Lead Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

This Lead Veterinary Nurse position is based in an established Vets Now clinic in Gateshead, where you'll lead a large team of veterinary nurses and clinical support staff. Alongside your leadership responsibilities, you'll still be involved in clinical shifts, helping maintain a high standard of patient care and supporting the development of the team around you.

The role combines clinical work with management time, so you'll have space to focus on operational priorities, team welfare and clinic improvement. The rota includes weeknights, 1:2 weekends and bank holidays, with shifts running Monday to Sunday nights from 18:00 to 09:00, Saturday days from 12:00 to 18:30 and Sunday days from 08:30 to 18:30.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a large team of veterinary nurses and clinical support staff within the clinic.
• Support the day to day operational and financial management of the clinic.
• Work with the Practice Manager, Area Clinical Manager and Lead Vet to maintain clinical standards and improve clinic performance.
• Build and maintain relationships with host practices through regular communication.
• Oversee quality control of clinical equipment.
• Mentor and support team members, including appraisals, performance management and return to work tasks.
• Provide clinical support on shifts while maintaining a high standard of patient care.

Requirements

• At least two years' experience in an out of hours and critical care environment.
• Proven experience of managing other people, ideally in a veterinary setting.
• Demonstrable experience of managing performance.
• A motivation to maintain high clinic standards.
• A genuine focus on caring for clients and their pets.

Benefits

• Salary up to £40,000 DOE.
• Private medical insurance.
• Enhanced sick pay and maternity pay.
• 7 weeks annual leave.
• Your birthday as a paid day off.
• £1,125 CPD allowance plus 20 paid hours.
• RCVS fees paid.
• ECC certificate support and access to professional qualifications.
• Reward Gateway discounts and cashback with hundreds of retailers.
• UK Standard Pension contributions of 5% employee and 3% employer.
• Up to 50% discounted staff pet care.
• Death in service cover at two times annual salary.

About the Practice

Vets Now is the UK's leading provider of emergency pet care, supporting over 1,700 veterinary practices through more than 60 dedicated out of hours clinics and two 24/7 pet emergency hospitals. This role sits within that emergency and critical care environment, in an already well established clinic.

The wider organisation also offers access to development pathways, including its widely recognised ECC certificate and industry leading CPD support.