Lead Veterinary Surgeon - Village Vet

Job Title:

Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Location:

Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

Hours:

42 hours per week across 4 days, including weekends with flexible options available - A choice of either a consulting weekend rota (1 in 3 Saturdays and 1 in 12 Sundays) or a hospital weekend rota (1 in 6 full weekends), with appropriate time off in lieu and overtime arrangements.

Practice:
Village Vet Berkhamsted & St Albans Hospital Salary:
Up to £75,000 DOE + relocation support available for direct candidates

If you're an experienced Veterinary Surgeon ready to take the next step in your career, this is an opportunity to make a genuine impact without stepping away from the clinical work you love. We're looking for a Lead Veterinary Surgeon to join our welcoming and established Berkhamsted team, combining hands-on first opinion practice with the opportunity to shape the future of the clinic.

Whether you've already led a team or you're ready to step into your first leadership position, you'll have the autonomy to influence clinical standards, support and develop your colleagues, and help drive the practice forward, whilst continuing to enjoy a varied and rewarding clinical caseload. This is more than a traditional Lead Vet role. It's an opportunity to lead an established practice with the support of the wider Village Vet network and St Albans Hospital behind you.

You'll enjoy the autonomy of leading your own team whilst benefiting from collaboration with experienced colleagues, access to advanced facilities and the confidence of knowing you're never professionally isolated. It's the ideal balance for someone who wants to make a real impact whilst continuing to grow both clinically and as a leader.

The team and practice You'll be joining an established and close-knit team that prides itself on delivering exceptional patient care whilst maintaining a collaborative, supportive and enjoyable working environment. We're particularly keen to hear from Veterinary Surgeons with a passion for companion animal medicine and surgery, helping to further strengthen and complement our clinical offering, and you will be supported by a collaborative team of 3 RVNs and 4 Client Care Assistants.

As Lead Vet, you'll play an important role in shaping the clinical direction of the practice, supporting and developing your colleagues, encouraging clinical excellence and fostering a positive team culture where everyone can thrive. Whilst dedicated new graduate mentoring sits within the wider Village Vet programme, you'll have opportunities to coach and support colleagues as part of your leadership role without carrying sole responsibility for a graduate from day one.

Village Vet Berkhamsted has built an excellent reputation within the local community and benefits from a loyal, affluent client base with a high proportion of insured patients. This allows our vets the clinical freedom to work cases up thoroughly, explore the best treatment options and deliver exceptional patient care based on clinical judgement rather than financial limitations. Working closely with our St Albans Hospital gives you the best of both worlds.

You'll enjoy the autonomy and continuity of leading your own first-opinion practice whilst having access to experienced colleagues, advanced diagnostics, additional equipment and a wider multidisciplinary network whenever required. It creates a collaborative environment where you're empowered to make decisions independently but always have expert support available when you need it. Situated on the edge of the beautiful Chiltern Hills, Berkhamsted offers an exceptional quality of life.

Combining historic charm with independent cafés, restaurants, green open spaces and excellent schools, it's an ideal location for those…