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.

• Competitive salary of up to £75,000 DOE, with relocation support available for direct candidates
• A genuine leadership opportunity where you can influence clinical standards, ways of working and the future direction of the practice whilst remaining hands‑on clinically
• Approximately 60% consulting and 40% surgery, allowing you to enjoy a varied caseload whilst balancing your leadership responsibilities A loyal, affluent and highly insured client base, giving you the clinical freedom to investigate cases thoroughly and practise evidence‑based medicine to a high standard
• Work within a well‑equipped practice featuring ultrasound, digital radiography, digital dental radiography, a dedicated operating theatre, separate dental suite, kennel facilities and vivariums
• Strong collaboration with the wider Village Vet network and St Albans Hospital, providing access to experienced colleagues, advanced facilities and additional clinical support whenever needed
• A stable, experienced and genuinely supportive team environment where your ideas, leadership and clinical expertise will be valued Excellent opportunities for continued professional development, leadership development and long‑term career progression within one of the UK's leading veterinary groups

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…