Position Overview
UC Davis is hiring a Livestock Medicine Service Technician to provide technical support for the Large Animal Livestock Medicine and Surgery Unit. Working independently in a hospital setting under veterinarian orders, the technician provides routine and critical care to livestock patients (cattle, sheep, goats, swine) and assists clinicians, residents, students, and other technicians.

Key Details

• Type: Full-time, Staff: Career, 100% on-site
• Salary: $32.89 – $49.77 hourly (Salary Grade 215)
• Location: Davis, CA
• Category: Veterinary Services
• Number of Positions: 3
• Appointment: 50% Variable
• Shift: Days, evenings, overnights, and weekends; hours to be arranged
• Union: TX – Technical Professionals
• Apply By: 11/12/2026 at 11:59 pm
• Recruitment Period: One month; applicants screened weekly; position may be filled before the apply-by date

Key Responsibilities

• 70% – Patient Care and Technical Support for Livestock Medicine and Surgery
• 20% – Infection and Sanitation Control
• 10% – Patient Care and Technical Support for Other Large Animal Services

Duties

• Provide routine and critical care to livestock patients
• Monitor, record, maintain, and recover anesthetized animals
• Collect samples and perform diagnostic testing; restrain patients; use livestock chutes and equipment
• Administer treatments; maintain accurate medical records; perform surgical nursing
• Provide outpatient receiving support and monitor anesthesia
• Provide on-call coverage for Livestock Medicine and other Large Animal Clinic services
• Maintain supplies and equipment; restock, clean, and disinfect work areas
• Milk cows; instruct students and new technicians
• Perform all duties without resulting in actual or potential exposure to infectious disease agents

Minimum Qualifications

• Must obtain Vet Assistant Controlled Substance Permit (VACSP) within 3 months of hire
• No minimum education required
• Experience handling, restraining, and working with livestock
• Experience monitoring vital signs, observing/recording patient behavior and bodily functions, fluid therapy, and catheter care
• Experience with medications and fluids commonly used in livestock
• Skills to identify abnormal physical signs and basic knowledge of livestock husbandry, anatomy, behavior, and physiology
• Skill to perform aseptic techniques for major and minor livestock surgical procedures
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Current CA Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) license
• Knowledge of anesthetic procedures including monitoring, maintenance, and recovery
• Skill to perform emergency care procedures and provide technical assistance in life-threatening situations
• Skill to instruct on basic technical diagnostic, nursing, livestock handling, and husbandry procedures

About the VMTH
The Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital supports the educational, clinical, and research missions of the School of Veterinary Medicine through 24-hour clinical operations. It serves as a teaching hospital for professional veterinary students, interns, residents, and graduate students while providing advanced veterinary care to the public and functioning as a regional referral center.

Benefits

• Vacation: earn 3 weeks per year
• 14 paid holidays annually
• Sick leave: up to 8 hours per month (no maximum)
• Competitive pay and shift differentials
• $650 Continuing Education annual allowance
• 40 hours paid CE annually (pro-rated)
• $100 monthly stipend for RVTs
• Wellness and on-site Employee Assistance Program
• Scrubs provided and laundered at no cost
• High-quality, low-cost medical plans
• UC pays Dental and Vision insurance premiums for employee and family
• Extensive leave benefits including Pregnancy/Parental Leave and Family & Medical Leave
• Access to free professional development courses
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualified employer and Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program
• Retirement options including Pension and other savings plans

Physical, Environmental, and Mental Demands

• Continuous standing and walking (6–8+ hours); frequent bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, and twisting
• Occasional lifting/carrying up to 50+ lbs
• Frequent exposure to chemicals, dust, gases, fumes, and marked changes in humidity or temperature
• Continuous sustained attention, complex problem solving, organizing/prioritizing, communication, and constant interaction with patients and clients
• Work with sick animals, hazardous materials, cleaning chemicals, gaseous anesthetics, infectious and zoonotic diseases, and distraught clients
• May hold animals for radiology, MRI, and nuclear scintigraphy
• No eating or drinking in surgery, treatment, or procedure rooms and some other hospital areas

Work Environment
UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus. This position works under Medical Surveillance procedures. Hours include primary and on-call shifts (days, swing, grave, weekdays, weekends, holidays, academic vacations). If scheduled on call, must be able to report to work within 45 minutes. May require wearing protective clothing for extended periods.

Special Requirements

• Critical position contingent on clearing criminal background check(s), possibly including drug screening, medical evaluation clearance, and functional capacity assessment
• Direct access to or responsibility for controlled substances, high-risk hazardous chemicals, biological or radioactive/nuclear materials
• Misconduct Disclosure Requirement applies to the final candidate

How to Apply
Visit the UC Davis careers site to apply. The recruitment period is one month, with applicants screened weekly.

Equal Opportunity
UC Davis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.