Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Linnaeus; Melton Mowbray; On-site; GBP 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading veterinary group in Melton Mowbray is seeking a Lead Veterinary Surgeon to oversee clinical operations at a brand-new hospital site. This role involves providing clinical leadership, supporting team development, and ensuring high standards of care. Previous leadership experience and holding a veterinary certificate are essential. The position offers a four-day work week, fostering a healthy work-life balance, and includes comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

5-weeks holiday plus bank holidays and birthday leave

Relocation support

RCVS and VDS fees paid

Employer contribution pension scheme

Life assurance

E-car salary sacrifice scheme

Enhanced equal family leave

Extensive internal and funded external CPD

Qualifications

• Previous leadership experience in veterinary settings is essential.
• You must hold a certificate in medicine bias or imaging.
• Ability to drive clinical governance and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day clinical case load and business operations.
• Provide mentorship to junior colleagues and graduates.
• Support the transition to a new hospital and expand services.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Team collaboration

Empathy

Diagnostic interpretation

Client care

Education

Certificate holder in veterinary medicine

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Lead Veterinary Surgeon
Location: Melton
Hours: 4-day week - 8-6 or 8.30-6.30, 1:5 weekend rota with protected admin time
Practice: Rutland Veterinary
Salary: Circa £75,000 per annum (Depending on experience)

We’re seeking a Lead Veterinarian to partner with our Clinical Director in maintaining clinical excellence, supporting team growth, and contributing to the ongoing success of our practice.

Join us at the forefront of a brand-new purpose-built veterinary Hospital

If you're an experienced vet or ready to take the next step into leadership, this is the perfect opportunity to grow, lead, and thrive. come and join us!

Why join us

• This isn’t just another vet role it’s your chance to take the reins and truly shape something from the ground up
• As our lead vet you'll be stepping into a brand new hospital with modern facilities and the full support on an experienced, stable clinical team already in place.
• Lead with purpose in a practice that empowers you to make meaningful decisions, mentor others, and elevate standards of care.
• Varied caseload, everything from routine to more complex cases, giving you the chance to continually develop and grow
• Work alongside a dedicated, friendly team with a range of experience, including postgraduate certificates, who value collaboration and mentorship.
• You will have access to leadership training, CPD support and the freedom to explore your clinical interest.
• Well-equipped hospital with all the latest tools and a highly skilled nursing team to help deliver the best care possible.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, ambitious Lead Small Animal Vet to manage and oversee the day-to-day clinical case load and business operations at our brand-new hospital site in Melton Mowbray.

We will be moving our current practice in the town to our new premises, and a key part of this role will be to support this transition as we anticipate further growth through the expansion of our services.

Offering support and leadership to your colleagues along with mentorship to our graduates, you would strive to combine the provision of exceptional, bespoke and affordable care with progressive current best practice in veterinary medicine. Previous leadership experience is essential to performing this role. Due to PSS hospital status requirements, you would need to be a certificate holder.

Certificates are encouraged as our clients would much prefer an increase in our internal expertise. We have 6 certificate holders across the business with an advanced practitioner in small animal medicine along with a surgical certificate holder based at the other sites.

We offer a four-day week as a good work-life balance is essential to maintain the high demands of veterinary life. Time for administration will be built into your working week, and the diary is always adjusted to make way for important appointments, family events and emergencies.

The Team

Our administrative team, including HR, H&S and finance, is there to support and guide you in all the non-clinical aspects of the business.

We take pride in caring for our own patients out of hours on an equally shared rota, maximum of 1:5 though currently 1:9. Along with the Monday off after your on-call, the three-day weekend following this is popular among our team. Our experienced, dedicated night nurse team ensure we offer 24-hour on-site care, as well as taking the out-of-hours phone calls.

OOH duties will be for a limited time period, as once in the new building we will move to a fully dedicated night vet team.

We are members of the Linnaeus family; collaborating with other likeminded colleagues, sharing knowledge, ideas and skills.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, there will be plenty of opportunities to attend clinical, business and leadership meetings throughout the course of the year.

What we’re looking for

• A confident individual who can provide clinical leadership and support the veterinary team, promoting high standards or care and client services
• You will be a Certificate holder as a minimum requirement, ideally in medicine bias or imaging
• Help drive clinical governance and ensure compliance with practice protocols.
• Collaborate with the Clinical Director on rota planning, team wellbeing, and operational movements.
• Someone who enjoys supporting others, building team culture and leading with empathy and clarity.
• Clinical decision-making abilities, able to interpret diagnostics and make informed decisions.
• A team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment and remains calm under pressure.
• A confident, collaborative attitude that helps maintain a positive team culture and excellent client care relationship.

What we offer

• 5-weeks holiday plus bank holidays and birthday leave
• Relocation support
• RCVS and VDS fees paid
• Employer contribution pension scheme
• Life assurance
• E-car salary sacrifice scheme
• Enhanced equal family leave
• Extensive internal and funded external CPD

At Linnaeus, we are committed to supporting the physical and mental health of all our Associates. We have an experienced team of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) across our practices and central support office in addition to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme which is available for everyone.

If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch with Vicky Tanday [e-mail]