Clinical Lead - Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Are you an experienced vet ready to take the next step in your career and develop your leadership skills? We’re looking for a Clinical Lead to guide our 10-vet team and continue to foster a collaborative environment where everyone thrives.

About us

Green Pastures Vets is an award-winning, independent small animal practice in the seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare. For the past 26 years, our fantastic team's dedication and expertise have helped shape us into the practice we are today. We have received many accolades and endorsements, including Pet Plan's 'Practice of the Year' and 'Veterinary Employer of the Year' awards. We are an RCVS-accredited practice awarded as ‘Outstanding’ in client and in-patient service. Additionally, we have achieved ISFM Gold Cat-Friendly and RWAF Silver status and are an Investors in People employer.

In 2019, we expanded to create completely separate cat and dog facilities with dedicated waiting rooms, consult rooms, hospitalisation areas, two theatres, a dental suite with dental X-ray, and an imaging suite, including endoscopy. As the practice doubled in size, we’ve also expanded our team over the last five years, welcoming many new members who share our dedication to patient care and bring a wealth of experience.

We are progressive and take pride in our commitment to clinical excellence, which is reflected in our continuous investment in improving our services. We have exciting plans in progress to build an extension to house a CT scanner and open a new standalone clinic.

Our team

We have a longstanding, experienced team with varied interests. Many of our vets and nurses have been here for over 5 years, so we must be doing something right! Catherine has a surgery certificate and is an Advanced Practitioner, and Nicky and Liam have cardiology certificates. We also have vets studying towards certificates in ECC (Kathryn) and dermatology (Jenni). Charlotte enjoys feline medicine, and Clare is extremely experienced in all aspects of clinical work but has a passion for medicine and imaging. Amy is a first-year graduate and is enjoying being part of our supportive team. We are also delighted that Sonny, our new graduate, will join the team in September.

We also benefit from the services of Rata Vet Surgery's specialists and advanced practitioners, who perform complex orthopaedic and soft tissue procedures in-house and provide further support for our vets with surgical interests.

We are an RCVS-accredited nurse training practice with an amazing nursing team of 14 RVNs, 2 SVNs, and 2 ACAs. Our RVN team includes certificate holders in anaesthesia, feline nursing, and behaviour. 

We're a team that believes in celebrating success, big or small. That's why we have initiatives like team-voted "Employee of the Month" and our popular “Treat of the Month" (think pancake breakfasts or summertime ice cream vans!). We hold monthly clinical governance meetings to discuss and learn from challenging cases, ensuring everyone stays up-to-date. Regular practice meetings and team surveys provide a platform for everyone to share ideas and discuss any issues, and this feedback helps us make positive changes that benefit us all. It’s vital that everyone has a voice and can contribute to the practice's growth, so we organise an annual off-site development day. This dedicated time allows the team to celebrate achievements, brainstorm improvement ideas, and plan for the future collaboratively.

What our team says about us

“I love working at Green Pastures as we have an absolutely fantastic and skilled team who always make it a pleasure to come into work each day. We also have a brilliant case load which means that you can easily follow your own interests and excel in these areas.” Catherine MRCVS

'I've worked for Green Pastures for 18 years, and there is never a dull moment! A great team, with highly skilled nurses and admin staff. There is a diverse and busy caseload. Career development and specialisation are actively encouraged and supported.” Nicky MRCVS

“I have worked as a locum vet for Green Pastures Vets on/off for the past 2 years and have thoroughly enjoyed my time at this practice. The practice has very high standards of patient care and offers a great service to its clients, one of the best I have seen as a locum. It is a wonderful, supportive team to be part of and I am always happy to return to work here! “ Alice MRCVS

“I love my job at Green Pastures! It’s not just about work; it's like being part of a big, friendly family. I’ve made some amazing friends here, and I really enjoy working with our clients. Although it is a stressful industry, I always feel supported and valued. We all pull together to give the best care possible, and it’s really rewarding to see the difference we make. My efforts are recognised, and I have had opportunities to grow within my team and the business. At GP, we always strive for a supportive and collaborative environment; I love working with such talented and supportive colleagues who are always willing to help. That is the reason I come to work every day.” Arri, Deputy Head Nurse

“I have worked at Green Pastures for over 10 years, working my way up from a receptionist role to that of Practice Manager.  The team is always encouraged to learn and grow in their roles, and I am a prime example of this. I have always felt supported and valued at the practice and could not imagine working anywhere else.

We are an independent practice, so everyone is encouraged to come up with ideas and suggestions on how we can make improvements.  We all meet regularly as a practice and in our teams to ensure that everyone feels communicated with.  We have regular events outside of work to bring us all together, and this is one of the reasons why our practice team is so collaborative.  The wealth of knowledge and experience at the practice is outstanding, and there is always someone to ask if you need assistance.

I feel honoured to work with such a great team as we all work so well together, and it feels like being part of a family, not just employees of an organisation.  The culture at the practice is amazing and all of us live to our values of caring, friendly and excellence.” Caroline, Practice Manager

About the role

This is an opportunity to step into a leadership role and play a key role in influencing the practice's future and contributing to its continued success. The role offers a blend of clinical time (3 days) with the remaining time (1 day) protected for non-clinical aspects, allowing you to focus on driving improvements and advancing clinical performance. You will be responsible for mentoring and leading our team, including identifying training needs, creating personal development plans and ensuring everyone has a safe and supportive environment to learn and grow their skills. Ideally, you should already be a VetGDP advisor or be willing to undergo training. We would love a vet with a bias towards medicine to complete our team, but this is not essential. 

Our vets work a 4-day week with just 1:5 weekends. Our dedicated night team enables us to provide out-of-hours and 24/7 inpatient care with limited needs from our day vets to work OOHs.

Social scene

We’re a big team who enjoy socialising outside of work, so there’s always something going on, whether catching up over a bottomless brunch or having a night out to watch a show. We also have an annual summer bash, where we hire a local venue so everyone can enjoy great food and company and make the most of the free bar. We also love the festive season, from our Christmas Party on the Pier with dancing and live music to our practice Christmas countdown involving activities such as a gingerbread house-building competition and a wine advent calendar. We also like to get involved with the local community and regularly participate in the local Rotary dog show. We are busy making fundraising plans to purchase a defibrillator for the local area. 

The local area

Weston isn't just a charming seaside town with a fantastic beach (one of the biggest in the UK); it's also a gateway for exploring all Somerset and the South West offers. Fancy hiking and stunning views? The Quantock Hills and Mendip Hills are right on your doorstep. Or do you prefer exploring bustling cities? Bristol is easily accessible by road or train in just 30 minutes, and Cardiff is an hour by train. We're just off the M5 motorway, close to Bristol Airport, and the central train station has connections everywhere – the Midlands, West London, Devon and Cornwall.

We offer

• A salary starting from £70,000
• A 4-day week, with just 1:5 weekends and no OOHs
• 5 weeks holiday, plus bank holidays
• CPD actively encouraged, with no set budget, as we don’t like to say no! Certificates supported and fully funded
• Professional fees paid for RCVS and VDS
• Cycle-to-work scheme and onsite parking
• Team social events

If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been looking for, please call us for an informal chat or apply now.