Veterinary Surgeon - Small Animal

The Barn Veterinary Practice, Copdock; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Part time

Job summary

Join a dedicated team at a well-respected veterinary practice known for its strong community ties and exceptional staff retention. This role offers a flexible 2.5-day work week with a supportive environment that values work-life balance. You'll be part of a practice that prioritizes patient care and employee wellbeing, with opportunities for professional development and further study. Enjoy a competitive salary up to £75,000 pro-rata, alongside generous benefits including annual leave, private medical insurance, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. If you’re passionate about animal care and want to make a difference, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

6.6 weeks annual leave

Private medical insurance

Cycle to Work scheme

CPD allowance

Discounted treatment for pets

Company pension scheme

Access to discounts with retailers

Qualifications

• Qualified veterinary professionals with experience in small animal care.
• Candidates with additional certifications are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-opinion veterinary care for pets.
• Collaborate with a team to ensure high-quality patient care.

Skills

Veterinary Medicine

Surgery

Diagnostic Imaging

Ophthalmology

Cardiology

Education

Veterinary Degree

Tools

Veterinary Equipment

Job description

Why would you want to work at The Barn?

Let’s face it, there’s plenty of choice in the job market currently, so finding the right practice for you is essential. At the Barn, we think we’ve got it pretty good, but you can be the judge of that. We’re a relatively small team with 7.5 FTE vets, 7 RVNs, 8 support staff and our practice manager. Many, if not most of our staff have been here, 10, 20, dare we say 30 years, which we see as a sign it’s a pretty good place to be. This year we won a regional award for our high staff retention.

We’re a successful first-opinion practice with all the usual equipment and a very competent and experienced team. We currently have certificate holders in small animal surgery, diagnostic imaging, and ophthalmology. One of the team members is also part-way through completing a certificate in cardiology. Our nursing team comprises fully qualified RVNs with many years of experience.

As a practice, we have strong values and are known locally as a team that goes above and beyond for pets who need our help. We have strong affiliations with local and national charities and provide 3 off-site charity clinics per week. This approach to the care of our patients gives us a wide-ranging and loyal client base and has ultimately led to us outperforming other local practices whilst still maintaining our ethos, something of which we are very proud of.

Where would you be working?

Our main practice is set in a beautiful rural location, surrounded by fields. You’re welcome to bring your dog(s) to work, and we often go on lunchtime country walks straight from the door of the practice. Did we mention that we are closed for lunch? We’ve found an hour of peace and quiet over lunchtime is invaluable. The practice itself is a converted barn, as you might have guessed. High ceilings, oak beams and a rather cosy coal fire in the waiting room in winter. Our branch practice is rather more hustle and bustle. The busier of the two practices, Ashcroft Road, is a converted residential building with 2 consulting rooms and a theatre, here we see more routine cases and have a high throughput of patients. Our vets work between both sites to give daily variety and also allow us to see our regular patients at both surgeries.

What hours will you be working?

The vacancy officially opens in April 2025 when one of our vets retires, but we are happy to look at an earlier start to suit you. We would ideally like a colleague to join us and work a 2.5-day week. This would consist of 2 full days and a short 3-hour shift on a Saturday morning. We would however consider someone needing more hours if the right candidate came along. The full days would ideally be either a Wednesday and Friday or a Monday and Friday. Again, we can be flexible for the right candidate. On both days, your finish time would be 7 pm. This role does not involve out-of-hours work.

What’s on offer?

To start, your salary can be up to £75k pro-rata (based on a 40hr week), depending on your level of experience and whether you have any further qualifications. We’d be more than happy to support further study, if that’s something you’re interested in. In addition to your salary, if you need to stay past the end of the day to treat a patient, you will be entitled to a bonus payment based on 1/3rd of any professional fees charged. This is a nice little extra at the end of the month! This is in addition to all the standard benefits on offer as an employee of IVC Evidensia.

What are you waiting for?

If you’re interested, we’d be more than happy for you to come and meet the team. We’re a laid-back bunch and genuinely enjoy working together.

Because our people matter

We recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from;

Work life balance

1. 6.6 weeks annual leave
2. Additional holiday entitlement for your birthday

Wellbeing

1. Private medical insurance
2. Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
3. Cycle to Work scheme
4. Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing
5. Non-accidental injury support

Development

1. £1250 CPD allowance with 5 days paid pro rata
2. Certificate support
3. Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
4. Access to Vetlexicon - our online encyclopaedia provider
5. All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding
6. All our Vets get £1000 per annum to spend via our Care Fund
7. Infection Prevention and Control Programme
8. Quality Improvement Programme

Professional Memberships

1. BVA membership
2. VDS cover

Colleague Benefits

1. Company pension scheme. IVC Evidensia will make a contribution as well
2. Supporting a greener commute to work with a Cycle to Work scheme and Green Cars Scheme, subject to eligibility criteria
3. Voluntary benefits: we give you the flexibility to choose from a range of voluntary benefits to suit you
4. Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers
5. Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice

At IVC Evidensia we are committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

Up to £75,000 DOE