Head Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

You’ll be leading the nursing team at Midland Veterinary Surgery in Leyton, a well-established practice that’s been serving the community since the 1970s. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week, Monday to Friday with a 1:4 Saturday morning rota—no overnight or Sunday commitments), though the practice is flexible about part-time arrangements too. The role offers you a genuine opportunity to grow into clinical leadership: managing team rotas, holiday requests, and return-to-work processes while overseeing nurse consultations, anaesthesia, and patient care alongside the Clinical Director and Practice Manager.

Based in East London and easily accessible from Essex with excellent transport links next to Leyton Midland Road station, you’ll be working in a practice equipped with modern in-house laboratory facilities, a dedicated theatre, digital radiography, dental x-ray, and three consulting rooms. The team around you includes four RVNs, two care assistants, five vets (including two part-time Clinical Directors), reception staff, and a Practice Manager—a collaborative environment where your leadership will genuinely make a difference.

You’ll play a key role in developing the nursing team, including supporting colleagues with schedule 3 procedures and professional development. The practice actively encourages CPD and certificate funding, giving you scope to shape the future direction of nursing care.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support the nursing team of four RVNs and two care assistants, fostering professional development and clinical excellence
• Manage team rotas, holiday requests, and return-to-work processes to ensure smooth daily operations
• Oversee and conduct nurse consultations, anaesthesia management, and patient care within the practice’s three consulting rooms and theatre
• Work collaboratively with the Clinical Director and Practice Manager to develop and grow practice services
• Support colleagues in undertaking schedule 3 procedures and continuing professional development
• Ensure clinical standards and RCVS accreditation requirements are maintained
• Identify and champion learning opportunities and CPD initiatives within the team

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with current RCVS registration
• Proven experience in nursing leadership or team management (or demonstrable readiness to step into this role)
• Strong clinical knowledge and hands-on experience in small animal nursing
• Excellent communication and mentoring skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work collaboratively with vets and practice management
• Commitment to professional development and continuous improvement

Benefits

• Competitive Salary: Up to £41,000 DOE, plus relocation allowance up to £2,500 and welcome bonus up to £2,000
• Work-Life Balance: 6.6 weeks annual leave plus increasing holiday based on length of service; your birthday as a paid day off
• Professional Development: £550 CPD allowance with 24 hours paid pro rata; certificate support; access to IVC Evidensia Academy; Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia; research funding opportunities
• Wellbeing Support: Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay; private medical insurance; cycle to work scheme; discounted gym membership; non-accidental injury support
• Professional Memberships: VDS cover and RCVS fees covered
• Additional Perks: Annual parking pass; Pawsome Benefits (discounts and cashback with 100s of retailers); pension scheme (5% employee / 3% employer); discounted staff pet care

About the Practice

Midland Veterinary Surgery has been a fixture in the Leyton community since the 1970s, built on a foundation of high-quality general practice care. The practice is RCVS-accredited and fully equipped with modern in-house laboratory, dedicated theatre, digital radiography, dental x-ray facilities, and three consulting rooms. With support from a visiting ultrasonographer and a certificate-holder surgeon for complex cases, the practice punches above its weight in terms of clinical capability.

The practice is part of IVC Evidensia, a leading veterinary group committed to investing in people, premises, and processes. The team is genuinely supportive—five vets, four RVNs, two care assistants, and administrative staff all working together to deliver excellent care for dogs, cats, and small pets. The practice is Rabbit Friendly accredited.