Vacancy: Associate Veterinary Surgeon, Maldives

Help rescue and treat injured and sick sea turtles

Olive Ridley Project (ORP) is a UK-registered international conservation charity dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their habitats through rescue & conservation medicine, scientific research, education & community engagement.

Since our founding in 2013, we’ve grown into a leading voice for sea turtle conservation, delivering programmes across the Maldives, Kenya, Oman, Pakistan, and the Seychelles. We operate one of the largest sea turtle photo-identification databases in the Indian Ocean, provide specialist veterinary care to injured sea turtles at three clinical facilities in the Maldives, and work with governments, communities, and businesses to create lasting conservation impact.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Associate Veterinary Surgeon to join our veterinary team in the Maldives.

About the associate veterinary surgeon role

This is an exceptional opportunity for an early-career veterinarian looking to develop specialist skills in wildlife medicine while contributing directly to the conservation of endangered marine wildlife.

Based at ORP’s Sea Turtle Care Centre in Raa Atoll, you will work alongside our experienced conservation medicine team, treating injured and sick sea turtles rescued from across the Maldives. You will be involved in every stage of patient care – from emergency response and diagnostics to treatment and release.

The Raa Atoll facility is one of three clinical facilities that we operate in the Maldives and serves as both a rehabilitation centre for patients requiring less intensive care and a first-response triage facility, stabilising emergency cases before transfer to our Marine Turtle Rescue Centre or the Sea Turtle Health Institute for advanced treatment.

This role combines clinical practice with conservation, research, education and community engagement, providing an incredibly varied and rewarding working environment.

Why join ORP?

Joining ORP offers the opportunity to work within a team to:

• Treat one of the world’s largest clinical caseloads of sea turtle patients.
• Develop advanced skills in marine wildlife medicine, diagnostics, and clinical care.
• Contribute to clinical and conservation research that helps improve sea turtle care worldwide.
• Participate in field rescues, patient releases, and conservation initiatives across the Maldives.
• Live and work in one of the world’s most extraordinary marine environments.
• Join a friendly, passionate, and highly collaborative international conservation team.

Our veterinary department is among the largest sea turtle exclusive practices in the world with six veterinary surgeons, led by our Director of Conservation Medicine and also includes conservation medicine interns, and a dedicated team of volunteers. Together, we are committed to delivering the highest standards of animal welfare while advancing sea turtle conservation globally.

Main responsibilities

As an associate veterinary surgeon, you will support all aspects of ORP’s veterinary operations in the Maldives, including:

• Providing comprehensive clinical and veterinary care, including clinical examinations, medical procedures, patient recovery, diagnostics, blood evaluations, treatments, and therapies for turtle patients.
• Assisting with the rescue and transport of injured sea turtles from across the Maldives.
• Releasing treated sea turtles once they are medically cleared back into the wild.
• Supporting and mentoring non-clinical other team members.
• Maintaining veterinary equipment and clinical facilities.
• Managing stock levels and ordering medical supplies and equipment.
• Maintaining accurate cloud-based medical records, including PACS.
• Ensuring compliance with permits, biosecurity protocols, and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Maintaining clinical research datasets and assisting with research projects.
• Creating engaging patient updates for social media and participating in live online events.
• Supporting education and outreach activities for the charity, resort guests, schools, and local communities.

Essential requirements

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent veterinary qualification.
• Licence in good standing to practise veterinary medicine in your home country.
• At least one year of clinical practice, preferably in a formalised veterinary internship setting
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Eagerness to learn quickly and adapt to new challenges
• Proficiency or willingness to learn blood evaluation, including manual CBCs with differentials
• Strong team player
• Comfortable using social media and appearing on camera.
• Competent swimmer

Desirable experience

• Experience working with exotic or wildlife
• Research experience
• Competent free diver or qualified scuba diver
• Additional language skills.

How to apply

If you’re passionate about wildlife medicine and want to play a direct role in rescuing and treating endangered sea turtles, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send:

• Your CV
• A brief cover letter outlining your motivation for applying

to Dr Max Polyak, Director of Conservation Medicine, at max.polyak@oliveridleyproject.org.

Please include Job Reference ORPAVS004 and your full name in the email subject line.

Application deadline: 25 August 2026.

This post is subject to a standard Disclosure and Barring Service check or equivalent.

Equal opportunities

ORP is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse working environment. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.