Veterinary Technician - Lead

Veterinary Technician- Lead

Full-time: Monday-Friday 8am-5:30pm

Las Cruces, NM

Animal Hospital of Las Cruces is looking for a Lead Veterinary Technician to join our team as part of the Thrive Pet Healthcare community.

At the Animal Hospital of Las Cruces, a Thrive Pet Healthcare partner, you will have the support, tools, and resources to elevate your skills. As a hospital deeply rooted in the local community, you will experience the best of both worlds: a genuine local feel with the benefits of Thrive's national resources.

About You

As a Lead Tech, you'll assist the Practice Manager (PM) with improving hospital flow, staff communication, onboarding, and culture. Leads serve as operational and morale liaisons, helping ensure team consistency, checklists follow-through, and peer support without acting in a disciplinary or decision-making capacity. As a lead, you'll assist in any support role such as surgery tech, rooming tech, treatment tech, or CSR and may step in when staff are absent. Our Lead also plays a key part in boosting team morale through appreciation efforts and peer encouragement. All final decisions remain with the PM.

Experience & Skills Requirements:

• Veterinary technician licensure preferred.
• Prior supervisor/manager experience required.
• 2 or more years of Vet Tech experience required.
• Fully proficient in surgery, rooming, treatment, and CSR functions
• Trusted communicator who leads by example with calm, professionalism, and integrity
• Willing to collaborate across teams without expectation of authority
• Maintains positive standing with peers through kindness, support, and non-judgmental reinforcement.

Role responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Support daily urgency and efficiency across departments
• Ensure checklists (e.g., closing, cleaning, SmartFlow/NOVA tasks) are completed in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide coverage in other areas as needed.
• Assist with inventory restocking, supply ordering, and controlled drug log auditing.
• Support onboarding and training in collaboration with the PM and training support staff.
• Help maintain or develop a training tracker and skills checklist
• Attend and support morning rounds
• Monitor and relay important communications to all staff
• Ensure communications are acknowledged per closing checklist
• Never interpret or enforce messages, refer all questions to the PM
• Help develop and execute staff appreciation efforts
• Share creative ideas for boosting team morale and helping the team feel seen and valued
• Participate in planning low-cost, high impact moments of recognition
• Support veterinarians to ensure quality veterinary care, advocate for pets, and educate clients.
• With each hospital function, assist veterinarians and the medical team to maximize productivity and maintain positive patient flow.
• Assist with surgeries and procedures in accordance with your state's Veterinary Practice Act outlined for credentialed veterinary technicians.
• Communicate with clients about individualized pet health concerns and offer guidance on Thrive Membership options, medications, and additional treatments.
• Assist in maintaining relevant, comprehensive medical records with the support of practice systems.
• Obtain relevant health history and information from clients and maintain medical charts.
• Use safe restraining techniques, follow standard protocols, and sustain clean, sterile, organized treatment areas, exam rooms, and labs.
• Lead the training and development of Veterinary Assistants and Technicians, including core tech skills, surgical support, treatments, exam room procedures, CPR, emergency response, and CSR responsibilities
• Create an implement structured training plans, monitor progress, and provide regular updates to the PM
• Be willing to guide, mentor, and support fellow team members.

About the Hospital

We've been serving the community for over 30 years through collaboration within our team and by partnering with our clients. We pride ourselves on teamwork, mentorship, and our strong focus on a culture of development. We have cohesive team that loves to have fun at work and during our numerous team-building events.

We are open Monday-Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday 8am-4pm

Serving [Geographic Area]

Benefits - our care in action

Thrive offers a suite of benefits to support team members' emotional, physical, professional, and financial wellbeing. In addition to our health and life insurance, and short- and long- term disability plans, we offer eligible team members:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) with employer match
• Mental health resources, including 24/7 access to Lyra Health
• Paid parental leave
• Purr-ental leave for when you adopt a pet
• Employer-sponsored childcare and elder care
• Personalized care for every family-forming journey
• Discretionary funds and FREE CE courses
• Pet perks and veterinary service discounts
• Student loan management tools and assistance

Provide your best care with more bridges and less barriers.

We listen to your needs and then meet them. Through training and free CE experiences, your career development can flourish. And in our locally rooted, nationally connected community, you'll be able to make connections, access opportunities and find support with ease.

Support for you is as vital as the support you provide.

You'll Thrive With Us

At Thrive, you have the opportunity to develop your career in a way that best suits your goals. Take advantage of our comprehensive learning and skill-building programs to enhance your expertise. You can build your skills and earn credentials through:

• Our vast, diverse, and free library of continuing education courses- ThriveU
• Live, virtual interactive workshops to develop valuable leadership skills
• A program to designed to teach you the fundamentals of running a pet hospital
• Scholarship opportunities and tuition reimbursement
• Move into any specialty, hospital type, or environment - across the nation.
• Leadership training for a thriving and long career in the veterinary profession.

Compensation negotiable based on credentials and experience with a hourly pay rate starting at $22 - $29/ hour. The actual rate offered will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

About Thrive

Vet-founded and Austin-born, Thrive Pet Healthcare has expanded to over 380 partner hospitals nationwide, united by a mission to shape the future of pet well-being through medical excellence, innovative technology, and a connected community of teams and partners.

We bridge general practice, urgent care, specialty, and emergency care, and our locally rooted, nationally connected hospitals benefit from Thrive's extensive resources while maintaining their unique identities.

We believe that supporting our people is the key to helping pets thrive through every stage of life.

Join us where #WeThriveTogether. We provide customizable professional development opportunities, a supportive work environment that values work-life rhythms, and 24/7 mental health support.

At Thrive Pet Healthcare, we are committed to creating a culture where everyone from any background can be heard, respected, and valued. We pledge to build an inclusive environment nurtured by respectful curiosity to support, encourage, and celebrate the diverse voices of our teams and the communities we serve.