Veterinary Surgeon - St Albans

Creature-Comforts; St Albans; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

200 hours annual leave + birthday off

Salary sacrifice pension

£1,500 CPD budget

Healthcare incentive after 1 year

Career progression

Share options (probable)

Job summary

Creature Comforts is seeking an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to join our team. You will deliver high‑quality clinical services alongside the Clinical Director and veterinary team, with emphasis on patient outcomes, client communication, and professional development.

You will report to the Clinical Director and be proactive about your own learning, while helping to grow a new, adaptive clinic culture in the UK.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years' proven experience as a veterinary surgeon in first opinion practice.
• BVSc/BVM&S or equivalent is required and MRCVS registration or eligibility is essential.
• Experience in an RCVS-accredited practice is desirable.
• Leadership or mentoring experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality patient care across consultations, surgery, and case management.
• Collaborate with veterinary and nursing teams to ensure efficient, high-quality service.
• Conduct self-audits of outcomes and pursue improvements with the line manager.
• Maintain clinical standards per RCVS and Creature Comforts protocols.
• Contribute to clinical audits, quality improvement initiatives, and patient safety reporting (VetSafe).
• Ensure CPD requirements are met and share learning with the wider team.
• Deliver an outstanding client experience through clear, empathetic communication.
• Build strong relationships with clients and understand the Creature Comforts membership model.

Skills

Surgical competence

Clinical judgement

Communication skills

Evidence-based medicine

Advanced clinical skills

Dental radiography

Ultrasound basics

Education

BVSc/BVM&S

MRCVS eligibility

AVP in clinical discipline (Desirable)

Tools

Provet Cloud

Job description

About Creature Comforts

We are rebuilding the veterinary experience from the ground up, making access to care seamless, joyful, and genuinely personal for every pet and their owner.

With beautifully designed clinics and purpose-built technology, we are transforming how veterinary care is accessed and delivered. Our clinics combine modern design with first-class clinical care, creating spaces that vet teams, clients, and pets genuinely want to be in.

Our purpose is simple: healthier, happier pets and vets. We believe in a model that benefits everyone: our clinical teams, our members, our local communities, and our investors. That means competitive compensation, sensible caseloads, genuine career development, and a culture where people feel supported to do their best work.

We are building the vet group of the future. If you share our passion for doing things differently, we would love to hear from you.

As a Veterinary Surgeon at Creature Comforts, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality clinical services within your practice alongside your Clinical Director and veterinary team. You will be passionate about delivering the best possible outcomes for patients, clients, and colleagues, and you will have the communication skills and clinical judgement to make that happen. You will report to the Clinical Director and are expected to be proactive about your own professional development.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Excellence

• Deliver high-quality patient care across consultations, surgery, and case management
• Work alongside the veterinary and nursing teams to deliver a quality service efficiently
• Conduct self-audits of outcomes and proactively seek opportunities to improve in collaboration with your line manager
• Maintain clinical standards in line with RCVS requirements and Creature Comforts protocols
• Contribute to clinical audits, quality improvement initiatives, and patient safety reporting (VetSafe)
• Ensure CPD requirements are met and share learning appropriately with the wider team

Client Care and Member Experience

• Deliver an outstanding client experience through clear, empathetic communication at every interaction
• Obtain informed consent, provide fee estimates, and communicate treatment plans and diagnostic results in a timely manner
• Build strong, positive relationships with clients, understanding and valuing the Creature Comforts membership model
• Monitor and contribute to the practice earning positive reviews via Google, Trustpilot, and NPS, actively seeking client feedback and acting on it

Team and Culture

• Communicate clearly and collaborate effectively within the veterinary and practice teams
• Actively engage with formal appraisals and informal development conversations
• Champion development in others, coaching and mentoring where appropriate
• Ensure practice-wide communications and protocols are read and adopted promptly
• Raise suggestions or concerns through appropriate channels
• Create a collaborative clinical environment, working seamlessly with your veterinary colleagues on cases through active case discussion, support, and a unified clinical approach

Financial and Regulatory Compliance

• Understand and support correct charging, use of preferred products, and financial contribution to practice performance
• Respond to clinical elements of complaints promptly and in line with the complaints escalation process
• Comply with all relevant legislation, HR policies, GDPR, and Health & Safety requirements

Requirements

Experience

Essential

• At least 5 years' proven experience as a veterinary surgeon in first opinion practice

Desirable

• Experience in an RCVS-accredited practice
• Leadership or mentoring experience

Qualifications

Essential

• BVSc/BVM&S or equivalent
• MRCVS, or eligible to register

Desirable

• A certificate or AVP in a clinical discipline

Knowledge

Essential

• First opinion small animal clinical practice
• The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and CPD requirements
• Clinical governance and patient safety principles

Desirable

• Experience with a practice management system, such as Provet Cloud
• ECC (emergency and critical care) experience

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Confident with routine surgery and consultations
• Strong clinical judgement
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• An evidence-based approach to medicine

Desirable

• Advanced clinical skills
• Dental radiography
• Basic ultrasound

Personal qualities

Essential

• Self-motivated and committed to continuous learning
• A team player with a collaborative mindset
• Professional, empathetic and calm under pressure
• Integrity and honesty

Desirable

• An entrepreneurial spirit
• Interest in contributing to practice development, especially if you'd like to help shape a new clinic from the start

What We Offer

• 200 hours' annual leave plus bank holidays, and your birthday off after one year's service
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme (5% employee, 3% employer contribution)
• £1,500 CPD budget and 5 days CPD leave per year
• Access to our healthcare incentive after one year of employment
• Genuine career progression as we grow across London and beyond
• Upon successful completion of your probationary period, you may become eligible to participate in the Creature Comforts share options scheme, subject to the scheme rules and eligibility criteria in place at the time
• A supportive, inclusive culture where your development is taken seriously
• Regular team and company social events
• The opportunity to be part of something genuinely different in veterinary care
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Free snacks and lunch in clinic
• Monthly peer recognition schemes
• Celebrating clinic milestones

Equal Opportunities

At Creature Comforts, we believe the best teams are built from diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels genuinely welcome, respected, and able to do their best work, and we actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.