business growth, including scheduling optimization, client growth and retention, identification of new services, recruitment of new DVMs, and expansion of existing sites and their capacity

Partner with hospitals to manage DVM capacity, identify and schedule relief, and plan for succession

Nurture and elevate innovation and growth ideas to build tangible, scalable programs

Develop capital budgets for new site development, expansions, and capital equipment purchases, and build and monitor ROI analyses to support business decisions and growth

Forecast future business needs and develop comprehensive strategic plans at the hospital, market, and region levels

Required Criteria:

Must reside in Northern CA or Oregon and be open to travel across the state – 70% of the time

5+ years of multi-site operational and/or management experience in fast-growth healthcare services businesses, including previous experience managing a business of similar size and complexity. Previous veterinary experience a plus

Ability to analyze and assess complex and ambiguous data to make recommendations for strategic and operational improvements, leveraging tools such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Tableau

P&L responsibility and experience with budget management, personnel management, and team building

Strong active listening and written and verbal communication skills; Executive presence

Ability to implement processes in collaboration with the VP of Operations to ensure company objectives are met

Highly organized and detail-oriented work ethic

Ability to work collaboratively with all team members, both at the practice level and at the corporate level

Self-directed and able to work independently

Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree (MBA) highly preferred

Willingness to spend time in the field visiting and supporting affiliated veterinary practices (approximately 70% of time). Occasional travel to Denver and other company activities

The application window will be open for the next two weeks ending 7/31/2026. This opportunity will remain online based on business needs which may be before or after the two--week window.

*This role is not open to receiving agency candidates and any contingent submissions will not be honored.

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This is a good-faith estimate based on the role's requirements at the time of posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This position is also eligible for bonus and incentive compensation, the terms of which will be provided at the time of offer. The Company offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include medical, dental, and vision benefits, vacation, sick leave, 401(k), and other benefits depending on role and location. A complete description of benefits available for this position will be provided during the hiring process. Where required under applicable law, Company provides eligible employees with paid sick leave, health emergency leave, and other legally mandated benefits programs, all in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local law depending on the location of the practice you support.

California Pay Range $140,000 — $160,000 USD

Western Veterinary Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Western Veterinary Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in the job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact [email removed]. Hiring decisions will be based on merit, qualifications and the legitimate needs of the business.

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