Senior Veterinary Surgeon

Senior Veterinary Surgeon – Emergency & Critical Care (ECC)

Location: Chesterfield
Salary: Up to £85,000 DOE
Bonus: £10,000 Welcome Bonus + up to £5,000 Relocation Allowance
Contract Type: Full-time or part-time, Permanent

Your purpose. Our passion.

At Vets Now, we believe that when your purpose is to make a difference, you deserve a team that shares your passion. In our Chesterfield clinic, we’re looking for a Head/Lead Veterinary Surgeon to 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.

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

We look after you, so you can look after them, by offering a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Up to £85,000 salary DOE pro rata
• £10,000 Recognition Bonus pro rata
• Up to £5,000 Relocation Allowance
• 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.

Ready to Lead with Purpose?

If you’d like to visit the clinic or chat about the role before applying, contact Anne in our Talent Team at [email protected]

Inclusion & Accessibility

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability or health condition, we’re committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.