Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Job Description

Introduction

Our Client’s is preparing to open a brand-new, independently owned small animal veterinary clinic with a clear charitable mission in Exeter and is looking for a Veterinary Surgeon to come in as Lead Vet and become its first key clinical hire.

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced vet to join at the very beginning of the practice journey and play a major part in shaping the clinical standards, patient care, client experience, team culture and future direction of the clinic. The practice will be built around a purpose-led model where profits are used for charitable purposes, with future plans to support animal welfare projects and partnerships with both international and local animal charities.

Working Hours / Rota

This is a permanent, full-time role working 5 days per week. Initially, the practice will be closed on the weekend, with no out-of-hours or bank holiday work required and as any emergencies referred to the out-of-hours provider. This may be subject to change as the practice grows.

Role Description

This Lead Vet role will involve delivering high-quality small animal first opinion care while taking a central role in developing the clinical side of a brand-new practice. The successful candidate will help shape clinical protocols, ways of working, equipment use, case standards, client journey and the wider team culture.

Day-to-day duties will include consultations, diagnostics, medical case management, routine surgery, clinical decision-making and supporting the development of the wider clinical team as the practice grows. This role would suit someone who enjoys clinical autonomy, is confident in making decisions and is motivated by the opportunity to build something from the ground up.

The Lead Vet will be trusted to bring clinical knowledge, judgement and leadership to the practice. This makes the role particularly well suited to a vet who wants genuine input, responsibility and influence rather than stepping into a fixed structure.

Team Size

The team is expected to initially consist of the Lead Vet, an additional full-time Vet, 1 Head Nurse/Practice Manager, 1 RVN and 2 part-time receptionists. As this is a new clinic, the Lead Vet will have the opportunity to help influence team culture, clinical standards and ways of working from an early stage.

Practice Details

The practice is being created with a clear charitable purpose at its core. The intention is for a percentage of profits to be used to support animal welfare causes, including future projects focused on TNR programmes, stray animal populations and partnerships with both local and international charities. This gives the successful Lead Vet the chance to be part of something genuinely values-led, where the clinical work contributes not only to the pets and clients seen in practice, but also to a wider animal welfare mission.

A key part of this mission will also be the opportunity for staff to access additional paid volunteering leave after a qualifying period, enabling them to take part in animal volunteering missions. For a vet who wants their role to have a wider impact beyond traditional first opinion practice, this is a particularly unique opportunity.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be an experienced small animal Vet Surgeon with 5+ years’ UK experience who is confident working in a senior clinical role. They will be comfortable taking ownership of clinical standards, supporting the development of the practice and helping shape how care is delivered from the outset.

They will be a strong communicator, clinically confident and motivated by high-quality patient care. This role would suit someone who enjoys autonomy, values ethical and purpose-led veterinary work, and is excited by the opportunity to help build a new independent practice with a charitable focus.

The successful candidate should be keen to take on leadership responsibility, support colleagues as the team grows and work closely with the owner to create a positive, sustainable, and clinically robust practice.

Equipment

The clinic will have 2 consulting rooms, 1 operating theatre, a dedicated break room, natural light and free parking. Facilities will include blood analysers, cat ward, consulting rooms, dental suite, dental X-ray, diagnostics, digital X-ray, dog ward, MiLab machines, in-house lab, isolation suite and operating theatre.

As the practice is still in its early stages, the Lead Vet will also have the opportunity to provide input into the clinical layout, floor plan, workflow and how the space is used day to day. This is a strong opportunity for someone who wants to help design a practical, efficient and clinically focused working environment from the outset.

This is just some of the information about the job and company, but there will be more questions. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment is happy to get those questions answered for you during the recruiting process. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment is here to make the recruiting process simple and stress free.

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