Chief Operating Officer, Veterinary Medical Centre

**Chief Operating Officer, Veterinary Medical Centre**:
The Veterinary Medical Centre at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine is a state-of-the-art facility serving western Canada as an AVMA and AAHA accredited **clinic** and referral centre.

The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. The University of Saskatchewan is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city with a diverse and thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities. The University has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to a student population of over 24,000.

**Primary Purpose**:The primary goal of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) is to provide leadership in fulfilling the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of the Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC), ensuring state of the art clinical care, clinical research, and clinical education and experience for professional veterinary medical students, interns, and residents.

As a member of the senior leadership team, the COO provides direction and expertise to promote and enhance fiscal and administrative leadership through long-term strategy and planning, monitoring, management, and reporting, including management and development of policies, systems, and processes. This position has primary responsibility for leadership on all VMC matters related to finance, clinical care, workplace health and safety, workflow, scheduling, and internal communications.

**Nature of Work**:Reporting jointly to the Associate Dean Clinical Programs (ADCP), and Chief Operations and Finance Officer of the College, the COO plays a key leadership role in the College through the senior administration of the Veterinary Medical Centre and as an active member of the WCVM Executive Team.

The COO functions in a fast-paced clinical environment, requiring timely and innovative responses to shifts in medical practices and client services. The VMC must balance the quality and extent of services, the academic mission and cost/revenue considerations.

The work is unstructured and may be stressful given the high volume of work, complex problems, tight deadlines and need for accuracy. This position requires discretion, a high level of integrity and independent judgment. The position must deal with emerging and unpredictable events in a sensitive and timely manner. The position requires a commitment to accountability, transparency, governance, and continuous improvement. The nature of the work requires the ability to assess and address the needs of multiple stakeholders, both internal and external, in order to achieve positive outcomes.

**Accountabilities**

**People and Environment** - _The COO provides strategic and tactical guidance for the development and execution of the VMC people plan_
- Ensures staff complements are effectively planned, implemented, and managed
- Recruitment and retention of highly motivated and committed professional and support staff, including providing coaching, development and mentoring as needed
- Ensures employees are held accountable for high standards of performance and outcomes
- Models a high standard of performance and professionalism
- Supports staff in delivery of high-quality teaching, and clinical research
- Ensures and reinforces positive, diverse, and inclusive work and learning environments, promoting a culture of collaboration, professionalism, dignity, and respect consistent with college core values
- Supporting and advocating client centered care and patient safety as a quality measure

**Strategic Planning** - _The COO provides leadership and vision in support of the overall success of the clinic, with particular emphasis on developing and ensuring strategic goals are met_
- In collaboration with the ADCP and other members of the WCVM Senior Leadership and VMC Leadership in the development of long and short-term priorities for the VMC, providing strategic analysis for planning processes projects that impact the VMC
- Creates and implements long and short-term strategies to address the operational needs and responsibilities for the VMC, ensuring alignment with WCVM and University priorities
- Develops quality and strategic relationships with veterinary professionals outside of the VMC to ensure a steady stream of referral cases essential to the teaching and research of the College
- Ensures VMC plans, interests and outcomes are aligned with the College and University Plan through effective advocacy and promotion
- Represents the VMC to internal and external stakeholders and provides leadership to College and University initiatives
- In consultation with the ADCP, ensuring that clinical quality of care standards are incorporated into all strategic planning and hospital operations

**Financial and Resource Management** - _The COO oversees the development and man