Head Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

An exciting opportunity to step into a head nursing leadership role at a well-established small animal practice in South Wales. You’ll lead a collaborative nursing team at the main Bridgend Hospital—a purpose-built facility with RCVS hospital status and Gold-level Cat Friendly accreditation—while working full-time on a 15-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave.

This is a role for an experienced, confident RVN with genuine leadership flair. You’ll work alongside another head nurse and two deputy nurses, supporting the veterinary surgeons and practice management team to deliver clinical excellence and foster a positive, supportive workplace. You’ll be hands-on too—staying actively involved in nursing duties, developing your own clinical interests, and keeping your skills sharp across a wide variety of medical and surgical cases.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the nursing team; conduct progress reviews, probations, and 1-to-1s
• Oversee daily nursing tasks and maintain high clinical standards in line with RCVS guidelines
• Stay actively involved in clinical nursing work to develop your own skills and interests
• Manage nursing rota scheduling and conflict resolution within the team
• Oversee nurse training and support student development across the practice
• Ensure practice policies and welfare standards are up to date and compliant with Professional Standards Scheme
• Support stock control, equipment maintenance, and clinical audits
• Facilitate excellent patient care and client communication
• Serve as a key contact within the clinical team alongside other nursing management
• Champion a collaborative, supportive team culture based on learning and inclusion

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with proven leadership experience
• Confident, proactive, and self-motivated with strong people management skills
• Commitment to high clinical and welfare standards and RCVS compliance
• Excellent communication and conflict resolution abilities
• Ability to balance hands-on clinical work with management responsibilities

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• 6 weeks paid holiday (including bank holidays)
• £600 annual CPD allowance plus 3 days fully paid CPD (pro-rata)
• RCVS membership paid, plus one additional professional membership subscription
• Health Shield: wide-ranging contributions for health and wellbeing (dentistry, sports massage, counselling, GP anytime)
• VDS cover
• Company sick pay
• Colleague discount scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• One paid volunteer day per year
• Buy and Sell holiday scheme
• Life insurance

About the Practice

Maes Glas Vets is a small animal practice based in South Wales with a main hospital branch in Bridgend and four additional branches across the region. The practice holds RCVS hospital status at Bridgend and Gold-level Cat Friendly accreditation from ISFM and RCVS. Several team members hold nursing and veterinary certificates, and the practice is recognised as a nursing training provider. The facility is purpose-built with modern equipment and all amenities.

The team prides itself on being friendly, supportive, and inclusive—a workplace where clinical excellence is paramount and no commercial targets are imposed on staff. The nursing team actively engages with a diverse range of medical and surgical cases, with genuine encouragement to develop special interests. Maes Glas is part of the VetPartners family, winners of Employer of the Year at the Press BusinessIQ Awards, and is committed to investing in staff development and wellbeing.