Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Veterinary Research Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

A Veterinary Research Consultant provides scientific leadership and operational oversight for preclinical and clinical research programs in animal health, pharmaceuticals, and biologics. This role combines veterinary clinical expertise, experimental design, regulatory knowledge, and data-driven decision making to deliver robust, GLP/GCP-compliant studies, regulatory submissions, and translational research outcomes that support product development, publications, and stakeholder adoption.

Key SEO phrases: veterinary research consultant, animal health clinical research, veterinary clinical trials, GLP/GCP compliance, veterinary epidemiology, PK/PD modeling, regulatory submissions.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Veterinary Clinician (DVM) transitioning into research roles
Research Associate or Research Scientist in animal health
Clinical Research Coordinator or Trial Monitor with veterinary focus

Advancement To:

Senior Veterinary Research Consultant / Principal Scientist
Director of Veterinary Clinical Research or Head of Animal Health R&D
Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) or VP of Research & Development

Lateral Moves:

Regulatory Affairs Specialist (veterinary products)
Medical Science Liaison / Technical Field Specialist
Veterinary Epidemiologist or One Health Research Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, lead and manage hypothesis-driven preclinical and clinical studies in veterinary species, including randomized controlled trials, observational cohort studies, field efficacy trials, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) investigations to support product development and regulatory approval.
Develop comprehensive study protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), case report forms (CRFs), informed consent templates (for owner consent), and protocol amendments that meet GLP, GCP, and local animal welfare requirements.
Serve as the primary scientific contact for clients, sponsors, CROs and academic partners to define research objectives, milestones, deliverables, and timelines; translate business and clinical needs into technically feasible study plans.
Oversee animal health and welfare throughout study lifecycles, ensuring IACUC or equivalent ethical review board submissions, approvals and compliance with institutional and national animal care regulations.
Lead statistical design and sample size calculations in collaboration with biostatisticians; define primary and secondary endpoints, randomization schemes, blinding strategies, and interim analysis plans to ensure statistical rigor.
Manage operational aspects of multi-site clinical trials, including site selection, site initiation, training of veterinarians and technicians, monitoring visit schedules, and writing site monitoring reports to guarantee protocol adherence and data integrity.
Conduct or supervise on-site assessments, clinical examinations, and standardized data collection procedures (clinical scoring, imaging, laboratory sampling) and ensure accurate, auditable case documentation.
Implement and oversee integrated data management processes: define data collection tools, ensure eCRF quality, lead data cleaning and query resolution, and coordinate with data managers to deliver locked datasets for analysis.
Lead PK/PD modeling, bioanalytical method selection (e.g., LC-MS/MS, ELISA, qPCR), and interpretation of drug concentration-time profiles to inform dosing strategies, withdrawal periods, and label claims.
Prepare regulatory documentation for submission to veterinary regulatory authorities (e.g., FDA-CVM, EMA-VICH, regional regulatory bodies), including Study Reports (ICH/GLP-style), Investigator Brochures, and dossiers supporting product registration.
Produce high-quality technical study reports, white papers, peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference abstracts; lead manuscript preparation, coordinate co-author contributions, and manage timelines for publication.
Provide subject matter expertise in adverse event assessment, safety signal evaluation, and pharmacovigilance activities during and after trials to inform risk mitigation and communication strategies.
Develop and manage study budgets, resource allocation, vendor contracts (CROs, contract labs), and procurement of study supplies to optimize costs while maintaining scientific quality.
Establish and maintain quality assurance practices: coordinate internal and external audits, implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), and ensure traceability of raw data to final reports.
Design translational research strategies to bridge bench-to-field outcomes, including biomarker discovery, diagnostic validation, and companion diagnostic development that accelerate commercialization.
Mentor and train multidisciplinary teams (veterinary clinicians, technicians, statisticians, regulatory specialists) on study protocols, GLP/GCP principles, and best practices for clinical assessments and data capture.
Conduct systematic literature reviews, meta-analyses and horizon scanning to inform study design, comparators selection, and evidence-based positioning of investigational products.
Liaise with commercialization, product development, and marketing teams to translate clinical evidence into technical claims, label language, and stakeholder-facing materials for veterinarians and pet owners/farmers.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing prior study outcomes, operational bottlenecks and implementing process improvements for faster study start-ups, higher data quality and better animal welfare outcomes.
Provide expert testimony and technical input for regulatory inspections, contract negotiations, intellectual property (IP) filings, and due diligence activities in business development or mergers & acquisitions focused on animal health assets.
Coordinate sample logistics and chain-of-custody for biological specimens, ensure appropriate cold chain and storage, and interface with CROs and analytical labs to ensure timely processing and results reporting.
Manage post-approval study commitments and real-world evidence generation programs, including field safety surveillance, market research studies and efficacy follow-ups that support lifecycle management.
Facilitate stakeholder engagement with academic collaborators, key opinion leaders (KOLs), veterinary associations and client groups to build partnerships and disseminate research outcomes effectively.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analyses for business development, regulatory inquiries, and grant proposals, synthesizing results into actionable recommendations.
Contribute to the organization's research strategy and roadmap by identifying strategic research priorities, potential funding mechanisms, and technology partnerships.
Translate client and cross-functional business needs into study requirements, resource plans and go/no-go decision points, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
Participate in project planning, sprint planning and cross-functional meetings, applying agile principles to accelerate study execution and remove blockers.
Support pre-award activities including proposal writing, budget justification, and timeline estimation for client-funded or grant-supported projects.
Coordinate continuing education and training programs for internal staff and laboratory partners on new diagnostic methods, updated regulations, and novel therapeutic modalities.
Maintain and update internal knowledge repositories (study templates, SOPs, validated assays) to standardize practices across the research portfolio.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

DVM, PhD or equivalent scientific degree with hands-on experience in veterinary clinical research and preclinical study execution.
Deep knowledge of GLP/GCP principles, IACUC processes, and regulatory frameworks relevant to veterinary product approval (FDA-CVM, EMA-VICH, APVMA, etc.).
Clinical trial design expertise including randomized controlled trials, non-inferiority trials, field efficacy studies and observational designs specific to animal populations.
Proficiency in PK/PD principles and experience with population PK modeling tools (NONMEM, Monolix) or willingness to coordinate closely with modeling teams.
Strong biostatistics competency: power/sample size calculations, survival analysis, mixed-effects models, and experience with R, SAS or comparable statistical packages.
Hands-on experience or oversight of bioanalytical assays (ELISA, LC-MS/MS, qPCR) and laboratory quality systems for sample handling, validation and reporting.
Data management literacy: eCRF/eClinical platforms, database build specifications, data cleaning, metadata standards and experience working with CRO data teams.
Experience preparing regulatory study reports, technical dossiers, and documents for submission and responding to regulatory queries.
Project management skills: budgeting, vendor selection, contract negotiation, milestone tracking, and risk mitigation for multi-site studies.
Scientific writing and communication: authoring peer-reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, clinical study reports and clear presentations for technical and non-technical audiences.
Familiarity with pharmacovigilance processes, adverse event reporting systems and post-market surveillance in veterinary contexts.
Experience with diagnostic validation, biomarker development and translational endpoints relevant to animal health research.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex scientific data to stakeholders, regulatory authorities and clients.
Strong leadership and team management skills; adept at mentoring junior scientists and coordinating cross-functional teams.
Strategic thinker with a problem-solving mindset, able to align research execution with commercial and regulatory objectives.
Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple concurrent studies and deadlines.
Client-focused and service-oriented, able to build trust with sponsors, academic partners and field veterinarians.
Adaptable and resilient in dynamic research environments; comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities.
Collaborative: proven ability to work effectively across disciplines (R&D, QA, regulatory, commercial) and with external partners.
Ethical judgment and integrity with a strong commitment to animal welfare and scientific reproducibility.
Negotiation and stakeholder management skills for working with vendors, CROs and institutional partners.
Continuous learner: stays current with scientific advances, regulatory changes and emerging methodologies in veterinary research.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) OR PhD in Veterinary Science, Animal Science, Pharmacology, Epidemiology or related life sciences. In some cases, a Master's degree with significant clinical research experience may be acceptable.

Preferred Education:

DVM with a PhD or residency training, or PhD with a strong veterinary clinical track record.
Additional certifications in clinical research (e.g., ACRP, SOCRA), regulatory affairs, or Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) training are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Veterinary Medicine
Comparative Medicine / Animal Science
Pharmacology / Toxicology
Epidemiology / Public Health
Biomedical Sciences
Biostatistics / Data Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5 – 12+ years of progressive experience in veterinary clinical research, preclinical study management, or animal health R&D. (Entry-level transitional roles may start at 3+ years with strong technical skills.)

Preferred:

Demonstrated track record leading multi-site veterinary clinical trials, authoring regulatory study reports and peer-reviewed publications.
Experience interacting with regulatory agencies (e.g., FDA-CVM, EMA) and successful participation in product registration submissions.
Prior consulting experience or client-facing roles supporting product development, commercial strategy or due diligence strongly preferred.
Evidence of project management of budgets >$250K, vendor management, and coordination of contract labs/CROs.