Veterinary Operations Manager

Job ID 10147345 Location Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States Business Walt Disney World Resort Date posted Apr. 08, 2026

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Job Summary:

The Veterinary Operation Manager (OM) is an integral member of the Animal Health leadership team and the ASE Animal Care team. They are expected to act as a senior leader in the Disney Company, an animal health/care specialist in the zoo and aquarium profession, a zoo and aquarium operator with a focus on the guest-animal experience, an engaged partner with park operations, a responsible businessperson, and an involved professional. This senior position in the Disney Animal Health leadership team requires a five-day work week schedule.

What You Will Do

ASE Senior leader

Leadership and demonstration of the 5-keys, Disney leader basics, and the Animal Health Norms & Commitments.
Working in strong collaboration with peers (fellow OMs, others) to achieve results in the day-to-day operation and critical initiatives
Aligning personal, direct reports, and team goals to ASE critical initiatives
Attend ASE Senior Leader meeting
Leader of leader / team leadership responsibility
- Direct Report performance and accountability
  - In addition to 5-keys, Disney leader basics expectations and Animal Health Norms & Commitments, this includes ZM specific roles and responsibilities including, but not limited to, ZM management expectations, and specific tasks such as safety audits, etc.
- Accountability for WorkDay process for ZMs and front-line cast
  - Ensuring that team, ZM and cast commitments align with the ASE strategic priorities
  - Career development, coaching, feedback for ZMs, Individual Contributors, and cast
  - Ensuring WorkDay quality conversations are happening on a regular basis at ZM and front-line cast level
  - Ensuring start, mid and end of year processes and deadlines are met and delivered.
- Team leadership and communication
  - Ensuring feedback, communication, and direction through appropriate venues/mechanisms such as team meetings, email communication, presence in the area, etc.
  - Ensuring awareness and contribution of important information from a variety of sources
    - Advocating for appropriate team-based needs
Accountability for safety related tasks focused on specific team
- Tier 1 and Tier 2 audit compliance, review, and reaction
- Post injury interviews with safety leadership for ASE (eg. ASE Safety leadership meeting monthly)
- Quarterly drill compliance
- Performance alignment compliance, continuous improvement, and updates on a team-based level

Animal Care / Health

Continuous focus on awareness and improvement of animal well-being
- Focus on nutritional, medical, environmental (onstage and backstage), and behavioral management
Collection planning - continuous sustainability and improvement of collections in accordance with AZA and Disney policies/standards
Animal health focus in partnership with a wide variety of partners internal and external to ASE for project-based work
- DAK, DAKL, and Seas Master-planning
- Project-based work. Capital and non-capital project management, IFP program
- Wildlife program
Responsibility for understanding, collecting and advocating for facility improvements/needs in area (SPR, IFP, Capital, expense dollars, etc.)
- Partnership with Animal Care project team / ASE LOB for generation of lists of needs and justifications as well as tracking for area specific needs
- Ensuring that DACWC site visit identified needs are responded to in an appropriate manner
Maintaining awareness of and compliance to AZA accreditation standards as well as those of other regulatory bodies (FWC, USDA, etc) for DAK, DAKL, and Seas.

Guest-animal experience from the animal health perspective

Awareness and management of short- and long-term show window challenges
Communication of daily operation impacts to senior leadership, ops, and guest/animal experience teams
Setting expectations for quantity and quality of animal health cast on-show engagement
Strong collaboration with the ASE guest-animal experience team
- To support day guest and revenue generating experiences
- Driving integration and continuing education with trails ops, WE, etc.
  - Track talks, animal facts, other
Continuous improvement of guest-animal experience

Park ops integration and presence

Communication of daily operation impacts to senior leadership, ops, and guest/animal experience teams
Driving integration and continuing education with local ops front line cast and GEMs
Attendance at DAK VP LoL meetings
Visible presence as a DAK senior leader in the park

Fiscal and labor responsibility

Expenditure of local team budget
Labor tracking and compliance for local team

Professional/organization involvement

AZA managed programs
Participation or leadership at the committee level or higher as appropriate/available
- Including professional organizations (e.g. AZA, AAZK, AZVT, AAZV, ACZM, IAAAM)
Conservation involvement as appropriate/available

Required Qualifications & Skills

A knowledge base of veterinary practice, workflow, and terminology.
Excellent organizational and communication skills; adept at scheduling; detail oriented; ability to multi- task in a quickly changing work environment.
Expertise/proficiency in technology/software such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel; SharePoint, ZIMS.
Zoological and aquarium facility experience; knowledge in day-to-day function of zoo and aquarium animal hospitals.
Not required to be a veterinarian. If veterinarian, will not do clinical work.
Five years of successful leadership in an AZA-accredited organization.

Education

Bachelor's degree in a science-related field required.

Additional Information:

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.

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About Walt Disney World Resort:

Since opening in 1971, Walt Disney World Resort has played an important role in many childhood and family memories. Today, hundreds of millions of guests from around the globe visit this magical place to enjoy a Disney vacation. Through a combination of creativity, innovation and technology, the resort immerses guests in classic Disney tales and new kinds of family entertainment. Drawing from a rich heritage of storytelling, Walt Disney World Resort cast members bring Disney magic to life through unmatched attention to detail and superior guest service.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., which is part of a business we call Walt Disney World Resort.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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Hiring Process

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Explore this Location Lake Buena Vista, FL

Lake Buena Vista is home to the Disney Springs retail, dining and entertainment complex, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course and several resort hotels are located with the City limits.