Veterinary Surgeon – Small Animal (12-Month FTC)

About the Role

Note: This is a 12-month fixed-term contract (FTC) position.

This is a 12-month fixed-term contract position on a flexible part-time basis (30 hours per week), designed to fit around your lifestyle rather than the other way around. Whether you need hours around rush hour or a term-time only arrangement, you’ll have genuine flexibility to make this role work for you. There are no overnight out-of-hours shifts—just Saturday mornings on a manageable 1:3 rota.

You’ll join a long-established practice (over 70 years old) in the Farnworth area, conveniently positioned between Bolton, Manchester, and Wigan. The team is led by a forward-thinking Clinical Director with specialist interests in medicine, and you’ll have the opportunity to develop skills in orthopaedics, cardiology, and soft tissue surgery alongside the practice’s experienced vets.

Darley House Vets is built on a collaborative culture that values clinical excellence and genuine human connection—both within the team and with the local community. This is a place where your development matters, and where senior staff members have stayed for decades because they actually want to be here.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver small animal veterinary care across general medicine and surgery for dogs, cats, and small pets
• Work alongside 2 experienced vets and a Clinical Director with particular expertise in surgical and medical specialisms
• Contribute to a collaborative team environment with 5 nursing staff and established support structures
• Engage with professional development opportunities in orthopaedics, cardiology, and soft tissue surgery
• Support the practice’s community-focused mission and local relationships

Requirements

• Qualified veterinary surgeon registered with the RCVS
• Small animal veterinary experience (level of experience not specified—enquire if new graduate interested)
• Collaborative approach to teamwork and client care

Benefits

• Salary & Flexibility: Up to £65,000 FTE (pro rata for 30-hour week), with genuinely flexible rota patterns to suit your needs
• Leave: 6.6 weeks annual leave inclusive of bank holidays (pro rata), plus additional holiday on your birthday
• Professional Development: £1,250 CPD allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave (pro rata); access to IVC Evidensia Academy; Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia access; certificate support; research funding eligibility for vets
• Professional Memberships: BVA membership, VDS cover, and RCVS fees all covered
• Health & Wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance; 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme; enhanced family-friendly policies (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, surrogacy pay); wellbeing initiatives
• Financial & Pension: Company pension scheme with employer contribution; £1,250 annual Care Fund allowance per vet; voluntary benefits scheme; retail discounts and cashback; Cycle to Work scheme; Green Cars Scheme
• Pet Care: Discounted treatment for your own pets at any IVC Evidensia practice

About the Practice

Darley House Veterinary Centre is an established small animal practice serving Farnworth and the wider Bolton area for over 70 years. The practice is part of IVC Evidensia, a major UK veterinary group operating from premises with modern facilities including X-ray, ultrasound, endoscope, cryo-pen, and dental X-ray (pending installation).

The team culture is distinctive: several staff members have been at Darley House for 20+ years or longer, including a Head Nurse with 30+ years’ service and a Practice Manager with 20 years in post. This stability reflects a genuine commitment to supporting its people. The practice prides itself on being a core part of its local community, valuing social and cultural experiences both within the team and beyond clinical walls. It’s a family-oriented workplace where flexibility, kindness, and compassion are embedded in how they work—with clients, with each other, and with their patients.