Clinical Director - Academy Vets, Stranraer

Salary up to £80,000 DOE | Relocation Allowance up to £8,000 | Welcome Bonus up to £10,000

Lead and Inspire at Academy Vets!

Are you an experienced mixed veterinary surgeon with a small animal bias and a passion for leadership? If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, Academy Vets in Stranraer has an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Director to join and help guide our dynamic team.

Why Join Academy Vets?

Located in the stunning region of Galloway, our practice offers the perfect blend of professional opportunity and an exceptional lifestyle. With beaches for paddleboarding, the Southern Uplands for walking and camping, and a warm community spirit, Stranraer is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.

Our team includes 10 vets (including one Clinical Director), 3 RVNs, 3 auxiliary nurses, and 5 receptionists across two branches: our main practice in Stranraer and a branch in Newton Stewart.

We are an RCVS-accredited farm and small animal practice with state-of-the-art facilities, including:

*Latest small and large animal ultrasound

*Digital radiography

*Bull and TUP fertility kit

*Full IDEXX suite

The Role

Working alongside our current Clinical Director, who specializes in cattle health and production, you’ll primarily focus on small animal clinical work. Your responsibilities will include consulting, operating, and mentoring junior vets, with the opportunity to pursue a special interest in areas such as internal medicine, orthopaedics, ultrasound imaging, or exotics.

This role is an 80% small animal / 20% large animal mix, with shared OOH duties and some spring work. As Clinical Director, you’ll also play a vital role in:

Guiding both clinical and non-clinical aspects of the practice, collaborating with the Practice Manager, Area Director, and Area Support Manager to shape the clinic’s direction, supporting the team as the Vet GDP Adviser and mentoring junior vets, assisting with large animal cases and out-of-hours backup when needed.

Your Work-Life Balance

We value flexibility and teamwork. The role involves:

Working up to 40 hours per week across 5 days.

2:10 OOH weekends, with a half day off on the Friday following your on-call weekend.

Always having two vets on call to provide backup and support.

What We Offer

At Academy Vets, we are committed to supporting your career development. We have a Clinical Director with a Certificate in Cattle Health and Production and are eager to support the right candidate in pursuing additional qualifications, whether that’s a Certificate, DBR, or other areas of interest.

Ready to Lead?

If you’re passionate about high-quality veterinary care, team leadership, and making a difference, we’d love to hear from you. Join Academy Vets and step into a fulfilling career in the heart of Galloway.

Take the next step in your career with Academy Vets - where your expertise and vision will thrive.

Because our people matter

We recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from -

Work-life balance

*7.8 weeks annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays

*Additional holiday entitlement for your birthday

Wellbeing

*Private Medical Insurance

*Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline

*Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay

*Initiatives focused on colleague wellbeing

Development

*£1250 CPD allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave pro rata

*Certificate support

*Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy

*Access to Vetlexicon - our online encyclopaedia provider

*All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding

*All our Vets get £1250 per annum to spend via our Care Fund

*Infection Prevention and Control Programme

*Quality Improvement Programme

Professional Memberships

*BVA membership

*VDS cover

*RCVS fees

Colleague Benefits

*Company pension scheme. IVC Evidensia will make a contribution as well

*Supporting a greener commute to work with a Cycle to Work scheme and Green Cars Scheme, subject to eligibility criteria

*Voluntary benefits: we give you the flexibility to choose from a range of voluntary benefits to suit you

*Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

*Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice

At IVC Evidensia we are a committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

Up to £80,000 DOE