Veterinary Surgeon – Exotics

About the Role

You’ll be joining Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital’s expanding Exotics and Zoo Medicine Service, working alongside an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. Your caseload will blend first opinion and referral exotic pets with routine and emergency zoo visits across multiple zoological collections—from large safari parks to smaller specialist collections and educational institutions. Your day might involve exotic pet consultations, medical and surgical workups, and scheduled zoo site visits. Minimal small animal (dog/cat) work may be required. There’s no night-time out-of-hours commitment, though you’ll share a rota to cover zoo emergencies during working hours.

Based on the edge of a beautiful Cotswold market town, you’ll work a flexible 40-hour week typically spread across four days (08:30–19:00), plus a 1:5 Saturday rota (08:30–14:00). The practice genuinely prioritises flexibility—whether you need school pickups, reduced hours during holidays, or a completely bespoke schedule, they’ll work with you to get it right.

A postgraduate qualification in Zoological Medicine is preferred, but hands-on experience with exotic pets and zoological collections is what matters most. The practice will also consider visa sponsorship and offers relocation and welcome bonuses for the right candidate.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver first opinion and referral exotic pet consultations and clinical care
• Conduct medical and surgical workups for exotic and zoo animals
• Carry out scheduled routine visits and emergency cover for multiple zoological collections across the region
• Contribute to the practice’s expanding zoo medicine service alongside the Specialist in Zoo & Wildlife Medicine
• Participate in the working-hours zoo rota system
• Support the wider mixed-practice team with occasional small animal cases as required

Requirements

• Qualified Veterinary Surgeon registered with the RCVS
• Proven experience with exotic pet medicine and/or zoological collections
• Postgraduate qualification in Zoological Medicine (preferred but not essential)
• Strong clinical knowledge across a range of exotic species
• Ability to work flexibly and as part of a collaborative team
• Enthusiasm for continuous professional development

Benefits

• Relocation allowance: Up to £5,000
• Welcome bonus: Up to £5,000 (pro rata) for new hires
• Visa sponsorship: Available if required
• Annual leave: 6.6 weeks plus additional holiday for your birthday
• CPD: £1,250 allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave (pro rata)
• Professional fees: BVA membership, VDS cover, and RCVS fees covered
• Pension: Company scheme with employer contribution
• Private Medical Insurance and 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced family-friendly policies: Maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and surrogacy pay
• Learning: Certificate support, access to IVC Evidensia Academy, and Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia
• Research funding: Vets and Nurses can apply
• Care Fund: £1,250 per annum for personal professional development
• Green commute schemes: Cycle to Work and Green Cars schemes (subject to eligibility)
• Voluntary benefits: Flexible range of additional benefits to suit your needs
• Retail discounts and cashback through hundreds of participating retailers
• Discounted pet treatment: At any IVC Evidensia practice

About the Practice

Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital is a truly mixed practice with an unusually broad scope of expertise. As an RCVS Tier 3 accredited hospital established in 1976, it provides veterinary care across dogs, cats, small domestic animals, farm species, camelids, horses, game birds, reptiles, parrots, birds of prey, and zoo animals. The hospital sits on the edge of a charming historic market town with local boutique shops and traditional pubs, while remaining just minutes from stunning Cotswold countryside yet with strong transport links to Banbury, Oxford, and beyond.

The team comprises 15 Veterinary Surgeons, 14 Registered Veterinary Nurses, 5 Student Registered Nurses, and 5 Animal Nursing Assistants, all working in a purpose-built, excellently equipped facility. Alongside the RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo & Wildlife Medicine, the team includes Advanced Practitioners in Small Animal Medicine and Emergency & Critical Care, with regular visits from a referral dermatologist. The hospital boasts a full laboratory, DR X-ray, dental X-ray, 64-slice CT scanner, flexible and rigid endoscopes, colour Doppler ultrasound, full orthopaedic kit, slit lamp, tonometer, and more. The practice is an RCVS registered veterinary nurse training facility and affiliated with the University of Bristol Veterinary School for veterinary student EMS placements. It’s part of IVC Evidensia.