Head Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

Ashleigh Vets is seeking an experienced Registered Veterinary Nurse to step into a Head Nurse position at their busy small animal and exotic practice in South Manchester. This is a rare opportunity to combine clinical nursing with team leadership, mentoring colleagues whilst remaining actively involved in day-to-day patient care. You’ll work closely with the management team to ensure smooth operations and maintain the high clinical standards the practice is known for.

The role runs on a 40-hour week with a 4-day week averaged over a 5-week rota (or 5 days if preferred), giving you predictable time off. You’ll share weekend mornings on a 1-in-5 basis (Saturday 8am–12pm, Sunday 9am–11am) plus two bank holiday mornings annually. Weekday shifts vary between 8am–7:45pm, 8am–4:30pm, and 8am–4pm, with a rotating weekday off meaning you’ll enjoy a long four-day weekend (Friday to Monday) every five weeks. Any overtime can be taken as additional pay or time off in lieu.

Ashleigh Vets operates two sites: the main Chorlton branch offering small animal services alongside an Avian and Exotic Referral Clinic, and a dedicated cat-only clinic in Sale. The practice is RCVS Silver accredited, Rabbit Welfare Silver accredited, and staffed 24 hours with a dedicated out-of-hours team. This is the largest exotic referral practice in the North West whilst maintaining a busy and varied companion animal caseload.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the management team in the smooth day-to-day running of the practice
• Lead, mentor, and support a nursing team of 9 RVNs, many with exotic nursing credentials
• Assist with rota management, holiday requests, and return-to-work interviews
• Participate in management meetings and conduct team appraisals
• Maintain nursing protocols and clinical standards across both sites
• Deliver excellent patient care and client communication
• Perform inpatient care and monitoring alongside clinical duties
• Lead admissions, discharges, and theatre/anaesthesia work
• Conduct nurse consultations and manage ward nursing and recoveries
• Oversee pharmacy and clinical records management

Requirements

• RCVS Registered Veterinary Nurse qualification
• Strong clinical nursing skills with hands-on experience
• Confidence mentoring and supporting colleagues
• Organised and adaptable approach to working in a busy environment
• Genuine passion for delivering high standards of patient care
• Previous leadership experience desirable but not essential—attitude and team motivation matter most

Benefits

• Salary & Leave: Up to £40,000 DOE; 6.6 weeks annual leave plus increasing allowance with service; your birthday as a paid day off
• Wellbeing: Enhanced family-friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and surrogacy pay; Private Medical Insurance; Cycle to Work scheme; discounted gym membership; non-accidental injury support
• Development: £550 CPD allowance with 24 hours paid leave pro rata; in-house exotic animal training and external courses encouraged; exotic nursing certificate support; access to IVC Evidensia Academy; Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia; research funding opportunities; Infection Prevention and Control Programme; Quality Improvement Programme
• Professional Support: VDS cover; RCVS fees paid
• Additional Perks: Pawsome Benefits reward gateway (discounts and cashback with hundreds of retailers); Pension (5% employee, 3% employer contribution); discounted staff pet care

About the Practice

Ashleigh Vets has proudly served the pets of South Manchester for over 50 years, building a strong reputation for high-standard veterinary care delivered in a supportive and friendly environment. The practice operates two complementary sites: the main Chorlton branch combining small animal first opinion with an Avian and Exotic Referral Clinic, and a dedicated cat-only clinic in Sale.

The team comprises 11 Veterinary Surgeons (including an Exotic Diploma holder and two Exotic Certificate holders) and 9 Registered Veterinary Nurses, many with exotic nursing credentials or currently studying towards them. The practice is well-equipped to care for traditional companion animals and a wide variety of exotic species, and maintains 24-hour staffing with a dedicated out-of-hours team. As the largest exotic referral practice in the North West, Ashleigh Vets combines specialist expertise with a genuine commitment to its nursing team’s development and wellbeing.