Senior Ward Nurse – Clinical Area Lead

Pennard Vets; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership

4-day working week

5 weeks holiday + bank holidays

Birthday off when rota’d

Medicash health plan

Pension with life cover

EAP and Mental Health First Aiders

Pet Health Care Scheme

Staff Refer-a-friend bonus

Job summary

Pennard Vets in Sevenoaks, UK, is seeking an experienced Senior Ward Nurse to step into a Clinical Area Lead role. You will oversee wards, own a clinical specialty, mentor nurses and shape how care is delivered with a seat at the table in strategic discussions.

This is a genuine leadership opportunity in a clinically led practice. Hybridity or blended leadership is part of the role as you collaborate with the Hospital Director and Practice Manager to drive change, while protecting what works

Qualifications

• Experienced RVN with leadership ambitions and clinical credibility.
• Ability to mentor and develop junior nursing staff.
• Open to driving change and process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Oversee inpatient care on the wards and maintain high standards.
• Lead on a clinical area and set practice standards.
• Mentor and develop nurses and contribute to strategic discussions with senior leaders.
• Bridge referral-level and first opinion care while encouraging collaboration.

Skills

RVN experience

Leadership

Mentoring

Change management

Education

RVN registration

Job description

Own Your Specialty. Grow Your Voice. Leave Your Mark.

• Salary Up to £35,000 DOE
• Contract Permanent
• Working hours 40 hours per week, across 4 days
• Location Sevenoaks, TN13
• Closing Date: 30 November 2026, midday

A clinically led independent, where good ideas actually go somewhere.

Have you ever sat in a meeting nodding politely while quietly thinking “we could fix this in an afternoon if anyone just let us”? If that rings a bell, keep reading.

We’re looking for a Senior Ward Nurse to step into a Clinical Area Lead role at our purpose-built hybrid hospital in Sevenoaks. You’ll lead on the wards and own a clinical specialty – consults, dentistry, feline medicine, whatever fits your strengths – with a genuine seat at the table when we’re shaping how things work. A professional home for someone with leadership ambitions and the clinical credibility to back them up.

What the role looks like

Day to day, you’ll be a senior presence on the wards: overseeing inpatient care, keeping standards high and the team steady when it gets busy. Alongside that, your clinical area is yours. You’ll set the standards, drive improvements and make it something you’re proud of.

You’ll mentor and develop our nurses, contribute to strategic conversations alongside the Hospital Director and Practice Manager, and be an ambassador for change while protecting what’s already working. That means explaining the why and bringing people with you.

Referral-level thinking, first opinion heart

Our hybrid model means referral-level care alongside first opinion. Mixing the two has its challenges, but the team has stepped up, and many referral-level pathways are now standard for our first opinion patients too. You don’t need to have aced both. You do need to be open to different views and enjoy bridging the gap.

The kit to do it properly

Three dedicated theatres, separate dog, cat and exotics wards, a dental suite, hydrotherapy, and full imaging including CT and MRI, plus digital cytology and in-house labs. We share our site with South East Veterinary Referrals, so RCVS‑recognised specialists are right on your doorstep. We’re also quick to invest in new tech and equipment when it makes life better.

Why independent matters

We’re independent and clinically led. If you want to do something differently, we can have a conversation about it. There’s no multi‑layered approval chain, and nobody treats you like you can’t be trusted with grown‑up decisions. If it’s a good idea, let’s make a plan.

You’ll fit right in if you…

• Are an experienced RVN with leadership ambitions and the clinical chops to back them up
• Lead with kindness, clarity and a little humour, and stay steady when things get busy
• Genuinely enjoy developing other people and watching them outgrow you
• Thrive in “we’ve always done it that way” situations: you don’t bulldoze, but you don’t roll over either
• Aren’t afraid of new tech, and like a good process redesign when it’s needed

What’s in it for you

• A real stake: at Pennard, every member of the team is an employee owner of the practice
• Growth: real investment in your CPD and leadership development. This is a stepping stone, not a ceiling
• CPD: unlimited (subject to Director approval)
• Fees: professional fees covered, including RCVS and VDS
• Rota: 4-day working week
• Leave: 5 weeks’ holiday plus bank holidays, rising by an extra week after 5 years, and your birthday off if you’re rota’d to work
• Health: Medicash health cash plan for you and your family, covering things like dental and optical (after probation)
• Security: pension scheme (after 3 months) and Group Life Assurance worth 4× salary, including access to specialist bereavement counselling
• Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, trained Mental Health First Aiders on site, and free access to Vetlife
• Family: enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental pay (after 2 years’ service)
• Pets: optional staff Pet Health Care Scheme (£11/month for cats, £11.50/month for dogs)
• Refer-a-friend bonus if you bring someone great with you

Pennard Vets is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of background.

About Pennard Vets

At Pennard Vets, every member of our team is an employee owner of the practice, committed to ensuring our service goes beyond the ordinary. We’re creating an environment that looks after the people that look after the pets. We’re 125 years old, and by operating in this way, we’ll continue to grow for the next 125 years, and beyond.