Clinical Lead vet Surgeon - Small Animal

Kernow Vet Group; Airdrie; On-site; GBP 61,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

A veterinary practice in Airdrie is seeking an experienced Clinical Lead Veterinary Surgeon to guide a dedicated team through a transformative period. The ideal candidate will have robust clinical skills in small animal care and will be a supportive mentor to team members. A strong focus on maintaining high clinical standards is essential. This role offers a competitive salary and various developmental opportunities, as well as a healthy work-life balance.

Benefits

6.8 weeks annual leave

Private Medical Insurance

£1250 CPD allowance

Company pension scheme

Discounts on pet treatments

Qualifications

• Experience with small animal practice required.
• Ability to mentor and develop teams.
• Leadership experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Guide and mentor the veterinary team.
• Maintain high clinical standards.
• Lead the practice during a period of growth.

Skills

Strong clinical experience in small animal practice

Mentoring and supporting colleagues

Confidence in leading cases

High clinical standards

Approachability and team focus

Education

Veterinary degree

Job description

Clinical Lead vet Surgeon - Small Animal

Salary: Up to £72,500 FTE DOE

Hours: 35 hours per week – 3 x 8-hour shifts and 1 x 10-hour shift, plus 1-in-5 Saturday mornings (09:00–12:00)

Location: Airdrie, Lanarkshire – just 12 miles from Glasgow and 35 miles from Edinburgh

Lead. Inspire. Grow.

Are you an experienced and motivated small animal vet ready to take the next step in your career? Acres Veterinary Clinic is seeking a Clinical Lead Veterinary Surgeon to guide our talented team through an exciting period of growth and transformation.

We’re a single-site, first-opinion small animal practice with a loyal client base and a strong community reputation. As a Clinical Lead, you’ll help shape the clinical standards, mentor and develop our fantastic team, and play a key role in driving our service and patient care forward.

Why Acres Veterinary Clinic?

Exciting Future Ahead: We’re relocating in 2026 to a brand-new, purpose-built practice within a local retail park – three times larger than our current site, offering exceptional opportunities to expand our services and caseload.

• State-of-the-Art Facilities: The new clinic will feature high-spec equipment, including digital direct radiography, dental radiography, ultrasound, in-house laboratory, and tonometry — with future investment in endoscopy planned.
• Supportive & Skilled Team: You’ll be joining a friendly, experienced team of 6 vets, 5 RVNs, and 9 support staff, in a RCVS GP-accredited training practice.
• Strong Leadership Opportunity: This is an ideal role for a vet who enjoys mentoring, clinical decision-making, and helping shape the future of a well-established practice.

What We Offer

35-hour working week with a healthy work-life balance, no on-call or out-of-hours, opportunities for clinical and leadership development, support for further qualifications and CPD, collaborative and inclusive working culture

We’re looking for a vet who:

Has strong clinical experience in small animal practice, enjoys mentoring and supporting colleagues, is confident in leading cases and maintaining high clinical standards, brings enthusiasm, approachability, and a team-focused mindset

If you’re ready to take the lead in a forward-thinking practice with an exciting new chapter ahead, we’d love to hear from you.

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

• 6.8 weeks annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays
• Additional holiday entitlement for your birthday
• 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
• 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

Acres Veterinary Centre, Airdrie

Acres Veterinary Centre, 9-11 Uppermill Street, Airdrie, ML6 6JJ, United Kingdom

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.

Any questions before applying?

Speak to Margaret Bryson from our recruitment team who would be happy to help you with any questions you have before applying for this role.