Surgical Veterinary Surgeon

CVS Vets; Southampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RCVS & VDS fees paid

Generous CPD allowance

Up to 33 days holiday

Relocation package

Visa support

Wellbeing programmes

Staff pet care discounts

Job summary

CVS Animed Veterinary Hospital in Shedfield, near Southampton, seeks a Surgical Veterinary Surgeon to lead our surgical program. You will mentor colleagues, manage complex cases, and uphold high clinical standards within a supportive team environment.

The role emphasizes autonomy in surgery, with ongoing professional development and a culture of shared excellence. A senior pathway or certificate is valued, with opportunities for leadership in a thriving network.

Qualifications

• Qualified veterinary surgeon with active registration.
• Experience in soft‑tissue and orthopaedic surgery preferred.
• Mentor and support junior team members.
• No line management responsibilities included.

Responsibilities

• Lead the surgical process across our group.
• Take lead on challenging cases and drive clinical standards.
• Mentor and support team development.
• Collaborate with Senior Vets to deliver best patient care.

Skills

Surgical expertise

Mentoring

Clinical autonomy

Team collaboration

Education

Veterinary degree

Surgical certification (cert holder or in progress)

Tools

Orthopaedic theatre

Laparoscopic equipment

Imaging suite

Job description

Location: AnimedVeterinary Hospital – Botley Road, Shedfield, Southampton, SO32 2JG

Contract: Permanent, Full time – 40 hours per week - 4x 10 hour days with a set day off each week. You would also be on our weekend rota (1:5 Saturday & Sunday).

Practice Type: First Opinion

At CVS, we put our colleagues first, giving you the support you need to provide the best possible care. From clinical to non‑clinical challenges, you'll always have the resources and teams alongside you. We'll be your biggest supporter – it's in our nature.

With market‑leading learning, on‑the‑job training, and collaboration with skilled colleagues, you'll have the tools to grow—whether you're building confidence early in your career or looking to deepen your expertise. From advancing in your current role to exploring new leadership or specialist pathways, we provide the support and opportunities to help you achieve your goals.

About you:

We're looking for a Surgical Veterinary Surgeon to join our Shedfield team. You will lead the surgical process across our group. This will require strong surgical skills, alongside the ability to mentor and support other team members with their development. No line management responsibilities are included as part of the role, but you will work closely with our Senior Vets. This role will be suitable for a surgery certificate holder or someone studying towards this.

Working within a culture where clinicians are empowered to make the best decisions, where improvement is encouraged and where best practice is shared, you will be:

• Driven by shared passion to provide the best possible care to animals, you are committed to delivering outstanding care to support our patients and their owners.
• Confident in your clinical skills, you will be able to take the lead on surgical and medical cases, and carry out diagnostic investigations with precision.
• Keen to develop, you are committed to gaining further confidence in clinical skills so that you can manage or lead on different case types.
• A natural mentor and team player, you will enjoy supporting and inspiring all colleagues to help them thrive.
• Client care comes naturally to you, you know how to create a positive, reassuring experience that builds trust and long‑lasting relationships.
• As an experienced vet, you will bring a strong level of clinical autonomy and be comfortable handling a varied caseload, offering guidance to the wider team and contributing to shaping clinical standards.

Life at Animed Veterinary Hospital

Animed Veterinary Hospital is a small animal practice with a passionate team of vets, nurses, PCAs and receptionists. This is a unique chance to step into a well‑established practice with state‑of‑the‑art facilities, including:

• A dedicated orthopaedic theatre.
• Two fully equipped soft‑tissue theatres (both with laparoscopic equipment).
• A double dental suite.
• A dedicated imaging suite.
• Visiting CT.
• Separate wards for dogs, cats and exotic pets.

Our team is close‑knit, supportive and enthusiastic about sharing knowledge across multiple disciplines. You'll be part of a team of 16 day vets & 3 night vets, which include cert holders in Diagnostic Imaging, Cardiology, Medicine, Endoscopy & endoscopic surgery. We also have 34 clinical, 18 reception and 5 admin staff as part of our wider team, so plenty of people to call on for support.

The benefits

• RCVS & VDS fees paid in full.
• Generous CPD allowance, BSAVA library access, 450+ courses and fully funded postgraduate qualifications (CertAVP, PgCert) with tuition, exams and study leave covered.
• Up to 33 days holiday (with option to buy/sell).
• Relocation package and visa fees covered (where applicable).
• Access to Vet Oracle telemedicine specialists, Advanced Clinical Services Network and Regional Clinical Leads for case support and mentoring.
• Health cash plan, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Champions and enhanced family leave policies.
• Staff pet care discounts – 50% off services, MiPet food and medications.

Join us at CVS

We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to do their best work. We foster an inclusive and equitable workplace, where diverse perspectives are invited and people feel safe to speak up.

Wellbeing support is always available, from monthly line‑manager check‑ins to our network of 400 Wellbeing Champions, Pastoral Support Vets and personal mentors. We offer leading benefits and policies, such as our Health Shield which provides support for physical and mental health.

Our aim is to free up clinical colleagues to do what they do best, so we offer practices a wide range of operational support. Central expert HR, recruitment, payroll, IT, finance, procurement teams are on hand to support with all aspects relating to the smooth running of each practice.

We prioritise investment in our facilities, delivering significant enhancements across numerous practices through a dedicated multi‑million‑pound improvement fund.

For further details or an informal chat, please contact Emily in the recruitment team at [e-mail].