An established, first-opinion small animal practice in the Southeast is seeking an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to join their stable, supportive team. This is a replacement role within a well-run practice with low staff turnover, strong clinical standards and a genuine focus on work-life balance. The team is not rushed to hire and is happy to wait for the right person.

Salary - £60,000 - £70,000

The exact salary within this banding will be awarded commensurate on experience.

Location
Salfords, Surrey

Established first-opinion small animal practice, opened in 2018 and extended in 2021. The practice is operating at capacity with a loyal, established client base and high standards of care.

The Role

4-day working week
10-hour days with a paid 30-minute lunch
Vets finish at 6:30pm; phones off after 6pm
Opportunity to leave early if work is completed
Part-time considered alongside another hire
Weekend rota:

1 in 3 Saturdays (8am-4pm)
TOIL for each Saturday worked
Potential to move to 1 in 6 Saturdays if an additional part-time vet joins
Working pattern:

Mix of consulting and operating
15-minute consults as standard
Longer consults for complex cases, new clients and euthanasia
Blocked end-of-day admin time
Same-day appointments always held back
Out-of-hours:

Currently supported via a sister hospital
Long-term plan to move to fully in-house 24/7 care at group level
Candidate Requirements

Experienced, self-sufficient GP veterinary surgeon
Confident managing their own caseload
Comfortable with routine soft tissue surgery and dentals
Able to “hit the ground running” without placing pressure on the team
Happy to support and potentially train new graduates in the future
Openness to mentoring or GDP Adviser responsibilities is advantageous but not essential
Special interests such as dermatology, surgery, behaviour or cardiology are welcomed, the role can be shaped accordingly.

Practice Overview

First-opinion small animal practice
Stable team with low staff turnover
Strong leadership with an organised, structured and supportive management style
Excellent nurse, reception and PCA support on site
Facilities include:

Ultrasound
Dental X-ray (separate prep room)
Laser
Diathermy
Suction
Video equipment
Separate theatre and prep areas
Access to endoscopy and advanced equipment at a sister branch
Across the wider group there are certificate holders and special interests in dermatology, behaviour, cardiology, orthopaedics and exotics.

Culture and Development

Open-door, supportive culture
Daily case discussion encouraged
Strong mentoring environment
Emphasis on finishing on time and maintaining balance
Collaborative team that covers for one another
Christmas and summer social events
The practice prides itself on non-corporate values, flexibility, high clinical standards and long-term stability.

Benefits

Salary: £45,000 - £70,000 DOE
4-day working week
5 weeks holiday, increasing with service
Option to buy an additional week of leave
January / February annual leave incentive
£1,500 CPD allowance plus paid CPD leave
Certificate support available
RCVS fees plus one additional membership paid
Staff discounts on treatments, food and products
Direct insurance claims supported
Next steps:

For further details on this exceptional role, please click the Apply Now button. If you can specify the best time to talk, please do; we will get in touch when it suits you best. You will then be contacted by one of our specialist consultants, who will provide you with further details about the role.

If you would like to talk ahead of sending us your CV, please give us a call on (phone number removed)

Please note, any contact is in the strictest confidence and we will not send your details to any practice without your expressed consent to do so.

Is this role almost right for you, but not quite ticking all the boxes? If so, we have many other roles available and also offer a Bespoke Job Search Service where we work proactively to find you your perfect job.

We have been named as the Recruitment Firm of the year at the HealthInvestor Awards, Winners of the Professional Service Provider of the Year at the General Practice Awards, Winners of the Recruitment Award at the LaingBuisson Awards and named on the Recruiter Hot100 list, so in dealing with us you'll be in safe hands!

For every placement we make, Menlo Park plants two trees! We plant one on your behalf and the other on the surgery's behalf. By planting two trees we offset 0.6 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of driving 1,466 miles in a standard car. We want to contribute towards helping save the planet!

Josh Deacon