Summary
The Veterinary Hospital Area Manager is accountable for driving sustainable growth, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance across a portfolio of veterinary hospitals. This role blends hands-on in-hospital leadership with data-driven management, ensuring adherence to company policies and operational standards while championing change initiatives, customer service, team development and strong cultural well-being. The Area Manager serves as the primary culture carrier for both Lakefield and the hospital, effectively balancing the legacy of the team with long-term growth opportunities to sustain a positive and balanced environment.
Reporting To: Regional Director of Operations
Direct Reports: Hospital Administrators / Practice Managers, potentially Client Service Leads
Travel: Regional travel between assigned hospitals. Occasional out-of-state travel to conferences or other leadership meetings may be required.
Schedule: Onsite in assigned hospitals a minimum of 4 days per week; availability for periodic evenings/weekends as needed during critical project initiatives or based on strategic needs. Occasional evenings/weekends for events, audits, or emergent needs.
Requirements: Must be currently residing in Oregon or willing to relocate. 3+ years of veterinary hospital or human healthcare experience.
Core Responsibilities:
Hospital Presence and Leadership
- Be present in assigned hospitals at least 4 days per week. Some visits require a structured agenda shared with the hospital leadership prior to the visit. Additional visits include listening to all levels of team members to gauge team culture and identify team members that may be at risk of leaving the company. Coaching hospital leadership and ensuring Lakefield's policies are upheld.
- Conduct regular hospital walk-throughs, team huddles, one-on-ones with practice leadership as well as all team members, and attend team meetings at least twice a year per hospital needs.
- Build strong relationships with medical leadership to align operations with clinical standards.
Growth and Operational Performance
- Serve as a growth advocate: build and execute local market plans to increase new client acquisition, client retention, and revenue per visit.
- Coordinate team participation in community events – once per quarter from the Lakefield Marketing event worksheet.
- Optimize appointment templates and throughput while protecting quality of care and client experience.
- Manage hours of operation to balance client demand, staff coverage, and profitability.
- Partner with recruiting team on recruiting strategies and staffing models to support growth and service delivery. Actively recruit doctors and team members for assigned hospitals.
- Participate in annual budgeting process for each hospital.
Compliance and Policy Adherence
Ensure consistent execution of company policies, operational standards, and regulatory compliance across assigned hospitals. Key responsibilities include:
- Oversee compliance with company policies, OSHA standards, medical record requirements, scheduling practices, client service standards, and hours of operation.
- Monitor local marketing initiatives, new client acquisition efforts, and recruiting event participation to support hospital growth.
- Identify training needs, coordinate onboarding and leadership development, and support Hospital Administrator performance management.
- Champion adoption and optimization of the ezyVet practice management system while promoting standardized workflows across hospitals.
- Analyze key business metrics—including financial performance, KPIs, labor, production, client experience, and operational reports—to identify trends, drive continuous improvement, and implement corrective action plans.
- Develop, standardize, and maintain operational processes and SOPs to ensure consistency and efficiency across the region.
Data, Systems, and Process Improvement
- Run weekly KPI reviews: appointments, conversion, charge capture, compliance audit scores, labor vs. revenue, inventory turns, and client experience.
- Review and update (if applicable) financial information including PowerBI reports, Profit and Loss Statements, para labor reports, DVM production reports, Visit Volume reports
- Use ezyVet reporting and dashboards to identify trends and implement corrective action plans.
- Standardization of processes across hospitals; document SOPs and ensure version control and training.
People Leadership and Culture
- Coach Hospital Administrators and frontline leaders on performance management and accountability.
- Foster a culture of safety, empathy, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate with Medical Directors to align operational goals with clinical quality initiatives.
- Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retention efforts; coordinate engagement at recruiting events.
- Assist Hospital Administrators in performance coaching and disciplinary action when appropriate.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Marketing, HR, IT, Finance, Legal, and the Medical Advisory Board to execute initiatives.
- Serve as the voice of the hospital teams to TPC; escalate risks and resource needs promptly.
- Plan and facilitate regional meetings, training, and readiness checks for new rollouts.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid administrative work on the fifth day for reporting, planning, and follow-ups.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of multi-site operations management preferred, preferably in veterinary, medical, or similar healthcare services.
- Demonstrated experience driving growth and enforcing compliance in a regulated environment.
- Strong knowledge of OSHA requirements and healthcare documentation standards; veterinary-specific experience strongly preferred.
- Experience with practice management systems; ezyVet experience is a plus.
- Proven capability in change management, training, and coaching.
- Data-driven operator with proficiency in Excel/Sheets and dashboard tools.
- Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proven experience managing financial performance, including P&L oversight, budgeting, forecasting, and achieving operational goals.
About Lakefield Veterinary Group
We believe exceptional veterinary care starts with exceptional people. We partner with hospitals across the country to preserve what makes each practice special - its people, culture, and connection to community - while providing the operational support, resources, and strategic leadership that allow teams to thrive. As we grow, we remain committed to creating an environment where team members feel respected, supported, and empowered to deliver outstanding care.
Our Values
Our culture is built on five core values that guide us in the way we work:
- Respect
- Learning
- Do the right thing
- Wow service
- Fun
We expect all team members to actively demonstrate these values in their daily work and interactions.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Lakefield Veterinary Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members and applicants. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
For more information or to apply, please contact Joe Rusk at [email protected] or apply here: Find Your Career - Lakefield Careers
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