Head Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

You'll step into a leadership position managing a large team of veterinary nurses and clinical support staff at Vets Now's Sheffield clinic, a well-established out-of-hours emergency service. This full-time role blends clinical shifts with dedicated management time, so you're not just nursing all week and managing on the side. The clinic has been serving the local community for over 20 years and holds RCVS accreditation as a Small Animal Emergency Service Clinic.

Your shifts will include nightwork (Monday to Sunday, 18:00 to 09:00), Saturday and Sunday day cover (12:00 to 18:30 and 08:30 to 18:30 respectively), plus a fair share of bank holidays. This is genuine out-of-hours work with a 1:2 weekend pattern alongside your management duties.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a large team of veterinary nurses and clinical support staff through mentoring, appraisals, and performance management
• Day-to-day operational and financial management of the clinic
• Rota planning and gap management across the team
• Quality control of clinical equipment
• Maintain strong relationships with partner practices through regular communication
• Staff welfare oversight and return-to-work coordination
• Deliver high-standard patient care during clinical shifts alongside leadership responsibilities

Requirements

• Minimum two years' experience working in out-of-hours and critical care environments
• Proven track record managing others, ideally in a veterinary setting
• Demonstrated experience of managing performance and development
• Motivation to maintain high clinic standards and deliver excellent care
• Passion for client and patient care

Benefits

• Salary up to £40,000 depending on experience
• 7 weeks annual leave (pro rata)
• Birthday as a paid day off
• £1,125 CPD allowance plus 20 paid learning hours
• RCVS fees paid in full
• ECC certificate support
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced sick and maternity pay
• 5% employee and 3% employer pension contributions
• Up to 50% discount on staff pet care
• Death in service benefit of two times annual salary
• Reward Gateway discounts and cashback with hundreds of retailers
• Access to professional development and recognised ECC certificate programme

About the Practice

Vets Now is the UK's leading provider of emergency pet care, operating 60+ dedicated out-of-hours clinics and two 24/7 emergency hospitals. The Sheffield clinic has been a trusted part of the local community for over 20 years, providing expert out-of-hours emergency and critical care to pets when their owners need it most. The clinic is RCVS accredited as a Small Animal Emergency Service Clinic, serving over 1,700 veterinary practices across the network.

The organisation prioritises team development, flexibility, and clinical excellence. They invest in staff through industry-leading CPD packages, mentoring programmes, and their recognised Edge development schemes for newer graduates transitioning into emergency care.