AAHA - Practice Consultant [ Washington or Oregon location]

The Practice Consultant plays a vital role in AAHA’s efforts to support veterinary practices on their journey toward excellence. This position involves conducting in-person and virtual accreditation evaluations, offering consultative guidance and support to both AAHA-accredited and prospective veterinary hospitals. By fostering a collaborative and relationship-centered approach, the Practice Consultant helps practices implement strategies to meet and exceed AAHA Standards of Accreditation while simplifying their journey towards excellence.

As an ambassador of AAHA, the Practice Consultant builds strong connections with veterinary professionals, association team members, and practices across North America and globally. Strong interpersonal and critical thinking skills are essential to tailor solutions, overcome challenges, and maximize impact. This role requires adaptability, empathy, and a commitment to inclusive communication while operating in a dynamic, hybrid travel and remote work environment. Travel is expected to be around 75% of the time, except when travel restrictions apply. Travel may have intermittent, unexpected, and heavy requirements at times.

AAHA’S CORE VALUES

SIMPLICITY | We work smarter, not harder | We strive to simplify the journey towards excellence for veterinary practices through curiosity, creativity, and removal of the unnecessary.

COLLABORATION | We before me | Our commitment to each other’s success through active collaboration and teams with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise create better solutions rooted in empathy.

INTEGRITY | Say what you’ll do, do what you say | We strive to be clear communicators and fulfill our promises to one another, intentionally building our foundation of trust and accountability.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES - Duties include but are not limited to:

Evaluation and Implementation Support

• Conduct consultative in-person and virtual accreditation evaluations to provide strategies for meeting and maintaining AAHA Standards of Accreditation.
• Guide practices through the accreditation preparation process, ensuring they stay on track by answering questions, sharing resources, and providing tailored support.
• Administer and track progress in the self-evaluation tool, maintaining consistent and timely communication with practices.
• Offer actionable feedback and resources to assist practices in achieving accreditation, emphasizing ongoing growth and continuous improvement.

Relationship Building and Member Engagement

• Build trusting and inclusive relationships with AAHA-accredited members, prospective members, and association team members to support a unified commitment to excellence.
• Proactively assist in the recruitment and retention of accredited members through one-on-one relationship-building efforts.
• Promote the benefits of AAHA accreditation to prospective members and encourage their participation.
• Serve as an ambassador for AAHA and its mission by attending national, regional, and local meetings to connect with members and industry stakeholders.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

• Leverage critical thinking skills to address challenges in evaluation planning, implementation strategies, and member interactions.
• Apply these skills to manage complex travel logistics, coordinate resources, and handle unexpected situations effectively.
• Contribute to the development and support of the AAHA Standards of Accreditation by participating in implementation strategy creation and development.
• Contribute to the development of departmental protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and enhancements to AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation through collaborative efforts.

Operational Excellence and Team Collaboration

• Document all communication and interactions with members accurately, maintaining member data integrity in the association’s database.
• Generate detailed reports, document evaluation outcomes, and prepare summary letters using AAHA’s technology platforms.
• Maintain a healthy territory that contributes to evaluation and recruitment operational goals.
• Operate in a consultative manner, offering implementation support and strategies with veterinary practices and professionals.
• Collaborate with other departments to meet member needs and contribute to a culture of member success across the association.
• Participate in the creation and review of department SOPs, protocols, and processes to drive efficiency and effectiveness.

Duties include but are not limited to:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty to a satisfactory standard. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required

• License/Certification: CVT, LVT, RVT, or CVPM.
• Education: Associate or bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years in the veterinary industry as a credentialed individual; experience with AAHA-accredited practices highly preferred. Experience in management highly desired.

Knowledge, Skills and Reasoning Ability:

• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with an inclusive approach to diverse audiences.
• Strong influencing, negotiating, and consultative selling skills.
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration, build trust, and adapt to varying communication styles.
• High critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude for navigating complex and autonomous environments.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in MS Office and the ability to learn and adapt to new technology.
• Friendly, outgoing personality, with a professional demeanor and well-groomed appearance.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

1. Maintain Territory Health

• Manage evaluation schedules, territory reports, and strategic plans to ensure territory success.
• Mitigate backlog by meeting evaluation performance expectations.
• Monitor recruitment efforts and track growth opportunities to increase market penetration.

2. Recruitment, Growth, and Awareness

• Establish monthly goals for recruitment and industry awareness activities.
• Contribute to territorial expansion through recruitment strategies and collaboration with Membership Development.

3. Communication Quality

• Maintain a high standard of professionalism, frequency, and quality in all interactions with members and team members.

4. Professional Development and Critical Thinking

• Engage in ongoing learning opportunities and demonstrate the application of critical thinking skills in all work scenarios.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. Will be required to travel by car and airplane. Must be able to travel with short notice. Must be able to travel long distances (parking lots to airline terminals, for example), carrying luggage and business items such as laptop, camera, briefcase, files. Must be able to perform in-person and virtual business, sales and relationship management work, requires moving throughout veterinary practices and sometimes involving multiple floors (stairs) and long hours (12-14+ hours inclusive of travel). May involve contact with the public in office or veterinary clinic/hospital environments with exposure to domestic animals. This position involves frequent travel (approximately 75%), which may include weekends or holidays. Travel by automobile is expected within a 6-hour radius. Travel is inclusive of any customer programs and conferences.

Why Join AAHA? At AAHA, we simplify the journey toward excellence for veterinary practices by fostering collaboration, integrity, and innovation. As an Accreditation Specialist, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the success of veterinary teams across North America.

Apply Today! Help veterinary teams thrive and make a lasting impact in the industry. We are committed to building an inclusive environment and providing reasonable accommodation to support all team members.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $60,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Do you have any experience working with an AAHA accredited practice?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• veterinary industry : 5 years (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• CVT, LVT, RVT, or CVPM certification (Preferred)

Work Location: On the road