Nutrition Veterinary Director

General Purpose 

The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph is seeking an exceptional veterinarian to serve as the inaugural Champion Petfoods Veterinary Director, OVC Companion Animal Clinical Nutrition Program. This newly created full-time, contract-limited Grant & Trust position is made possible through the generous financial support of Champion Petfoods and will advance veterinary education, clinical service, experiential learning, postgraduate training, research, stakeholder engagement, and long-term program sustainability.

Reporting to the Chair, Department of Clinical Studies, and working closely with the Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition, the Veterinary Director will help align the program with OVC’s strategic priorities, academic and clinical programming, and the long-term objectives of the College, Department, and Health Sciences Centre.

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of companion animal clinical nutrition while contributing to the training of student veterinarians, veterinary technicians, graduate students, interns, residents, and clinical specialists.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Provide management and operational leadership for the Companion Animal Clinical Nutrition Program, including oversight of program activities, budgets, resources, priorities, and performance benchmarks. 

• Develop, implement, and evaluate clinical nutrition services, experiential learning opportunities, courses, and initiatives in collaboration with the Royal Canin Chair, Department Chair, Associate Deans, and other OVC leaders. 

• Work with OVC hospitals and clinical teams to establish standard operating procedures, workflows, and service models that enable high-quality clinical nutrition services for clinicians, clients, patients, and learners. 

• Support the integration of clinical nutrition activities with OVC’s curriculum, experiential learning, postgraduate training, academic programming, and research initiatives. 

• Facilitate learning activities for DVM students, postgraduate trainees, interns, residents, veterinary technicians, graduate students, staff, and other learners, while promoting a safe, healthy, and effective learning environment. 

• Develop business plans, proposals, presentations, communications strategies, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement plans that support program growth and sustainability. 

• Work with our Advancement team and the Royal Canin Chair to steward relationships with donors, private sector partners, alumni, community partners, professional organizations, and other stakeholders in collaboration with Alumni Affairs and Development and OVC leadership.  

• Monitor program outcomes, client feedback, student and trainee experience, resource needs, operational risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement; bring forward recommendations as required. 

• Support postgraduate specialized training by helping secure resources and authorizations, setting milestones and training targets, monitoring workplace standards, and ensuring trainees acquire required learning outcomes and professional competencies. 

Requirements 

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or equivalent veterinary qualification. 

• Eligibility for veterinary registration with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario. 

• Specialized training or equivalent professional experience in companion animal veterinary nutrition. 

• Minimum of five years of preceding experience in companion animal nutrition. 

• Demonstrated ability to provide management, administration, staff supervision, operational leadership, and to contribute to strategic planning in a complex clinical, academic, or healthcare environment. 

• Strong skills in program development, business planning, budget oversight, resource management, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills. 

• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, clinicians, staff, students, trainees, senior leaders, donors, industry partners, community partners, and professional organizations. 

• Demonstrated commitment to high-quality clinical and client service, educational outcomes, client satisfaction, learner experience, and program accountability. 

Assets:

• Board certification in veterinary or comparative nutrition (e.g., ECVCN, DACVIM(Nutrition), etc.), completion of an approved residency program in veterinary nutrition, or advanced expertise in companion animal clinical nutrition. 

• Experience in veterinary teaching hospitals, academic institutions, veterinary healthcare settings, or comparable clinical service environments. 

• Experience developing, piloting, implementing, or evaluating new clinical services, or business initiatives. 

• Knowledge of teaching methodologies, curriculum development, assessment practices, and experiential learning approaches. 

• Experience working with corporate sponsors, private sector partners, or community stakeholders. 

• Knowledge of postgraduate veterinary training programs, or specialty training requirements.