Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

About the Role

Join Woodcroft Vets’ friendly, progressive team in Cheadle Hulme as a Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon. This is a full-time position on a desirable 4-day working week, giving you real breathing room outside the clinic. You’ll work in first opinion practice with some sole charge responsibilities—ideal if you’re confident and experienced—supported by the group’s own 24-hour clinic. Weekend work is managed on a rota basis with time in lieu compensation, and occasional late evening shifts (5pm–11pm) are rare and supported in-house rather than sent to external facilities.

The practice is perfectly positioned near the Peak District and Lake District, with excellent transport links and easy access to Manchester. You’ll have no on-call commitments, meaning your evenings and time off are genuinely yours.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide first opinion small animal veterinary care with some sole charge duties
• Work collaboratively with the in-house referral hospital team, ensuring patients can access advanced diagnostics and treatment without external referral
• Manage weekday caseload across a busy, well-equipped practice
• Participate in weekend rota cover on a shared basis (compensated with time in lieu)
• Occasional late evening shifts (5pm–11pm) supported by the practice’s own 24-hour facility
• Contribute to a culture of continuous learning with access to advanced equipment and specialist expertise

Requirements

• Qualified Veterinary Surgeon (RCVS registered)
• 2+ years’ post-qualification experience
• Confidence and experience in first opinion practice, including some sole charge work
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with the team
• Commitment to gold-standard patient care and evidence-based practice

Benefits

• Competitive salary: £41,500+ depending on experience (discussed at interview)
• 4-day working week (full-time hours compressed)
• 6.6 weeks paid holiday including bank holidays
• Generous and flexible CPD budget
• Certificate funding and strong encouragement to develop (facilities and caseload support available)
• Workplace pension scheme
• RCVS and one additional professional membership fees paid
• Healthshield Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced parental leave and buy/sell holiday scheme
• VDS cover for clinical team
• Discounted employee private medical cover
• Generous pet discount and cycle-to-work scheme
• Flexible working applications considered
• Internal employee appreciation and long service awards

About the Practice

Woodcroft Veterinary Group is a busy 7-branch operation centred around a Tier 3 hospital with an in-house referral team. The practice is committed to delivering gold-standard care and offering the best treatment options for patients. The Cheadle Heath branch benefits from exceptional facilities including CT scanner, visiting MRI, Doppler echocardiography, flexible and rigid endoscopy, direct digital radiography, ultrasound, dental radiography, electrocautery, laparoscopy, fluoroscopy, and advanced anaesthesia equipment. This in-house capability means complex cases stay within the group, enabling continuity of care and reducing client anxiety about external referrals.

Woodcroft is part of the VetPartners family and is a proud winner of Employer of the Year at the Press Business IQ Awards. The group is explicitly committed to supporting and developing every team member, with a documented focus on equality of opportunity and fair recruitment practices across all backgrounds.