Market Owner - Northern California

As a Market Owner at Veterinary Emergency Group, you are responsible for running multiple VEG hospitals in your assigned market. This includes overseeing the customer experience, managing hospital operations, ensuring clinical excellence, and driving financial performance. You will lead hospital leaders, empower your teams, and foster relationships with referring veterinarians while monitoring the overall operational efficiency and financial health of your hospitals.

To be considered for the Market Owner role at Veterinary Emergency Group, candidates should have at least 7 to 10 years of relevant experience, with a strong background in leading teams and managing multi-site operations. A clinical understanding is beneficial, and applicants can have varied educational backgrounds such as DVM or MBA. Strong analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skills are essential for success in this role.

Veterinary Emergency Group emphasizes a 'customer first' philosophy, ensuring that every interaction at their hospitals reflects this value. As a Market Owner, you will monitor customer feedback, analyze service delivery, and engage with customers directly to enhance their experiences. You will also champion staff training and development to maintain high standards of care and communication.

Market Owners at Veterinary Emergency Group enjoy a flexible work-life balance, with a mix of on-site presence and remote working. The role typically involves 75% being on-site at local hospitals and 25% working from home, enabling you to engage directly with your teams while also providing the flexibility needed for personal commitments.

At Veterinary Emergency Group, there are ample growth opportunities for Market Owners who successfully drive hospital performance and brand reputation. The company is committed to professional development, offering unlimited continuing education and pathways to leadership roles within the organization, ensuring you can advance your career while making a significant impact.

Veterinary Emergency Group prioritizes employee well-being, fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment. As a Market Owner, you will ensure that VEGgies feel valued through open communication, engagement surveys, and initiatives promoting health and happiness. VEG offers generous benefits, including health insurance, paid parental leave, and a culture that emphasizes work-life balance.

The Market Owner role at Veterinary Emergency Group directly aligns with the company's mission of 'helping people and their pets when they need it most.' By ensuring operational excellence, effective customer care, and strong community relationships, you play a crucial role in maintaining the high standards of care that customers expect from VEG.

In this role, I believe in adopting a participative leadership style, where I engage my teams in decision-making processes, allowing everyone to contribute their ideas. I prioritize open communication, promote collaboration, and empower hospital leaders, ensuring that we collectively focus on delivering exceptional care to clients and their pets.

In my previous role, I encountered a situation where a pet owner was unhappy with the wait time. I calmly listened to their concerns, empathized with their situation, and provided them with regular updates while they waited. I also offered a follow-up call after their visit to ensure their needs were met, which ultimately turned a negative experience into a positive one.

I promote clinical excellence by fostering a continuous training and development culture among veterinary staff. Regular assessments of medical practices and processes can lead to identifying areas for improvement. I will also collaborate closely with medical directors to ensure standards of care are consistently high and offer opportunities for further training.

Enhancing VEG's reputation requires a multi-faceted approach. I would engage with the community through events, partnerships, and education initiatives about pet care. Building strong relationships with referring veterinarians is also critical. I plan to facilitate open lines of communication with local vets to understand their needs and consistently demonstrate the excellent care VEG provides.

I believe both aspects are equally important. I would use data and reports to monitor operations effectively but also make regular visits to engage with customers and staff directly. Scheduling regular check-ins with teams and dedicating specific times for customer interactions ensures that I maintain a balance between operational oversight and client engagement.

Key financial metrics include revenue growth, P&L performance, and client retention rates. Additionally, analyzing KPIs related to operational efficiency—such as staffing costs and inventory management—helps me identify areas for cost-saving while ensuring high-quality service standards are maintained.

If a team member is underperforming, I would first have a one-on-one conversation to understand any potential barriers they may be facing. From there, we can establish clear expectations and a tailored support plan, including training and ongoing feedback, to elevate their performance back to the desired standard.

Promoting employee engagement involves cultivating an open-dialogue environment where team members feel heard and valued. I would implement regular surveys to gauge job satisfaction, encourage team-building activities, and recognize individual and team achievements to foster a positive workplace culture. The goal is to ensure all VEGgies feel part of our mission.

Training new leaders is crucial, and I’d create a comprehensive onboarding program alongside mentorship opportunities. Encouraging shadowing of current leaders, setting measurable goals, and providing constructive feedback will aid in their growth. Furthermore, promoting leadership workshops and continuous learning will ensure they are well-prepared for their roles.

My vision focuses on establishing VEG as the premier emergency care provider by identifying new hospital locations, enhancing our service offerings, and strengthening community relationships. I aim to use market analysis to inform strategic planning decisions, ensuring we meet community needs and expand our reach while maintaining excellence in care.