Senior Veterinary Surgeon - Emergency Out of Hours

IVC Evidensia; Chester; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Seven weeks’ pro rata annual leave

CPD allowance + paid CPD hours

RCVS fees, VECCS membership, and VDS

Private medical insurance

Enhanced maternity, paternity & adopt"

Leadership Development Programme

AdvantEdge clinical training

Pension contributions

Discounted pet care

Job summary

Vets Now Chesterfield is seeking an Out of Hours Veterinary Surgeon to lead the ECC team on a full-time basis. You will guide clinical excellence, mentor clinicians, and uphold high standards in emergency care across the clinic.

The role offers a £10,000 recognition bonus (pro-rata) and up to £5,000 relocation allowance for the right candidate, with a structured support network across UK clinics.

Qualifications

• Qualified Veterinary Surgeon registered with the RCVS.
• Experience leading ECC teams and managing clinical standards.
• Ability to mentor and develop veterinary clinicians.
• Willingness to work night shifts and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Drive and uphold clinical standards across the clinic.
• Support growth, training, and wellbeing of the veterinary team.
• Identify clinical development opportunities and shape team progression.
• Champion innovation and service improvement within the clinic.

Skills

Emergency & Critical Care

Leadership

Mentorship

Team collaboration

Education

Veterinary degree

RCVS registration

Job description

Vets Now Chesterfield are welcoming applications from Out of Hours (OOH) Veterinary Surgeons with a passion for Emergency & Critical Care to lead their team on a full-time basis. Vets Now is the UK’s leading provider of emergency veterinary care, with a nationwide network of out of hours clinics and 24/7 emergency hospitals. As part of Inspiring Vet Care, our teams make a difference to pets and their owners when they need us most.

At Vets Now, we believe that when your purpose is to make a difference, you deserve a team that shares your passion. We want to find someone who can lead from the front, inspiring clinical excellence and guiding a high-performing and collaborative team that supports pets and people when they need it most. In return, we can offer a £10,000 recognition bonus (pro-rata) and up to £5000 relocation allowance for the right candidate.

Chesterfield is a vibrant, family-friendly market town that offers an affordable lifestyle right on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Ranked as one of the most affordable market towns in England for people stepping onto the property ladder, Chesterfield is centrally located for road and rail access across the UK.

Lead with Clinical Excellence

As Senior Vet, You’ll Lead By Example By Blending Clinical Expertise With Mentorship And Collaboration. You’ll Set The Tone For Quality Care, Lead In Emergency Situations, And Support The Development Of Your Fellow Clinicians. You'll Have Responsibility For

• Driving and upholding clinical standards across the clinic
• Supporting the growth, training and wellbeing of your veterinary team
• Identifying clinical development opportunities and shaping team progression
• Championing innovation and service improvement within the clinic
• This is more than a job. This is a vital leadership role with real impact where your guidance helps shape the future of ECC, while making a difference to patients, clients, and colleagues every day.

Work-Life Balance That Works for You

This Full-time Role Averages 40 Hours Per Week, Including

• Nightshifts 1830-0900, Saturday dayshift 1200-1930 and Sunday dayshift 0830-1930
• 1:2 weekends (mix of nights and days)
• No more than three consecutive nights
• Shared bank holidays
• Protected time for leadership duties and meetings

We understand that life outside of work matters too. That’s why we offer flexibility and can explore part-time arrangements, depending on clinic requirements because your balance is our priority.

Rewarding Work, Your Way

Benefits

• Seven weeks’ pro rata annual leave
• £1,875 CPD allowance + 35 paid CPD hours (pro rata)
• RCVS fees, VECCS membership, and VDS cover
• Private medical insurance
• Family-friendly policies - enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption pay
• Leadership Development Programme
• Access to our AdvantEdge clinical training platform
• Standard pension contributions (5% employee / 3% employer)
• Up to 50% discounted pet care

Collaborative Spirit

You’re never alone at Vets Now: on-shift you’ll work alongside a registered vet nurse, an animal care assistant and a receptionist, and you can contact any of our clinics or referral centers across the UK at anytime, day or night, if needing to discuss a particular case or share ideas.

You’ll also be supported by our Support Office in Dunfermline, where our teams work behind the scenes to help you thrive. Our Call Handlers and Customer Care Advisors ensure you can focus on what matters most - your patients.

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

Salary up to £85,000 DOE

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.