Animal Care Assistant

Orchard Vets, Ashurst, Southampton, South East Join the friendly and dedicated team at Orchard Vets Ashurst!

We are a well-established, first-opinion small animal practice with a strong focus on high-quality patient care and excellent client service. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a supportive, busy practice where no two days are the same, and every team member plays a vital role.

The role

Your day-to-day duties will be varied and rewarding, including providing compassionate patient care, assisting with laboratory work, cleaning and maintaining surgical instruments and kits, and supporting the smooth running of our practice. You will be welcoming clients, booking in appointments, handling payments, answering telephone enquiries, and completing a range of administrative tasks.

We are proud to be a well-equipped first-opinion practice with an on-site laboratory, digital X-ray, and a fully equipped operating theatre. This allows us to carry out the majority of diagnostic investigations and surgical procedures in-house. We also work closely with several excellent referral centres nearby, enabling access to a wide range of specialist services when required.

You’ll be joining a friendly and experienced team consisting of 7 Veterinary Surgeons, 7 Registered Veterinary Nurses, 2 Student Veterinary Nurses, and 5 reception/administration staff. We value teamwork, communication, and creating a positive working environment.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience in client-facing or animal care roles and feel confident interacting with a variety of clients. Strong communication and organisational skills are essential. Previous veterinary experience is an advantage but not essential, as full training and support will be provided.

You will typically work between 8:30 am and 7 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with some flexibility available. The role may involve occasional travel to our Romsey site. Our support team also participates in a 1 in 5 Saturday rota (8:30 am–12:30 pm) at our Romsey branch. There are no out-of-hours requirements.

• 6.6 weeks annual leave
• Additional annual leave for your birthday which will be added to your holiday allowance
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/ paternity/ adoption/ shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Cycle to work scheme
• Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing
• Non-accidental injury support
• Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
• Pawsome Benefits - reward gateway giving discounts and cashback with 100's of retailers
• Discounted staff pet care

163 Lyndhurst Road, Ashurst, Southampton, SO40 7AW
, United Kingdom