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Chewy
Arvada, Colorado

Lead Veterinarian

VeterinarianIncludes callFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Our Opportunity

Chewy Vet Care’s mission is to be the most trusted and convenient destination for pet parents and partners everywhere. We view pets (and pet parents) as family and are obsessed with meeting their needs and exceeding customer expectations through every interaction.

Within Chewy, the Chewy Health team is passionate about redefining how vets and pet parents care for their pets and are on a multi-year journey to reinvent the experience of working with your veterinarian to keep your pets happy and healthy.

As part of this mission, Chewy Vet Care is hiring a Lead Veterinarian to help us scale a connected, detailed omnichannel customer experience for clients of our Chewy Vet Care practices.

This leader will be responsible for all aspects of physical security across the organization, managing systems such as CCTV, intrusion alarms, and safes to ensure efficient performance and reliability.

They will lead vendor commissioning during new facility buildouts, conduct investigations into security incidents, and develop standard operating procedures aligned with industry standards.

Additionally, they will train staff on security protocols, audit site readiness, and lead vendor relationships to support continuous improvement and preventive maintenance.

What You'll Do

As a Lead Veterinarian, you will serve as a leader of your practice’s veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and assistants, setting the bar for providing high-level, proficient veterinary medical care and embodying the Chewy Vet Care culture to work collaboratively with your peers and deliver the pet parent WOW experience.

Hold all Team Members accountable to get results by being available, removing barriers and obstacles, facilitating change, and providing mentorship and feedback related to performance.

Implementing the outlined policies and procedures, using integrated technology, and delivering consistent and appropriate medical care within the given skills.

Perform physical examinations and diagnostic/medical/surgical/dental procedures in a way that will deliver while minimizing patient stress and discomfort. Able to perform more sophisticated surgeries and mastered the ability to provide care of complicated cases.

Explain physical examination findings and communicate to the client a diagnosis of the patients’ problems; generate and present a treatment plan for patients.

Maintain client/patient medical/surgical records and make certain all logs are kept up to date through established protocols; assist colleagues in follow-up and future management of patients.

Staying current with new medical information and changes in veterinary medicine, attend continuing education meetings

Lead, Manage, Develop, and Mentor Associate Veterinarians regarding the improvement of individual performance with respect to client happiness, teamwork, medical quality, record keeping, and efficiency.

Assist in the development of the paraprofessional team to ensure the delivery of the highest quality care and outstanding client service.

Oversee operating, safety, and compliance procedures as required by applicable law and Chewy Vet Care processes and policies.

May serve as the designated veterinarian responsible for controlled substance accountability, regulatory compliance, and related accounts within the practice. Responsible for maintaining accurate controlled substance records and overseeing the compliant ordering, storage, inventory management, reconciliation, and disposal of controlled substances in accordance with all applicable policies and regulations.

Position may require some travel.

What You’ll Need

  • A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM, VMD) or equivalent is required
  • Active State license in good standing, DEA license and other state credentials as required
  • 5+ years’ experience in general medicine and surgery; 1 - 3 years of leadership experience.
  • 2 years of supervised experience with veterinary radiation machines preferred
  • Comfortable collaborating with other veterinary professionals in a team-oriented environment
  • Is passionate about helping people and pets with empathy and excellent customer service focus.
  • Ability to multi-task and perform well in a face paced, self-starter environment.

Physical Job Requirements

  • Standing or walking up to 80% per shift.
  • Frequently lift up to 50 to 70 pounds using an optional team lift.
  • Occasionally lift greater than 70+ pounds using a team lift.
  • Stand, push, pull, carry, squat, and kneel.

The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, education, and work location. In addition, this position is eligible for 401k and a new hire and annual equity grant.

We offer different types of insurance and benefits, such as medical/Rx, vision, dental, life, disability, hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident. We offer parental leave, family services benefits, backup dependent care, flexible spending accounts, telemedicine, pet adoption reimbursement, employee assistance program, and many discounts including 10% off pet insurance and 20% off at Chewy.com.

Exempt salary team members will be eligible for an annual PTO. Team members will receive six paid holidays per year. Team members may be eligible for paid sick and family leave in compliance with applicable state and local regulations.

Chewy Vet Care is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, citizenship, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, as well as any other legally-protected characteristic.

If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, and you need an accommodation during the application process or to perform these job requirements, or if you need a religious accommodation, please contact CAAR@chewy.com.

To access Chewy's California CPRA Job Applicant Privacy Policy, please click here.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and mentor a team of veterinarians and technicians while providing high-level medical, surgical, and dental care to pets. Oversee practice operations, including regulatory compliance, controlled substance accountability, and the delivery of a high-quality customer experience.

Requirements

Requires a DVM or VMD degree, an active state license, and a DEA license. Candidates must have over 5 years of experience in general medicine and surgery, along with 1-3 years of leadership experience.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

General SurgeryMedical Record KeepingPatient CareDiagnostic ProceduresStaff MentorshipControlled Substance ManagementTeam ManagementClinical OversightRadiation Safety

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Colorado is 103.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.9% of Colorado clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 76% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in Colorado?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedVeterinary Medicine median $128k (middle half $115k–$163k)10 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingColorado index 103.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in Colorado64 active3,443 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 76% no call · 76% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 40% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 10% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Veterinary Medicine listings1,282 in the last 30 days483 the 30 days before (+165%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Veterinary Medicine pay trend+1.8% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

12 jobs · 7 employers
3
<$115k
2
$115k-140k
5
$140k-165k
1
$185k
1
$200k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

12 jobs · 7 employers
Sign-on bonus
83%
401k / retirement match
75% this job
CME allowance
67%
Relocation assistance
42%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Veterinarian - Madera, CA

Vet Cor · Madera, California

$150k-$200k
#2

Veterinarian - Gloversville, NY

Vet Cor · Gloversville, New York

$130k-$185k
#3

Veterinarian - Grass Valley, CA

$130k-$160k
#4

Veterinarian- Orange County CA

$120k-$150k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.7this job 1.5
Below most Veterinary Medicine listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,392 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
Chewy logo

About Chewy

Retail
Plantation, Florida
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

401k
Equity grants
Medical/Rx, vision, dental, life, disability insurance
Parental leave
Family services benefits
Backup dependent care
Flexible spending accounts
Telemedicine

Living in Arvada

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$561k
Typical market rent
$2,088/mo
Residents’ average commute
26 min
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.