Certificate Holder in Small Animal Surgery

Fixed-Term Opportunity (Equal family leave cover)

Part-time : 2 days a week and a 1-in-4 out of hours rota.

We are looking for an experienced certificate holder in small animal surgery to join our referral surgery team. This role will be working alongside experienced diplomate surgeons. Ideally experience in both soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery is sought. This role offers an exciting opportunity to advance surgical skills and gain exposure to a referral surgical caseload.

It’s a very exciting time to join a forward-thinking and highly motivated surgery team that has the support of the Linnaeus Group, providing significant investment in ensuring new innovative services and a commitment to personal and career development.

Cave is a multi-disciplinary veterinary hospital in Somerset, UK. We have a diverse specialist team, including disciplines such as surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, oncology, neurology and ophthalmology.

Cave is located just off J26 of the M5 in the beautiful Somerset countryside. It is easily commutable from Exeter and Bristol.

We are looking for a pro‑active clinician with excellent communication skills, a strong focus on animal welfare, and a positive, collaborative mindset. You will work as part of the surgery team to facilitate the acceptance of routine, urgent and emergency surgical cases, as well as management of internal transfers from our internal medicine team.

Our surgery service consists of:

• Three Diplomats of the European College of Veterinary Surgery
• One residency trained surgery clinician
• Dedicated surgical nurses and theatre technicians

The role includes:

• Management of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgical referral cases
• Care of surgical inpatients
• Out of hours support to referring veterinary surgeons

• The surgery team is actively involved in ongoing in‑house training for our referral registered veterinary nurses, primary care vets and nurses, contributing to clinical development across the organisation.
• The surgery team work closely with all teams across the hospital and the right candidate will work well as part of a hospital team.
• Surgeons also regularly deliver external CPD, including lunch‑and‑learn sessions, and provide case‑based advice to referring vets where needed.

• Laparoscopic/thoracoscopic equipment
• New arthroscopic equipment
• Electrosurgical unit
• Extensive orthopaedic kit

• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays and Birthday Leave (pro-rata)
• RCVS and VDS fees paid
• External CPD funded
• Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD program
• Career progression opportunities
• Staff discount schemes
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced sickness pay
• Employer contribution pension scheme
• Wellness program including:
  • Employee assistance program
  • Eyecare voucher scheme
  • Free annual Flu jab
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Recruitment referral reward scheme