Animal Care Assistant

IVC; Bangor; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Birthday off

Healthcare Cash Plan

Cycle to Work

Pension scheme

Discounted veterinary care

Green Cars scheme

Wellbeing initiatives

Learning & development

Job summary

Independent Vetcare, the Cedarmount Veterinary Clinic in Bangor, is seeking an Animal Care Assistant. This full‑time role is 40 hours weekly on a rota, 8am–7pm, with 1–3 Saturdays, supporting the clinical team with patient care, handling and reception duties, contributing to a safe, compassionate environment for pets and clients.

Join a team focused on high standards of care and ongoing development in a busy veterinary practice.

Qualifications

• Reliable and motivated individual who enjoys teamwork and wants to develop in veterinary care.
• Caring, professional approach with genuine interest in animal welfare.
• Good communication and ability to work with colleagues and clients.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage tasks in a busy environment.
• Proactive learning mindset and openness to feedback.
• Experience with animals in clinical or non-clinical setting advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Assist with inpatient care, patient handling and restraint.
• Cleaning and sterilisation of veterinary instruments.
• Maintain clinical areas and equipment.
• Reception duties as needed.

Skills

Teamworking

Communication

Animal welfare

Organisational skills

Proactive learning

Job description

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we’re trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, team‑orientated Animal Care Assistant to join our team at Cedarmount on a full‑time permanent basis.

Cedarmount Veterinary Clinic is a busy Veterinary Clinic in Bangor, Co Down and is part of Independent Vetcare. We are a dedicated team of enthusiastic people, all working together to provide the best possible care for our pets and clients.

We work mostly for our own clients in Bangor, Newtownards, Holywood and Donaghadee, but increasingly, we see pets from all over the province and many are now referred to us for more specialised diagnosis or treatments not available in most practices.

How You’ll Make a Difference

As a Animal Care Assistant, you will play an important role in supporting the clinical team to deliver high standards of patient and client care, while helping to ensure the practice environment runs smoothly and safely.

Working under the direction of a Veterinary Surgeon or Registered Veterinary Nurse, you’ll support inpatient care, assist with patient handling and restraint, help maintain clinical areas and equipment, and contribute to a positive and compassionate experience for both patients and clients.

Working Pattern

The role will be 40 hours per week working on a rota basis with shifts spanning our opening times of 8am till 7pm - no out of hours work is required although there would be 1-3 Saturdays.

Key Responsibilities

Duties will include animal restraint, cleaning, sterilisation of veterinary instruments, Inpatient care and reception duties.

You Might Be a Great Fit If…

You are a reliable and motivated individual who enjoys working as part of a team and is keen to develop within a veterinary environment. You’ll bring:

• A caring, professional approach with a genuine interest in animal welfare
• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage tasks effectively in a busy environment
• A proactive attitude to learning, with openness to feedback and development
• Experience of working with animals in either a clinical or non-clinical setting would be advantageous

How We’ll Support You

At inspiring vet care, we’re committed to supporting your ongoing development and wellbeing. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:

• Structured development opportunities, including access to VCA development programmes and apprenticeships
• Clear career pathways with progression opportunities into Student Veterinary Nurse roles and beyond
• Supportive, collaborative teams focused on delivering high‑quality patient and client care
• A values‑led culture focused on care, community and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks’ annual leave plus your birthday off
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Employee wellbeing initiatives including Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work salary sacrifice schemes, subject to eligibility criteria
• Learning and development opportunities via the inspiring vet care Academy
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We’re committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world-class learning resources.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

£0 - £0 a year

Up to £27,000 per annum