Vacancy: Associate Veterinary Surgeon, Maldives

About ORP

Olive Ridley Project (ORP) is is dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and conservation medicine, scientific research, and educational outreach. From treating injured and sick sea turtles to advancing research and awareness of sea turtle populations, health, and ocean threats, our work is guided by a One Health approach that recognises the interconnectedness of wildlife, people, and the marine environment.

We are a growing and ambitious charity at the forefront of sea turtle conservation, working alongside fishing communities, researchers, and policymakers to create practical, evidence-based solutions to some of the most complex challenges facing our oceans. At the heart of ORP is a passionate, collaborative team united by a shared purpose and a deep respect for the natural world.

Headquartered in the UK, with field bases in Kenya, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, and Seychelles, we combine global reach with local partnerships to deliver meaningful, lasting impact for sea turtles and the ecosystems they help sustain.

About the Associate Veterinary Surgeon role

ORP is a fast-growing charity with ambitious goals, and we are seeking an enthusiastic Associate Veterinary Surgeon to join our veterinary team in the Maldives. This position is ideal for candidates looking to advance their veterinary skills in a highly specialised facility while gaining valuable field experience working with sea turtles in a tropical environment. Numerous clinical and conservation research opportunities are available and can be developed as part of the role.

This position is based across ORP’s veterinary facilities in the Maldives.

ORP’s Marine Turtle Rescue Centre, located in Baa Atoll, opened in February 2017. At the time, it was the first fully equipped sea turtle rescue centre in the Maldives, established in response to the growing number of sea turtles found entangled in ghost gear.

The Sea Turtle Health Institute of Maldives in Lhaviyani Atoll is a brand new, purpose-built facility that recently opened to expand our veterinary capacity and research programmes.

Both facilities follow a “Sea Turtle University” model: they are busy teaching hospitals equipped with advanced veterinary tools, including a full blood laboratory, endoscopy, digital radiography, ultrasound, a Class IV laser, and a complete surgical suite.

We also operate an additional sea turtle care centre in Raa Atoll, where the Associate Veterinary Surgeon will play an active role.

Our core values include excellence in clinical care, innovation, and education. We regularly host veterinary trainees and students from around the world seeking training in sea turtle medicine and rehabilitation, alongside interns and volunteers who help run the centres. ORP manages one of the largest clinical caseloads in sea turtle conservation globally.

ORP’s veterinary team includes four veterinary surgeons, two interns, and three to four volunteers, all led by our Director of Conservation Medicine. You will be part of a close-knit, friendly team dedicated to treating, healing, and releasing as many sea turtles as possible.

The work is demanding but immensely rewarding. It offers the opportunity to develop specialised veterinary skills while contributing directly to the conservation of endangered marine wildlife.

Why join ORP?

Working with ORP offers a rare opportunity to combine advanced veterinary medicine with meaningful conservation impact.

You will gain hands-on experience treating one of the largest caseloads of sea turtle patients in the world, working in modern veterinary facilities designed specifically for marine wildlife medicine. Our team works at the intersection of clinical care, research, and conservation, meaning your work will directly contribute to improving treatment methods, advancing scientific knowledge, animal welfare, and protecting sea turtle populations.

This role also offers the opportunity to live and work in the Maldives, one of the world’s most extraordinary marine environments. Field rescues, rehabilitation, releases, and community outreach are all part of the role, providing a unique blend of clinical practice and conservation work.

At ORP, we value collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning. You will work alongside an international team of veterinary surgeons, researchers, and conservationists who are passionate about their work and supportive of one another.

For those seeking a challenging and rewarding career in wildlife medicine and conservation, this role offers a truly unique professional experience.

Main duties & responsibilities

As an associate veterinary surgeon, you will assist in all aspects of running ORP’s clinical facilities in the Maldives, including operational and administrative functions:

• Providing comprehensive clinical and veterinary care, including surgical and medical procedures, anesthetic monitoring, patient recovery, diagnostic imaging, blood evaluations, treatments, and therapies for the sea turtle patients at our facilities.
• Assisting with the rescue and transportation of injured sea turtles from across the country to ORP’s clinical facilities.
• Releasing treated sea turtles once they are medically cleared to return to the wild.
• Supervising patient care and clinical work at ORP’s care facilities in the Maldives, both remotely and in person.
• Supervising, coordinating, and training volunteers, interns, veterinary trainees, and other ORP team members.
• Maintaining clinic machinery and equipment including but not limited to the autoclave and centrifuge, tanks, pumps and pipes.
• Overseeing clinical facilities, patients, operations, interns, trainees and volunteers in the absence of the Head Veterinary Surgeon.
• Visiting and providing cover of ORP’s clinical and care facilities in the Maldives as and when required
• Stock checks and ordering of consumables, medical supplies, and equipment for the rehabilitation and clinical facilities.
• Maintaining cloud-based medical records, including PACS.
• Ensuring compliance with permits and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Maintaining clinical research datasets.
• Assisting with both clinical and biological research.
• Creating and posting content about our patients and hosting live social media events.
• Assisting with educational outreach activities for resort guests, visiting school children, and the local community.

Requirements

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent
• Licence in good standing to practise veterinary medicine in country of origin
• At least one year of clinical practice, preferably in a formalised veterinary internship setting
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Confident 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
• Experience using social media platforms and willingness to be on camera
• Competent swimmer

Assets

• Experience with exotic animals, preferably wildlife
• Competent free diver or qualified scuba diver
• Research experience
• Proficiency in other languages

How to apply

If you are interested in joining the ORP team as an Associate Veterinary Surgeon and fulfil the requirements for this rewarding opportunity, please send your current CV, along with a brief cover letter detailing your motivation for applying, to ORP’s Director of Conservation Medicine Dr Max Polyak at max.polyak@oliveridleyproject.org by 20th April 2026 (please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close earlier than the deadline if an appropriate candidate is found). Be sure to include Job Reference ORPAVS003 and your full name in the email subject line.