Veterinary Surgeon – Weekend

About the Role

This is a weekend-focused ECC veterinary surgeon position at Vets Now Eastbourne, a busy emergency clinic serving the South East coast. You’ll join a supportive team of vets, nurses, and support staff, with dedicated central support teams backing you up so you can focus entirely on patient care. The role typically involves every second weekend of Friday, Saturday and Sunday night shifts (19:00–09:00), plus a fair share of bank holidays—though the exact number of shifts you work is flexible and can be discussed to suit both your lifestyle and clinic needs.

Located in Eastbourne with its scenic beaches and vibrant amenities, this is ideal if you’re seeking ECC experience without full-time commitment. You’ll benefit from continuous one-to-one mentorship throughout your time here, helping you develop clinical confidence in a high-energy emergency setting.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide emergency and critical care to small animals presenting out-of-hours
• Work collaboratively with the nursing team and support staff to deliver high-quality patient outcomes
• Conduct clinical assessments, diagnostics, and emergency stabilisation
• Contribute to a supportive team environment where knowledge-sharing and mentorship are valued
• Maintain clinical standards and accurate record-keeping in a fast-paced environment

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Surgeon (RCVS)
• Experience in emergency and critical care (or willingness to develop this through the AdvantEdge programme)
• Professional approach to patient care and team collaboration

Benefits

• Flexible scheduling: Choose how many weekend shifts suit your lifestyle (from 1 shift per month upwards)
• Competitive pay: Up to £45 per hour dependent on experience (pro rata)
• Professional development: £1,500 annual CPD allowance plus 35 paid training hours (pro rata); ECC certificate support including financial assistance and paid study leave
• Continuous mentorship: One-to-one guidance from experienced colleagues
• Annual leave: 7 weeks pro rata; your birthday as a paid day off
• Health & wellbeing: Private medical insurance; enhanced sick pay; membership of employee wellbeing programme
• Family-friendly policies: Enhanced maternity (6 months full pay); paternity and adoption pay schemes
• Professional memberships & fees: RCVS fees, VECCS membership, and VDS cover all provided
• Pension: UK Standard Pension (5% employee / 3% employer contributions)
• Perks: Up to 50% discounted staff pet care; Vets Now For You rewards gateway offering cashback and discounts with hundreds of retailers; paid volunteering days
• Death in service: Two times annual salary
• Career progression: Access to Vets Now Edge programmes (AdvantEdge for ECC induction, Cutting Edge for new graduates)

About the Practice

Vets Now Eastbourne is part of the Vets Now emergency network, a leading provider of out-of-hours and emergency veterinary care across the UK. The clinic is staffed by a highly skilled emergency team and operates as a full ECC facility, treating small animal emergencies and critical cases. Vets Now is committed to investing in staff development, clinical excellence, and flexible working arrangements that support work-life balance.

New or less experienced vets are encouraged to explore the AdvantEdge programme, which includes one week of hands-on practical training and 20 hours of flexible case-based e-learning—all completed with full pay, accommodation, and travel covered. This blended approach is designed to help you build ECC confidence quickly and effectively.