Clinical Lead - Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

A lead clinical role at a fantastic independent practice with a 4-day week, no Saturdays or OOHs.

Sophie, our lead vet and practice owner, would like a little more time to focus on developing the practice at our progressive, six-vet independent small animal and exotics practice in Louth. She would love someone to help take the clinical lead as we expand into new, bigger, purpose-built premises, allowing us the space to offer more services, including laparoscopy, plus dedicated cat, dog, and exotic areas.

Our greatest strength at James Street Vets is our incredible, longstanding team. Many started their careers here as new grads or completed their training with us. RVN Sarah joined us after school and has been with us for 25 years! Seeing them build their careers here over the years is a true testament to the supportive and rewarding environment we've created together.

We strongly prioritise team well-being, and our new premises will reflect that, with more dedicated team areas, including a quiet space for admin and making phone calls, an office/meeting room, and a comfortable staff room – a perfect space to unwind and recharge. We also offer confidential mental health counselling to further support our team's well-being.

Along with our small animal and exotic patients, we’re also very lucky to work with local wildlife parks and reserves, which extend our services to treat meerkats, penguins, seals, and more!

Our Team

• Sophie joined us fresh out of Glasgow in 2003. She loved the place so much that she made it her own when the chance came up to be the owner in 2010. She is proud of how far we’ve come and is excited to see where we’ll be in the next ten years. Sophie has a certificate in small animal surgery and is never happier than when she’s in theatre.
• Andrew also joined as a new graduate in 2015. He is our go-to exotics vet and is studying towards his exotics certificate.
• Andrea graduated from Adelaide University in 2017 before moving to the UK in 2020. She enjoys dentistry and internal medicine and plans to pursue a medicine certificate.
• Ntooukan has been part of our team for two years and is keen on pursuing a certificate in either cardiology or internal medicine.
• Ania impressed us during her EMS with us, so we were thrilled to welcome her permanently after she graduated from Liverpool in 2023!  

We have a fantastic nursing team of 5 RVNs, 2 SVNs, and 1 ACA with various interests. Aston completed her nurse training here in 2011. After spending some time away working with the NHS, during which time she kept in touch, she took on the role of Head Nurse in 2022. Katrina has just completed her surgical nursing certificate, and Yasmine is looking into further training to support her interest in behaviour.  We are also fortunate to have a brilliant client care team.

We are progressive and collaborative and strive to improve the highest standard of care we provide to our patients, developing our skills and knowledge. We have clinical meetings each morning, a great way to review our protocols, discuss cases, share new ideas, and feed any knowledge learned to the team to keep us updated with veterinary advances. We have monthly journal club and vet’s meetings. We also hold regular practice meetings, where we close the practice for the morning, and the whole team gets together to share their input before enjoying a meal.

What's the best thing about working at James Street Vets?

“Oh, my goodness! The best thing about working at James Street Vets has got to be the team. I've been here near enough 10 years now and the team, I have to say, is fantastic.” Andrew MRCVS

“My favourite thing about working at James Street Vets is the support I got as a new grad and the opportunities to improve my new skills.” Ania MRCVS

"I have worked at JSVC for more than three years and they have been great years, surrounded by an unbeatable team. Without a doubt the best thing about working here is them and the great support I have always felt here. Sadly, I have to leave soon, but I am sure that the person who takes my place will be immensely happy and supported by this wonderful team." Pilar MRCVS

“The staff and all the support that you get from hierarchy.” Aston Head RVN

“I have enjoyed being a clinical coach over a number of years with a variety of students, and I have recently passed my surgical nursing certificate.” Katrina RVN

“I enjoy having the opportunity and learning experiences that James Street Vets are able to give me.” Hayley SVN

“My favourite thing about working at James Street is the fact that we get to do things together outside of work.” Ellie, Customer Care Team

“I enjoy working with James Street vet as it broadens my knowledge with all different types of animals, such as reptiles, parrots, seals, dogs and cats. I also love working with the team.” Yasmine ACA

“I enjoy that we have such a great team and also the pets that we get to see daily.” Carina, Customer Care Team

About the role

We are looking for an experienced vet to support the team when Sophie is non-clinical or away from the practice.  We would love to expand our surgical services, so a surgical bias would be great but definitely not a deal breaker. We currently have the space to increase the surgical caseload with two theatres, and we will also be introducing laparoscopy when we move into the new premises. Our peripatetic orthopaedic surgeon visits regularly, allowing us to keep orthopaedic cases like TPLOs and fracture repairs in-house. However, we already have the relevant kit and can happily support someone with an orthopaedic interest.

A full-time role would be a 4-day week, with 1x 8.30-5.30, 2x 8.30-6.30, and 1x 8.30-7.30 shift. This role has no Saturday shifts, and as our out-of-hours are outsourced to a local practice, your nights and weekends are free to enjoy.

We can be flexible with the rota, so if you have other commitments to work around, we would be happy to discuss the options. Our vets have at least one full ops day each week, but there is flexibility in the rota to increase this. We have time built into the consulting days to catch up on admin and make phone calls, plus an hour's lunch break.

The social scene

We're not just colleagues—we're friends, too. We genuinely enjoy each other's company and always plan social stuff as a practice. During the summer, we ditch the scrubs for BBQs in the sunshine (as much as UK weather will allow !! )  and friendly competition with a game of rounders. We also love an escape room challenge. We're planning our next adventure, a dog-friendly pub walk (because paws need breaks, too!), and some of our brave souls are even discussing conquering Mount Snowdon.

Giving back is important to us. In November, we crushed 3,000 push-ups as a team to support Macmillan Cancer Support, and now that our arms have recovered, we're gearing up for sore glutes with the "100 Squats a Day Challenge" in July for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The local area

Louth is a market town on the edge of the stunning Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, famous for its unspoilt countryside and rolling green hills. There are many trails to explore by foot, bike, or horseback. The county’s award-winning coastline and sandy beaches are just a short drive away and offer various water sports, such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, and sailing.

We are offering:

• A salary of £60,000 - £80,000
• Five weeks' holiday, plus bank holidays and your birthday off
• CPD encouraged, with certificates supported and funded
• Help available with accommodation and relocation if needed
• Happy to sponsor visas
• Professional fees paid for RCVS, VDS and BSAVA
• Bupa private healthcare

If you want to be part of an amazing team, call us now for an informal chat to learn more about our exciting plans, or apply now.