Position: Chief Veterinarian Officer (Full-time)
About St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation
The St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation (SKBRF) is a research organization devoted to advancing the development of therapies for human diseases and the application of related models of disease pathophysiology to drug and device evaluation. SKBRF applies extensive expertise in many areas of therapeutic and diagnostic research for which clinically relevant models are feasible, focusing on ophthalmic, central nervous system and metabolic research, as well as pharmacokinetic and safety studies.
Job Summary
The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) leads the Veterinary Department and serves as the organization's designated veterinarian, directing the wild-caught and colony-bred veterinary care program across R&D, contract research, and breeding strategy, planning, and operations. The CVO owns veterinary and animal welfare strategy, sets clinical standards, and holds accountability for the quality and compliance of all veterinary care.
1. Veterinary Care & Animal Welfare: Hold independent professional authority over animal health and welfare. Direct treatment, quarantine, euthanasia, husbandry, enrichment, nutrition, biosecurity, breeding, and transport decisions, and order corrective action or suspension of activities when needed to protect animal welfare or maintain compliance. Set animal welfare requirements across these areas for implementation by the Animal Care Department. Supervise veterinary and surgical procedures, clinical exams, and the breeding program, providing technical oversight of veterinary and research staff on animal care procedures and supporting veterinarians and surgeons in advancing their clinical and procedural skills.
2. Clinical & Research Support: Advise on treatments, clinical tests, and procedures, including those supporting experimental disease modeling. Oversee screening, phenotyping, and genotyping programs that strengthen clinical and research capabilities. Contribute veterinary, vivarium management, and test system biology expertise to facility research initiatives. Collaborate with the Chief Scientific Officer, subject matter experts (SME), clients, and external collaborators to develop, validate, and apply nonhuman primate models and new approach methods that elevate the translational utility of company test systems.
3. Surgical & Necropsy Leadership: Supervise senior team members coordinating and conducting surgical, tissue biopsy, and necropsy procedures; and collaborate with Study Directors, subject matter experts, pathologists, and visiting scientist, to
ensure clinical, pathology, molecular, and histomolecular outcomes are fully achieved to high data standards and animal welfare required.
4. Colony Strategy, Capacity & Data Management: Define breeding colony strategy, including population planning, genetic management, and long-term colony sustainability, and oversee its execution and growth alongside the broader growth and adoption of wild-caught animal programs. Oversee census management, housing, and colony management practices, aligning improvements to research and animal welfare objectives. Lead the configuration, optimization, and sustained implementation of animal census management system, incorporating animal exam records, necropsy reports, and clinical data to inform clinical management and research. Report and advise on facility and housing infrastructure use and capacity across wild-caught and colony-bred colony to inform capacity planning and investment decisions. Supervise quality control and QA review of animal data and outcome reports prior to external distribution.
5. Compliance & Governance: Serve on the IACUC and ensure facility operations meet the Guide for the Use of Animals in Research, OLAW, and AAALAC standards, as well as facility SOPs, contributing to SOP maintenance as guidelines evolve. Set clinical standards and animal welfare requirements that support study integrity and regulatory expectations. Lead preparation for AAALAC and animal program audits, oversee post-approval monitoring, and lead or contribute to hosting sponsor, regulatory, and vendor site visits and inspections.
6. Team Leadership & Communication: Lead the Veterinary Department, including staffing, scheduling, training, and curriculum development for veterinary, animal care, and research staff. Oversee training on and enforcement of policies, SOPs, and work expectations. Communicate management actions, policy updates, and operationally critical information to Research, Veterinary, and Animal Care departments, and advise supervisors on communicating this information to their teams.
7. Cross-Functional Integration & Strategy: Partner with the Facility Director (Institutional Official, oversight of the Animal Care Department), Director of Research Operations, and Director of Study Execution to keep veterinary care tightly integrated with scientific and operational delivery. Define and execute veterinary and animal care organizational strategy aligned with the company's growth plan, including infrastructure and staffing to support research and breeding colony management best practice.
8. Business & Scientific Development: Partner with the CEO and CBO to engage with the life science community to expand awareness of translational resources while helping to identify new Sponsor and grant funding opportunities that enable innovation, capability development, and operational efficiencies.
Capability Development: Engage vendors and suppliers to identify equipment, supplies, and analytics needed for effective veterinary care, husbandry, and data acquisition associated with business and scientific development plans.
Qualifications
1. Education level/Certifications/Licensures
- Requires DVM
- Requires ACLAM certification, or equivalent
2. Experience
- Minimum 10 years of veterinary experience in a nonhuman primate or comparable research setting, including significant leadership responsibility.
- Demonstrated experience directing a veterinary care program, supporting an IACUC and preparing for AAALAC or comparable external reviews is required.
3. Specific competencies
- Deep familiarity with primate husbandry and research methodologies.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent time management skills and ability to meet deadlines.
- Ability to prioritize and delegate tasks.
- Ability to function well in a high-paced and time pressured environment.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and electronic colony management and quality management systems.
4. Travel expectations
- ~10-15% for professional development, inspections and cross site planning.
Interested candidates may send their resumes directly to the attention of Akela Edinborough via email address recruitment@skbrf.org on or before September 22, 2026.
Contact Information
Company St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation
Department Human Resources Department
Address P. O. Box 6018, Lower Bourryeau Estate, St. Kitts
Phone (869) 465-7382
