Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Job Title: Lead Veterinary Surgeon
Location: Rickmansworth & Chorleywood, Hertfordshire
Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Practice: Chess Veterinary Clinic
Salary: £65,000–£75,000 DOE per annum

Having served the Rickmansworth community for almost 80 years, Chess Veterinary Clinic has built strong relationships with generations of local pet owners. We are now looking for an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to step into a Lead Vet position, combining clinical leadership with hands-on veterinary work and the opportunity to help shape the continued development of the practice.

This is a great opportunity for a confident clinician who enjoys supporting colleagues, championing high clinical standards and identifying opportunities to improve how the practice works, while continuing to enjoy a varied caseload within a stable and welcoming team.

Why join us?

• Opportunity to provide clinical leadership and help shape the continued development of Chess Veterinary Clinic
• A genuine opportunity to influence clinical standards, governance and ways of working across the practice
• A balanced clinical caseload with approximately 40–50% surgical work, alongside consulting
• Time and facilities to work cases up thoroughly, with 15-minute consultations as standard and 30-minute appointments where clinically required
• A loyal, largely insured client base that is receptive to proactive investigation and high-quality veterinary care
• An established and experienced team, including RVNs who have been with the practice for more than a decade
• Scope to develop the practice’s imaging and endoscopy offering
• A structured and predictable 40-hour rota with 1 in 4 Saturday mornings 9am - 6pm
• The opportunity to mentor and support colleagues while continuing to develop your own clinical interests
• Generous CPD allowance, four funded CPD days per year and access to the wider Linnaeus CPD programme, including certificate-level support

The practice & team

Chess Veterinary Clinic has been serving the Hertfordshire community for almost 80 years, building trusted relationships with generations of clients. The practice has a loyal and largely insured client base, with clients who value thorough investigation and high-quality care. The team also sees a small number of charity cases, including C4 neutering work, giving the practice an opportunity to support the wider community.

You’ll be primarily based at our Rickmansworth practice, a characterful and welcoming site set within a converted stable, with a second site in nearby Chorleywood. The role will involve approximately 1–2 days per week at Chorleywood where required, giving you the opportunity to work across both practices while remaining part of one established team. Chorleywood has recently been refurbished and offers a large consult room and spacious waiting area, while Rickmansworth provides the charm and character of a long-established local practice.

The practices are well equipped to support a high standard of first-opinion medicine and surgery, including an in-house laboratory offering routine haematology and biochemistry alongside thyroid, cPLI and cortisol testing, digital radiography including dental imaging, ultrasound for abdominal and cardiac scans and endoscopy equipment. There is a dedicated theatre, as well as a separate area for dental procedures and ultrasonography. With imaging and endoscopy representing areas the practice would particularly like to develop, this role offers scope for the successful candidate to help shape and strengthen these services.

You’ll be joining a highly experienced and stable team. The Nursing Manager has been with the practice for around 14 years and completed her own nurse training there, while the Practice Manager is also an RVN with almost 10 years in practice. Another RVN has around 12 years’ service, and the reception and client care teams are similarly experienced, with some colleagues having been part of the practice for around 30 years. It’s a welcoming team where people know each other well, support one another and value open discussion around cases and clinical decision-making.

As Lead Vet, you’ll work closely with the Clinical Director and Practice Manager to support the veterinary team, encourage clinical best practice and contribute to the ongoing development of the practice. This could include mentoring colleagues, supporting clinical discussions and governance, identifying opportunities for service improvement and helping create an environment where the wider team can continue to develop. You’ll have the autonomy to bring your experience and ideas to the role while benefiting from the wider support and resources of Linnaeus.

The practice is situated in the affluent and picturesque area of Rickmansworth, with excellent transport links into London and easy access to the Chilterns. The Rickmansworth Aquadrome and Chorleywood Common are both nearby, offering plenty of opportunities for walking and enjoying the outdoors, while the local area has a village feel with independent cafés and amenities close by.

What we’re looking for

• An experienced small animal Veterinary Surgeon with ideally 8+ years’ UK experience
• Strong clinical confidence across both consulting and surgical cases
• Someone who enjoys working cases up thoroughly and making evidence-based clinical decisions rather than referring early
• A confident and approachable clinical leader who enjoys mentoring, coaching and supporting colleagues
• Someone who can contribute to clinical governance and help drive continuous improvement
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to working with vets, nurses and the wider practice team
• An interest in developing clinical services, particularly imaging and/or endoscopy
• Someone who is comfortable influencing and supporting others while continuing to enjoy a hands-on clinical caseload
• A genuine commitment to high standards of patient and client care
• Someone who wants to make a long-term contribution to an established practice and its local community

Benefits

• 5 weeks holiday + bank holidays + Birthday Leave

• RCVS & VDS fees paid

• CPD allowance and 4 days each year to attend events plus Linnaeus CPD Programme (including certificate holder level CPD)

• Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD program

• Career progression opportunities

• Staff discount schemes

• Life Assurance

• Enhanced sickness pay

• Enhanced equal family leave

• E-car salary sacrifice scheme

• Recruitment referral reward scheme

• Wellness program including:

• Employee assistance program

• Eyecare voucher scheme

• Free annual Flu jab

• Cycle to work scheme

About Us

Chess Vets is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary Health, the largest family-owned veterinary company in the world. Being privately owned, we can truly be driven by our purpose, to create a better world, and think long-term as opposed to being focused solely on short-term profits.   

At Linnaeus, A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS starts with a better world for our people. Our Associates are over 6000 strong and empowered to speak up, step up and deliver quality services. You’ll have access to a huge network of specialists, worldwide development opportunities and an easily accessible, comprehensive wellbeing package that prioritises your physical and mental health, allowing you to focus on what you do best – care for pets.  

We are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse, we care about you and want you to be authentic, with everything you need to perform at your best. We are all individual but two important things bring us together: a commitment to excellence and our passion to achieve our purpose. 

If you would like to apply for the role or for an informal chat to discuss it further, please get in touch with Joanne in the recruitment team joanne.gray@linnaeusgroup.co.uk

#LI-JG1 #LI-Onsite #INDSPO