Description
Contract: Permanent, Full time – 40 hours over 5 days
Salary: £57,000 - £68,000 + One-off Recruitment & Retention Allowance of £2,500*
Location: Grimsby, DN32 7SH
Are you ready to make a significant impact in the veterinary world while being part of a compassionate and dynamic team?
Blue Cross is looking for a dedicated Head Veterinary Surgeon to lead our veterinary team in Grimsby, drive clinical excellence, and support our mission to improve the lives of pets and the people who look after them.
Enjoy a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, and the opportunity to contribute to a charity that is committed to fostering the wellbeing of their staff, while making a real difference in the lives of pets and their owners.
More about the role
Blue Cross Grimsby Animal Hospital has been serving the local community for over 40 years, treating thousands of sick and injured pets annually. Our state-of-the-art, modern facility is equipped with extensive onsite resources to support your work. Explore our facilities and meet some of the team by watching our video tour!
As the Head Veterinary Surgeon, you'll lead and inspire a team of veterinary surgeons, providing clinical guidance and fostering a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement. You'll oversee service delivery, adhere to best practices, and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. Prioritising the well-being of your team, you'll create a supportive environment.
Working closely with your peers, you'll execute the Clinical Strategy and look for opportunities to integrate services across the charity. You'll mentor recent graduates and locums, supporting their professional growth. Additionally, you'll advocate for Blue Cross's charitable work within the veterinary profession and to the public, enhancing our reputation and reach.
We prioritise continuous improvement and offer numerous opportunities for growth and development.
We understand the importance of work life balance and provide cover for the out of hours rota rather than requiring full participation, ensuring you have time for personal pursuits and wellbeing.
About you
You have a genuine passion for veterinary medicine and surgery, with the expertise to support and advise your team. Energetic and positive, you thrive on developing individuals, mentoring, and sharing your knowledge. Your leadership is grounded in compassion, courage, and inclusivity, embodying the core values of Blue Cross.
With excellent interpersonal skills, you excel in building strong relationships and fostering a collaborative environment. Your organisational and time management abilities ensure you can prioritise workloads and adapt to changes. You work well under pressure, meet deadlines, and provide outstanding clinical support to your team.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
* Veterinary degree and Member of Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
* Significant experience in small or mixed animal practice.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Experience of leading teams through progressive change and continuous improvement.
* Previous experience in managing Veterinary surgeons and nurses
* UK driving licence
* The ability to demonstrate, understanding and apply our Blue Cross values.
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Sunday 23 June 2024.
Applications will be reviewed as we receive them and the vacancy may close earlier than the specified deadline. We encourage you to apply promptly.
While we appreciate every applicant’s interest, we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for this position.
Blue Cross benefits
We recognise the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance and open to discussing flexible working arrangements to accommodate your individual needs and commitments.
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.
In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
Our generous benefits package includes:
* Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
* Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
* Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
* Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention
* Health cash plan
* Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
* Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
* Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and Personal development support.
* Life assurance
* 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
* Enhanced family friendly policies
* Recognition scheme
* Annual volunteer days
* Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers
* For Veterinary Surgeons joining us at our Grimsby Animal Hospital, we offer a one-off £2,500 Recruitment & Retention Allowance, £1,250 included in the first, monthly salary payment and £1,250 on successful completion of probation.
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
Blue Cross is a national charity that has been helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897.
Every month we help thousands of pets and their people by providing veterinary care, expert behaviour advice and find homeless pets loving families. We also offer education for future generations plus pet bereavement support for those who have lost their beloved pet companion.
We love the ways that pets can make such an amazing difference to the people they live with and we offer lifelong support and advice to help that unique relationship thrive. With your support we can give back to more pets and their families who need our help.
Pets change lives. We change theirs.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
We believe that every pet should enjoy a healthy life in a happy home, and we always seek to recruit the best people who share our values and commitment so we can continue to help and support pet owners across the UK to achieve this.
At Blue Cross, we want you to feel that you belong, without the need to hide any part of who you are.
Diversity and inclusion at Blue Cross means creating a workplace where all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, nation or country of origin, disability, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcome, respected, supported, and have access to equal opportunities.
We are working hard to reflect the world we live in and the communities we serve at every level of our organisation. As much as we have made positive advances, we consider diversity and inclusion to be a work in progress – a continual commitment that remains a priority for all of us.
If you would like to talk to us about any reasonable adjustments or changes to our recruitment process to support you to be your best, then please get in touch either via email at jobs@bluecross.org.uk, via telephone on 01993 825515 or if you would prefer a video call then we can arrange this using Microsoft Teams.
Our values
Our values define the way we do things. We use them every day to guide us, and to make sure we put people and pets at the heart of everything we do.
Compassionate: We listen, we are non-judgmental, we are kind and caring to the pets and people we encounter, and we offer support in difficult times
Courageous: We make brave decisions, embrace change, and encourage innovation, ensuring we always act with integrity – doing the right thing even when no one is looking
Inclusive: We value all our relationships and work in an open and positive culture where we celebrate our diverse talents and empower you to be you