Head of Reception

About the Role

You’ll take the helm of the reception function across Pool House’s four-site operation, leading a sizeable team and bringing structure, leadership and vision to the front-of-house experience. This is a full-time role (40 hours per week across five days) that includes weekend and bank holiday rota work, with shift patterns spanning 7:30am to 7:30pm Monday to Friday, plus weekend cover requirements.

The position sits primarily at the main Lichfield site but requires flexibility to spend time at the branches in Armitage, Burntwood and Mere Green. You’ll report directly to the Practice Manager and be part of the daily practice head meetings, shaping how the team operates and how clients experience the practice from their first call.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and mentor a large reception team across four small animal practice locations
• Handle roster planning, shift scheduling, holiday approvals and performance appraisals for the team
• Oversee reception administration including diary management, daily debt reconciliation and financial cashing up
• Answer incoming calls, triage patients over the phone, and manage client check-in at the front desk
• Process prescriptions, take payments, allocate and reconcile daily takings
• Set the tone for client service—be the welcoming, reassuring first face of the practice journey
• Identify and support CPD opportunities for your team members
• Attend practice head meetings and contribute to strategic decisions affecting the branches

Requirements

• Proven track record of managing a large team, ideally with 5+ years in a head/leadership role
• Previous experience in reception, veterinary reception or similar customer-facing team environment
• Clinical veterinary sector experience is highly valued (but not essential—full training will be provided)
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to juggle multiple priorities
• Excellent telephone manner and client-facing professionalism
• Flexibility to travel between multiple sites
• Ability to work weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis

Benefits

• Competitive salary up to £30,000 per annum
• 6.6 weeks annual leave plus an additional day added on your birthday
• Enhanced family-friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee wellbeing initiatives and support
• Non-accidental injury support
• Learning and development through the IVC Evidensia Academy
• Pawsome Benefits—reward gateway with discounts and cashback at hundreds of retailers
• Pension scheme
• Discounted staff pet care

About the Practice

Pool House Veterinary Hospital has been a cornerstone of the Lichfield community for many years, known for delivering high-quality small animal veterinary care. The practice benefits from fantastic facilities and a highly skilled support team that keeps operations running smoothly across all four branches. The staff are the heart of Pool House, working together to provide excellent care for dogs, cats and small pets.

Pool House is part of IVC Evidensia, one of the UK’s largest veterinary groups, giving the practice access to advanced clinical support, professional development resources and a network of specialist services—whilst maintaining its own character and community focus.