Lead Veterinary Mortician

Veterinary Mortician – Team Lead

Ocean State Veterinary Specialists is seeking a compassionate, highly organized, and detail-oriented full-time Veterinary Mortician Team Lead to oversee and support our morgue and its dedicated team members.  This leadership role is ideal for someone with mortician experience and a strong background in customer service, scheduling, and team management, who is comfortable working closely with grieving clients, deceased patients, and supporting staff in emotionally sensitive situations. Key responsibilities include providing day to day oversight of the morgue and veterinary morticians, creating and managing department staff schedules, retrieving/processing deceased patients with professionalism and empathy, training of morticians and support staff members, updating/maintaining standard operating procedures, evaluating department efficiency, and working closely with our afterlife care service team. 

Schedule requirements include one weekend shift per week and rotating holidays. This full-time position includes a generous benefits package.

Lead Functions and Responsibilities:

• Promote strong leadership, teamwork, and open communication within the department
• Ensure departmental compliance among veterinary morticians, support staff, and doctors
• Develop, update, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Morgue
• Maintain overall department organization, including documentation, folders, and paperwork
• Manage inventory and order necessary supplies in a timely manner
• Delegate tasks within the department and monitor completion to ensure staff accountability
• Create and maintain schedules for veterinary morticians based on departmental needs
• Provide structured, informative training for new veterinary morticians
• Coordinate and deliver basic cross-training for support staff (e.g., technician assistants) to serve as departmental backup when needed
• Provide compassionate assistance and support to grieving clients following euthanasia
• Regularly evaluate departmental efficiency and communicate with management to discuss and implement improvements

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Oversee that all patients have proper identification tags and are logged appropriately for aftercare pickup
• Assist in coordinating pickups with Final Gift cremation service
• Process each pet in accordance with OSVS standard operating procedures
• Process/oversee pets that are being picked up by owners for home burial
• Set up exam room and prepare remains for owner viewings
• Confirm pawprints/fur clippings/special requests were made for all pets before departing from the hospital
• Assist in educating other staff members on OSVS Morgue policies and processes
• Maintain a clean work area including equipment and supplies (coffins, pawprint paper, ink, puppy pads, clippers, keep flowers preserved with fresh water, etc.)
• Keep owner/patient personal belongings organized to go home
• Work closely with afterlife care company to carry out owner's final wishes

Qualifications:

• Prior supervisory or managerial experience required
• Strong attention to detail and high organizational skills
• Reliable, accountable, and self-motivated
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Exceptional customer service skills, especially in emotionally sensitive situations
• Experience working with deceased patients (veterinary or human) preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to the ethical and respectful treatment of deceased pets
• Compassionate, empathetic, and understanding toward grieving pet owners
• Ability to create high-quality ink and clay paw prints
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills