Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Shape Your Next Chapter with a Well-Established Independent Practice in Hertfordshire About Us

For more than 30 years, Alistair Poole Veterinary Surgery has grown quietly, steadily and entirely by word of mouth. Founded by Sue and her late husband Alistair, the independent practice was built from the ground up and is still proudly family‑owned and run, with the same principles it began with: honest advice, continuity of care, and doing what’s right for each animal and each owner.

That approach has earned the practice a loyal client base across Harpenden and beyond, and a reputation for being straightforward, compassionate and clinically dependable. We believe in sensible, transparent veterinary care and informed choice for clients, and we always take the time to explain diagnostics, treatment options and costs clearly.

We’re now looking for an experienced Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon to join our close‑knit team on a part‑time basis.

We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys being that steady clinical presence. Someone who is confident in theatre, calm in consults, and comfortable with sole charge when needed. You’ll be supported, listened to, and treated as part of the family (because that’s how the team refer to themselves, and they mean it).

One of the things people value here is continuity. We’re small enough that our clients know who they’ll be seeing, and our vets can follow cases through properly, but we’re also experienced enough to discuss, refer internally, and support one another on the tricky cases. If something needs a genuinely specialist opinion, we’ll say so and help make that happen.

Clinically, you’ll be working alongside two extremely experienced surgeons, Gillian and Liz, who, between them, have decades of hands‑on GP and surgical experience. There is always someone to bounce ideas off, sense‑check a plan, or scrub in if you want a second pair of hands. You’ll also be backed by a qualified veterinary nursing team who know the clients, know the workflow, and keep the day running smoothly.

This is a genuinely collaborative, very down‑to‑earth team. Everyone’s opinion matters, and clinical decisions are approached as a partnership between the vet and the client.

Day to day, we are supportive, relaxed and human. We look out for each other, laugh every day, and they describe ourselves as a family. Socially, we like to get together throughout the year. Spending time together outside work is seen as part of keeping the team close, not an obligation.

This is a part‑time role and is ideal for someone experienced who still loves being hands‑on in a first‑opinion practice. The role is for 3 mornings per week, from 9am to 2pm and 1 Saturday per month only from 9am to 12pm. There are no Sundays or Bank Holidays to work and the RVC take on our OOHs.

You should be comfortable with sole charge and confident with the full range of routine and more advanced soft tissue surgeries. You’ll have time to work cases up properly, and because continuity really matters here, you’ll get to build and maintain long‑term client relationships.

We’re set up with all the usual diagnostics and surgical equipment you’d expect in a well‑equipped small animal practice, including an in‑house lab, and you’ll be working alongside qualified RVNs who are very much treated as clinical colleagues.

• Competitive salary
• Genuine part‑time rota
• No out‑of‑hours, no Sundays, no bank holidays
• Support from a stable, experienced veterinary and nursing team
• A say in how you work and how cases are managed
• A loyal, respectful client base who trust your judgement

Harpenden is a prosperous, green, very well‑connected Hertfordshire town with a strong community feel and lovely, loyal clients. The practice sits in an easy‑to‑reach central location with on‑site parking.

Outside of work, you’ve got the famous Harpenden Common and other green spaces on your doorstep, plus independent cafés, pubs and shops that keep the place feeling more “village with a cricket pitch” than “commuter belt stress.”

The Thameslink line runs direct to London St Pancras in under 30 minutes, and you’re close to the M1 and M25, so it’s a great base whether you’re local already or considering relocating for a better work‑life balance.

If you’re an experienced small animal surgeon who wants to feel valued, listened to and part of something independent, we’d really like to meet you.

You’re welcome to call Sue to have a confidential chat, arrange to pop in and say hello, or apply directly.