Lead Veterinarian – Stockton, California
Location: Stockton, California
Salary: $128,000–$205,000 per year plus production and quarterly bonus opportunities
Schedule: Full-time | Flexible scheduling | No on-call, late-night, or overnight shifts
Leadership: Clinical leadership, team development, hospital performance, and active veterinary medicine
Clinical Resources: Digital and dental radiography, in-house diagnostics, handheld ultrasound, radiograph interpretation technology, Doppler blood pressure monitoring, and advanced diagnostic imaging support
Benefits: 401(k) with company match, open and paid time off, $3,500 paid CE, medical, dental and vision insurance, paid parental leave, DEA reimbursement, leadership training, and no noncompete
About the Role
A modern small animal veterinary practice is seeking a Lead Veterinarian to lead its clinical team in Stockton, California.
Offering $128,000–$205,000 per year plus production and quarterly bonus opportunities, this position combines hands-on veterinary medicine with clinical leadership, team development, operational collaboration, and responsibility for maintaining high standards of patient care.
The Lead Veterinarian will have significant clinical autonomy while receiving support from experienced medical and operational leaders. They will help develop the veterinary team, strengthen clinical capabilities, enhance the client experience, and contribute to the overall performance of the hospital.
The position also offers an attractive work-life balance with flexible scheduling, open and paid time off, no on-call requirements, and no late-night or overnight shifts.
About the Practice
This is a full-service small animal veterinary practice in Stockton, California, providing preventive medicine, diagnostics, surgery, dentistry, and comprehensive medical care.
The hospital provides veterinarians with a strong range of modern clinical technology, including cloud-based practice management and medical records software, digital radiography, dental radiography, in-house diagnostic capabilities, handheld ultrasound, radiograph interpretation technology, Doppler blood pressure monitoring, and advanced diagnostic imaging support.
These resources support routine and more complex procedures including radiographs, ultrasound examinations, dental prophylaxis and extractions, spays and neuters, abdominal exploratory procedures, and mass removals.
Veterinarians work alongside trained veterinary technicians and assistants, while additional medical leadership support is available when required.
The practice promotes autonomous veterinary medicine without sales quotas, allowing clinical decisions to remain focused on appropriate patient care.
Responsibilities
The Lead Veterinarian will:
Provide high-quality small animal veterinary medicine.
Maintain responsibility for clinical standards and quality of care.
Perform comprehensive physical examinations.
Diagnose and manage acute and chronic medical conditions.
Deliver preventive and wellness medicine.
Develop appropriate diagnostic and treatment plans.
Utilize digital radiography and ultrasound where clinically appropriate.
Interpret diagnostic findings and use available clinical technology to support decision-making.
Perform routine and more complex surgical procedures.
Perform canine and feline spays and neuters.
Perform mass removals and appropriate soft tissue surgery.
Perform abdominal exploratory procedures where clinically indicated.
Provide comprehensive veterinary dentistry.
Perform dental prophylaxis and extractions.
Utilize dental radiography when assessing dental disease.
Build trusted relationships with clients through clear, compassionate communication.
Model empathy and professionalism throughout the hospital.
Lead and support the veterinary clinical team.
Promote continuous improvement in clinical skills and medical standards.
Mentor and develop veterinarians and clinical support colleagues.
Help create a supportive, respectful, and collaborative workplace.
Encourage knowledge sharing and continued clinical development.
Partner with operational and medical leadership.
Review hospital financial performance and P&L information.
Identify opportunities to improve hospital performance and efficiency.
Balance operational performance with high standards of veterinary care.
Support effective workflows and appropriate utilization of hospital resources.
Maintain accurate and comprehensive medical records.
Promote a positive patient and client experience.
Contribute to the recruitment, engagement, and retention of a strong clinical team.
Maintain high professional and ethical standards across the hospital.
Candidate Profile
Applicants should be qualified veterinarians capable of combining hands-on clinical medicine with medical leadership and team development.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or equivalent
Appropriate California veterinary licensure
Confidence practicing comprehensive small animal medicine
Strong diagnostic and clinical decision-making abilities
Confidence with routine surgery and dentistry
Ability to lead by example within a veterinary hospital
Strong coaching and mentoring capabilities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Compassionate and professional client communication
Ability to build collaborative relationships with veterinary technicians and assistants
Interest in developing the clinical capabilities of colleagues
Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
Ability to collaborate effectively with operational leadership
Commercial awareness and willingness to engage with hospital performance and P&L information
Commitment to maintaining high standards of patient care
A supportive and respectful approach to veterinary leadership
This opportunity would suit an experienced Associate Veterinarian ready to progress into medical leadership or an established Lead Veterinarian or Medical Director seeking a role combining clinical autonomy with structured leadership and business development resources.
Compensation & Benefits
The position offers a comprehensive package including:
$128,000–$205,000 annual salary
Production and quarterly bonus opportunities
Sign-on and relocation bonuses available for many roles
401(k) with company match
Open and paid time off with no negative accruals
Flexible scheduling
No on-call shifts
No late-night or overnight shifts
Medical, dental and vision insurance
Mental health insurance and wellbeing resources
Fertility and family-planning assistance
Paid parental leave
Pet bereavement leave
Continuing education allowance
DEA reimbursement
Veterinary subject matter training in dentistry, dermatology, and nutrition
Mentorship opportunities
Medical leadership and business training
Career advancement opportunities
No veterinarian noncompete
No wellness-plan sales quotas
Employee discounts and additional lifestyle perks
Potential access to stock-related incentives depending on eligibility
Apply Today
This is an excellent opportunity for a veterinarian seeking a Lead Veterinarian job in Stockton, California, combining a competitive $128,000–$205,000 salary, bonus potential, modern clinical resources, and meaningful responsibility for both veterinary medicine and hospital performance.
Experienced veterinarians looking for a Lead Veterinarian opportunity in San Joaquin County with flexible scheduling, no on-call responsibilities, strong benefits, clinical autonomy, and structured leadership development are encouraged to apply.
Contact:
Matt Doyle – Associate Talent Partner
T: (213) 258-1399
E: matt@supreme-ss.com