
Ready to step up to lead vet and clinical director level? Join Shires Vets' expanding equine team in Staffordshire with a supportive, tight-knit group who genuinely back each other through busy days.
1-in-6 out-of-hours rota (currently 1-in-5 with GDP support); farm out-of-hours work included; time off in lieu provided for on-call duties.
This is a permanent, full-time position as an additional sixth veterinary surgeon at Shires Vets Farm, an ambulatory equine and farm practice based in the picturesque village of Eccleshall, Staffordshire. You'll be joining a close-knit, supportive team of five vets who are passionate about their work and deeply embedded in the local community. The caseload is biased towards equine (pleasure and local competition horses), with occasional farm calls and farm out-of-hours work covering dairy, beef, sheep, and smallholder clients. This role is ideal if you have 4-5 years of experience and are eager to progress towards a lead vet or clinical director position while mentoring younger team members.
Your typical working day runs 08:30 to 17:00 (with a half-hour unpaid lunch), and you'll eventually work a 1-in-6 out-of-hours rota (currently 1-in-5 with GDP support). Time off in lieu is provided for on-call duties, and the practice prioritises work-life balance alongside clinical excellence.
The team is known for their fantastic sense of humour, progressive outlook, and willingness to collaborate on complex cases. You'll be contributing to a practice that sponsors local events like Eccleshall Show and puts on regular client education evenings.
Shires Vets is a five-vet ambulatory equine and farm practice in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, part of the Linnaeus group (itself part of Mars Veterinary Health, the world's largest family-owned veterinary company). The practice is known for its supportive team culture, progressive clinical approach, and strong ties to the local community, sponsoring events like Eccleshall Show and Eccleshall in Bloom and running regular client education evenings.
The practice is equipped with industry-standard ambulatory equipment: portable digital battery x-ray, videoscope (respiratory and gastroscope), oroscope, laser, motorised dental kits, shock wave therapy, tendon/abdominal/rectal scanners, bull and ram fertility testing kit, in-house lab for blood profiles and worm egg counts, and facilities for post-mortem and small ruminant surgery. The equine business is expanding rapidly, and the team actively collaborates with other Mars horse care companies such as Spillers for nutritional advice and weighbridge clinics.