| The School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, invites applications for the position of Director of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) and optional appointment as Professor/Associate Professor of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, depending on the qualifications and interests of the successful candidate. Appointment in the Professor of Clinical (__) series will be without salary in CAHFS and an appropriate academic department within the School of Veterinary Medicine. CAHFS is a premier, state-of-the-art veterinary diagnostic laboratory system, accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). With laboratory facilities in four locations throughout California, CAHFS is responsible for laboratory diagnostic support to identify and control diseases that are detrimental to the animal health and public health of California. CAHFS provides a comprehensive array of diagnostic services including anatomic pathology, histology and immuno-histochemistry, molecular and immunodiagnostics, virology, bacteriology, electron microscopy, milk quality testing, toxicology, and equine analytical chemistry and pharmacology. With 200 faculty and staff, and a $30M annual budget, CAHFS tests more than 500,000 samples annually and offers an impressive catalog of tests designed to assist veterinarians, animal owners, public officials, and organizations in identifying, tracking and addressing animal health, public health, and food safety concerns. CAHFS provides support to: 1) public agencies responsible for animal health, public health, and food safety; 2) veterinarians, primarily those engaged in food animal, avian, aquatic, and equine medicine; and 3) livestock and poultry producers. The majority of CAHFS’ budget is transferred by contract from the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) to the University and supplemented by fee-for-service work, contracts, and grants. Additional programs include the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which provides drug testing and pharmacology support to the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) and CDFA; and the Central Milk Laboratory, which is certified by the US Food and Drug Administration, and provides regulatory testing of livestock feeds for the State of California. CAHFS is part of, and an active participant in, several prestigious laboratory networks, including the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), the Laboratory Response Network (LRN), the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (VetLIRN), and the FERN (Food Emergency Response Network). Located on the UC Davis campus, the Director reports to the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. As the chief administrative officer, the Director is responsible for all aspects of CAHFS operations and administrative matters including strategic planning, personnel management, material management, business procedures, budgeting, and fiscal management. The Director is expected to uphold and facilitate CAHFS mission and vision, including provision of quality services that protect animal health and performance, public health and the food supply; promotion of excellence within laboratory sections; and adherence to AAVLD quality principles. The Director is responsible for management of the entire budget process from development through the legislative process. Personnel management includes maintaining effective mentoring of faculty and other professionals within CAHFS and responsibility for professional personnel actions in compliance with University policies. The successful candidate will interact closely with colleagues in the School of Veterinary Medicine and University administration, faculty, staff, students as well as clients and the public and must be an effective spokesperson for CAHFS and its programs. In addition, the successful candidate will represent CAHFS in interactions with state agencies such as the CDFA, CHRB, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California Department of Health Services; animal industry groups and agricultural organizations including the NAHLN; and other agencies including the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), FERN, USDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Director must have the ability to coordinate activities with national and state associations such as the AAVLD, the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). Finally, experience working with and responding to media inquiries is desirable. |
