Purpose and Role Summary
The Pain Committee is seeking two motivated, dedicated individuals (one veterinarian and one veterinary technician/nurse) with a demonstrated interest and experience in pain management in small animals. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong academic background and previous administrative (e.g. secretariat) experience.
About the Pain Committee
The Pain Committee works to raise awareness of the fact that all animals are sentient and, as a result, feel pain. It also aims to increase the competence and confidence of our members in identifying and managing their patients’ pain as one of their most important priorities.
What this role involves
- Support the global dissemination, adoption, and implementation of the WSAVA Pain Guidelines (2022).
- Review and update pain assessment and management protocols periodically to ensure they reflect current scientific knowledge and emerging therapeutic modalities.
- Promote pain assessment as the fourth vital sign and an essential component of every patient evaluation.
- Develop targeted and relevant Continuing Education (CE) lectures and programmes for a wide range of audiences, based on the Pain Guidelines.
- Promote the use of validated clinical tools that are practical and applicable for veterinary practitioners worldwide.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of WSAVA position statements and support advocacy or lobbying efforts related to appropriate pain assessment and management.
- Serve as an advisory body to the WSAVA Executive Board on matters relating to pain assessment and management.
- Collaborate and liaise with other WSAVA committees and standardisation initiatives where there is mutual interest in pain-related topics.
- Contribute to the production and publication of Capsule Reviews.
- Support the training of scholars in the Teach the Teacher programme, and ideally host scholars at their home institutions.
Who this role might suit
- You are motivated to contribute to global improvements in pain assessment and management in veterinary medicine.
- You are able to commit around 2 hours per week on a voluntary basis.
- You have strong spoken and written English skills, enabling effective collaboration and co-authoring of scientific publications.
- It is important that you enjoy collaborative, committee-based work in an international setting.
- You are experienced or have an interest in clinical practice, education, guideline development, research, or advocacy related to pain management.
- You are willing to engage in regular online meetings and attend an in-person meeting as part of a major international conference.
Time commitment and tenure
The tenure for a WSAVA committee member is three years, renewable once. In addition, on a day-to-day basis, you should expect to dedicate 2 hours a week to the committee work, as well as the occasional online and face to face meeting.
Remuneration for this role
All WSAVA committee members, including the chairperson, are volunteers. However, reasonable expenses incurred whilst carrying out WSAVA duties will be reimbursed, in accordance with our travel and expenses policy
Terms of Reference
The full Terms of Reference for the committee are available here. Please review carefully before applying.
Applicant must provide the full documentation required below, in English, via this dedicated application link:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of Intent
- Letter of Good Standing from WSAVA Member Association*
Applications should be submitted before 21 March 2026 – 22:00 UTC
*All nominees for membership of any WSAVA committee/group are required to provide a letter of Good Standing from the WSAVA member organization of which they are a member. This requirement does not apply to nominees who are not members of a WSAVA organization (e.g. non-veterinarians) whose expertise may be necessary for specialist committees/groups. A person of Good Standing is defined as someone who has complied with all explicit obligations of the association and who is not subject to any form of sanction, suspension or disciplinary censure. This letter is not a recommendation from the association that the nominee is the best person for the position. WSAVA committee positions are not chosen by member organizations – the Committee Chair ultimately decides on the best candidate for the position and the choice is ratified by the Executive Board. This letter indicates only that the WSAVA member association has no objection to the nomination. Please click here to view an example of this letter.