Lead Veterinary Surgeon

About the Role

This is a permanent full-time leadership opportunity at an established, multi-site small animal practice across Lancashire and South Cumbria. You’ll be based primarily at the Lancaster site, working 36 hours per week with consistent days off, alongside 4.5 FTE vets and a strong nursing and support team. You’ll never be sole charge on weekdays—there’s always another vet on site—making this an ideal role for someone transitioning into leadership without the pressure of working alone. The practice sees its own clients out-of-hours, ensuring continuity of care.

Your week will balance consulting, routine surgery, and leadership responsibilities, with access to modern facilities including a CT scanner, digital imaging, and advanced surgical suites. You’ll have the opportunity to mentor experienced vets and certificate holders, develop your clinical interests, and work within a collaborative, teaching-focused culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality clinical care through a balance of consultations and routine surgeries
• Lead the veterinary team, supporting clinical excellence and best practice
• Mentor and develop vets and certificate holders, fostering a culture of learning and knowledge-sharing
• Contribute to practice financial success and operational efficiency
• Support client relations and ensure excellent patient care standards
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives across the practice
• Share on-call duties via a manageable 1:10 rota (7 nights on call with no day work, except Saturday morning, plus 1:10 Weekends (Days only))

Requirements

• RCVS registered veterinary surgeon with solid clinical experience
• Confident and competent with routine surgical procedures
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; approachable and genuinely collaborative
• Keen to maintain a healthy balance between consulting and surgical work
• Passion for quality improvement and clinical excellence
• Leadership experience desirable but not essential—the right attitude and problem-solving abilities matter most

Benefits

• Salary up to £65,000 per annum, depending on experience
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays and birthday leave
• RCVS and VDS fees paid
• CPD allowance with 4 days per year to attend events, plus access to the Linnaeus CPD Programme (including certificate holder level training)
• Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD library
• Career progression opportunities
• Staff discount schemes
• Life assurance and enhanced sickness pay
• Enhanced equal family leave
• E-car salary sacrifice scheme and cycle to work scheme
• Comprehensive wellness programme including employee assistance programme, eyecare vouchers, and free annual flu jab
• Recruitment referral reward scheme

About the Practice

Bay Vets is a well-established, close-knit team operating four RCVS-accredited small animal sites across Lancashire and South Cumbria, including a 24-hour main site in Lancaster and a CT-equipped branch in Milnthorpe. The practice is known for clinical excellence, compassionate care, and a collaborative, teaching-focused culture. The team includes several certificate holders in surgery, imaging, and medicine, and the practice is proud of its collaborative approach to mentoring and knowledge-sharing. You’ll be joining two long-standing Clinical Directors and colleagues who are always willing to support one another.

Bay Vets is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary Health, the largest family-owned veterinary company in the world. Linnaeus is driven by its purpose to create a better world for pets—starting with a better world for its people. The organisation offers access to a global network of specialists, worldwide development opportunities, and a comprehensive wellbeing package prioritising both physical and mental health.