Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Location: Maida Vale & Primrose Hill, London
Hours: 42 hours per week | 4 or 5-day week considered
Practice: Village Vet Maida Vale & Primrose Hill, part of Linnaeus
Salary: £70,000–£80,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

£5000 Relocation allowance available for direct candidates only.

Lead with influence. Shape two practices. Make your mark.

At Village Vet, we're looking for an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to take the clinical lead across our Maida Vale and Primrose Hill practices. This is an opportunity to combine a rewarding first-opinion clinical role with genuine responsibility for clinical standards, team development and practice performance.

Whether you're already an established Lead Vet or an experienced GP ready to take the next step, you'll have the opportunity to influence how our practices develop, support the people around you and make a meaningful difference, while continuing to enjoy the clinical work you love.

Why join Village Vet Maida Vale & Primrose Hill?

• Take on a genuine leadership role across two established first-opinion practices, with responsibility for clinical standards, team development and practice performance.
• Enjoy clinical autonomy within Linnaeus Veterinary Guidelines, with the opportunity to influence clinical protocols, audits and decision-making.
• Make a meaningful contribution to the financial performance of both practices, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency and the client journey.
• Retain a rewarding clinical caseload, with an approximate 60/40 split between consulting and surgery, including routine procedures, mass removals, dentistry and ultrasound.
• Help develop colleagues, mentor a recently graduated Veterinary Surgeon and contribute to the continued development of the wider team.
• Work closely with Clinical Director Chris Knox and Regional Support Manager Lara Waterson, with access to experienced regional colleagues and certificate holders in surgery, medicine and imaging.
• Benefit from dedicated administrative and Lead Vet time to support the wider responsibilities of the role.
• Enjoy a working pattern where four or five days can be considered, alongside a defined weekend commitment.

The role

As Lead Veterinary Surgeon, you'll play a central role in the clinical and operational development of Village Vet Maida Vale and Primrose Hill. You'll combine clinical leadership with hands-on first-opinion practice, helping ensure our teams deliver excellent patient care while supporting the performance and development of both sites.

You'll be involved in:

• Leading clinical standards, audits and protocols across both practices.
• Mentoring Veterinary Surgeons and supporting the development of the wider clinical team.
• Managing and contributing to the financial performance of both sites, with a focus on productivity and operational efficiency.
• Supporting recruitment and team development, with input into hiring decisions and future team requirements.
• Improving the client journey and encouraging appropriate case work-ups and procedures within the practices.
• Managing a varied first-opinion caseload, including consultations, diagnostics, routine surgery, dentistry and ultrasound.
• Working closely with the Clinical Director and Regional Support Manager to develop the practices and support your leadership responsibilities.
• Enjoying dedicated administrative time, including 1.5 hours per day, alongside two hours of Lead Vet time per week.

The role is based primarily at Maida Vale, with occasional consulting work at Primrose Hill as part of the wider leadership remit.

The weekend commitment includes 1 in 4 Saturday mornings at Village Vet St John's Wood, 9am–1pm, incorporated within your contracted hours. You'll also undertake three Sunday shifts per year at Hampstead, scheduled at the beginning of the year, and one bank holiday per year with time off in lieu.

The team and practice

Village Vet Maida Vale and Primrose Hill are established first-opinion practices with a supportive, close-knit culture. The teams are friendly, encouraging and collaborative, with colleagues bringing a broad range of experience and tenure ranging from two to twenty years.

Maida Vale is equipped with a consulting room, theatre and dedicated dental suite, alongside digital radiography, dental radiography, ultrasound and in-house biochemistry and electrolyte testing. There are separate cat and dog wards, and the upstairs area was refreshed in 2025, with plans to update the downstairs clinical area.

Clinically, the practices offer a varied first-opinion caseload, with an approximate 60% consulting and 40% surgical split. You'll have opportunities to undertake routine procedures, mass removals, dentistry and abdominal and cardiac ultrasound. Our vets are encouraged to work cases up in practice wherever appropriate, supporting good clinical decision-making and continuity of care.

Standard consultations are 15 minutes, with 30-minute appointments available for more complex cases, blood sampling and fine needle aspirates. Depending on the day, you may have a predominantly consulting caseload or a combination of surgery and consultations.

The wider team includes three Veterinary Surgeons across the practices, including a recently graduated vet who spends one day per week at Maida Vale. The nursing team at Maida Vale currently includes a part-time Lead RVN and a second-year Student Veterinary Nurse, supported by two Client Care Assistants.

While there are no certificate holders currently based at Maida Vale, you'll benefit from the wider Village Vet and Linnaeus network, with certificate holders across the region in surgery, medicine and imaging.

What we're looking for

• MRCVS registered, or eligible to register, with the right to work in the UK.
• Ideally at least five years' UK small animal experience, although candidates with two to three years' UK experience alongside substantial relevant experience elsewhere will also be considered.
• Confident with first-opinion consultations, diagnostics, case management and routine surgery.
• A clinically capable Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys supporting and developing colleagues.
• An interest in leadership, clinical governance and improving practice performance.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of how productivity, efficiency and the client journey contribute to a successful practice.
• Previous Lead Vet or management experience would be welcomed, but isn't essential. We're equally interested in experienced GPs ready to take the next step.
• A collaborative, approachable team member who can build strong relationships and contribute positively to the wider practice and regional teams.

Benefits:

• 5 weeks holiday + bank holidays and birthday off (pro-rata for part-time)
• No out-of-hours (OOH)
• RCVS and VDS fees paid
• External CPD funded
• Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD program
• Career progression opportunities
• Staff discount schemes
• Enhanced sickness pay
• Enhanced equal family leave
• Wellness program including:
• Employee assistance program
• Eyecare voucher scheme
• Free annual flu jab
• Cycle to work scheme

Village Vet is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary Health, the largest family-owned veterinary company in the world. Being privately owned, we can truly be driven by our purpose, to create a better world, and think long-term as opposed to being focused solely on short-term profits.   

At Linnaeus, A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS starts with a better world for our people. Our Associates are over 6000 strong and empowered to speak up, step up and deliver quality services. You’ll have access to a huge network of specialists, worldwide development opportunities and an easily accessible, comprehensive wellbeing package that prioritises your physical and mental health, allowing you to focus on what you do best – care for pets.  

We are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse, we care about you and want you to be authentic, with everything you need to perform at your best. We are all individual but two important things bring us together: a commitment to excellence and our passion to achieve our purpose. 

If you would like to apply for the role or for an informal chat to discuss it further, please get in touch with Joanne in the recruitment team joanne.gray@linnaeusgroup.co.uk

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