What does work as a veterinarian in PetSure look like? I (Emma Davis) have heard some great things about PetSure as a company so thought I would do some further investigating for you!
PetSure employs veterinarians in Australia who use their technical and leadership skills across several roles.
So who is PetSure?
PetSure is Australia’s largest pet insurance administrator for some of Australia’s best-known pet insurance providers. PetSure is a leader in the veterinary industry and from what we know about our profession, innovation and the future of work in Australia, I think will be a integral part of the profession’s future.
What work does a veterinarian do in PetSure?
An entry point to working at PetSure is a position as a ‘Veterinary Claims Officer’, there are 11 in Australia. Veterinary Claims Officers bring their clinical consulting skills, as well as veterinary knowledge and experience, into a corporate setting. A key aspect of the role is liaising with internal and external stakeholders, particularly pet parents and veterinary professionals, to investigate claims and disputes. In this role, veterinarians develop their skills as subject matter experts and become members of cutting-edge teams that work on finding new ways to resolve front line complaints and issues for the pet-loving and pet health community.
For veterinarians looking to diversify their careers – this role of hybrid technical, case-management and corporate skills will offer plenty of opportunity.
What is the opportunity for career progression like in PetSure?
We talked to Dr Oliver Conradi, Customer Relations Manager at PetSure. Oliver is a veterinarian who joined PetSure around 4 years ago. Now as Customer Relations Manager, Oliver manages a team of 4 and says how quickly he learned that skills acquired in clinical practice can be transferred and applied in a corporate setting and overall has been pleasantly surprised by the professional growth opportunities provided by PetSure. Oliver is currently studying for his Masters of Business Administration through the Australian Institute of Business.
As a Manager, Oliver described how he gets to stretch his wings by providing leadership of a different type. Oliver has created a team culture of being both customer-focused and innovative and describes his team as a supportive and collaborative group of vets and vet nurses.
What is it like to work in a corporate office?
For veterinarians who are contemplating a move to corporate – I am often asked the question of what it is like to work in a corporate office? At PetSure most people are based at the Sydney office in Chatswood, but it is a company open to work flexibility with a couple of employees who work remotely from Melbourne, Queensland and Byron Bay as well as working from home options. A usual day runs 9am to 5pm – but shifts are flexible starting as early as 7.30 am and can finish at 8 pm.
When I visited the Sydney office of PetSure – the things I noticed were that it was really contemporary and has an amazing vibe of relaxed efficiency. To be honest it felt a little more like a venue than an office – I note that they advertise having a pet-friendly workplace (I want to know more about this) and have things like free-lunch-Friday.
Also the company runs great value-adding sessions open to the profession with a speaker etc. around once a month too. Which must be nice to have that contact with the profession to maintain and make new contacts with colleagues and have a useful night (some CE nights too) and a social outlet.
What does a typical day look like in Oliver’s team?
It’s a busy workplace with approximately 160 staff in total located in the Sydney office. The types of activities include: 
- Reviewing customer’s claims and patient’s clinical records to assess eligibility of claims.
- Provide veterinary technical advice and guidance to product teams to improve and enhance policies and products.
- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to manage claims and disputes as well as contributing to projects.
Veterinarians like problem solving – so how can they have this outlet in the company?
If solving clinical quizzes isn’t enough for you – PetSure’s culture is one of open feedback and everyone is encouraged to bring their ideas to the table. PetSure is a pretty tight ship of efficiency – ideas that work for the team or result in improving existing frameworks, products and processes are encouraged and welcomed. During his tenure, Oliver notes a number of innovations to PetSure’s products and systems which have resulted in significant benefits for veterinarians, pet parents and their pets. Examples include implementation of the E-Claims and GapOnly digital claims platforms which facilitate rapid claim submission systems for veterinarians and pet parents.
I’m interested in working at PetSure – so what should I do to prepare?
If you are keen to be part of this team then email them at careers@petsure.com.au and also register on VeterinaryCareers.com.au and set up an alert for when positions which are advertised. The PetSure team are always happy to know you are interested and welcome team-minded people who want to love their careers alongside a group of animal loving professionals!
Meanwhile check out the list of skills they are seeking and use this to hone some of your skills (or pick up some more skills) to prepare for the competition when a sought-after role becomes available.
The skills PetSure want you to bring include:
- Your curiosity!
- Exceptional consulting and customer service skills
- Confidence navigating computer programs and systems
- Great organisational and multi-tasking ability
- Your ability to operate in high pressure environments while providing out of the box solutions
- Innovation and willingness to challenge the norm
Also watch out for our interview of Oliver on VeterinaryCareers.com.au in the coming weeks!
