Join to apply for the Veterinary Surgeon - Small Animal role at IVC Evidensia
Salary is up to £65,000 DOE, plus a £5,000 Relocation Allowance and up to £5,000 signing bonus.
Veterinary Surgeon needed for award winning practice in Biddulph, Staffordshire (on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border). Recent graduates and more experienced vets are equally welcome.
We are looking for a full or part‑time vet (19‑40 hours per week over 2‑5 days), on a permanent or maternity cover basis, and are happy to look at non‑conventional work patterns to suit your needs. Full days, half days, split shifts, shifts that start after the school run – just ask and we will see what we can do! We know most people don’t want to do OOH, night checks, Sundays, or bank holidays, so we don’t ask you to. Saturdays are officially 1 in 5 (currently 1 in 6) alongside 2 receptionists, a RVN, and one other nursing team member, and only 8am‑1pm. If you love Saturdays or it suits you better – let us know! We are in a unique position to be able to accommodate a consult‑only vet if that is your preference.
We have one of our lovely vets on maternity leave, so we have the opportunity to welcome another vet to complement our fabulous team. We have 6 vets (4.5 FTE) with varied interests and experience from 1 to 24 years! Our lead vet James is studying for his ophthalmology certificate, our lead nurse Lyndsey recently completed her feline nursing, and we also offer acupuncture as part of a pain‑management strategy.
We have great relationships with neighbouring practices, giving us great resources for information and second opinions. We have access to CT scanning at a very reasonable cost in 2 local practices and also utilise a local AVP in cardiology for heart work‑ups when specialists are not the client’s preference for convenience or cost. We have specialists in cardiology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery that we can call on to attend the practice if needed for more complex cases – wonderful when you want to see that unusual procedure and keep continuity with your case.
We think you should be able to love the environment you work in – there aren’t many practices that look and feel like ours. Dedicated clinical office, 8 consulting rooms plus an end‑of‑life room, cat‑only waiting and ward (Cat friendly silver status), 2 full theatres plus dental theatre. The environment is planned to emphasise wellbeing of staff and patients – large airy reception, consulting, and operating rooms with natural light throughout.
The building is almost big enough to get lost in at first, but still feels cosy and inviting. Our extra‑large meeting room is great for lunch and learns, practice meetings and of course practice parties.
We think you deserve to be proud of your practice – providing excellent care, a great range and quality of equipment (including slit lamp, in‑house biochemistry and haematology, tonopen, multiparameter monitors amongst many others), a knowledgeable team and all for a fair cost to our clients.
We want a team member that fits with our culture and will insist on spending a day with us (at least) so you can make sure it is right for you. We would be very happy for you to speak to any of our staff members past or present – or even our EMS students – to see what they say about us.
Our Values
We focus on the client‑patient bond and foster an environment of case continuity and trust. Clients can request their preferred vet for appointments and surgery so you can really follow cases through to resolution.
We have a nursing team that can focus on nursing exclusively thanks to our award‑winning client care team. Our nurses do not get diverted to filling out insurance forms, so they can spend more time on patient care.
We value your skills and want to invest in you – if you have a special interest or skill, we will help you develop it or allow you to utilise it – we have space to expand services. Equally if you always wanted to learn more about a subject, we can get you on the right track with CPD and training to meet your career goals.
We value your time – our aim is to finish on time, every time. If you work into your lunch, we will of course give you the time back. You deserve proper breaks – 2 staff rooms, outside staff area, pool table, massage chair, espresso machine, velvetiser hot chocolate machine, toastie maker. If you want to stay in the practice on your break or head out for a walk, cycle or run, you can use the staff shower when you get back.
We think you need time to follow up cases, report results and catch up on your notes. As well as your hour for lunch (for relaxing not note writing!) there is additional time on the diary each day to make sure you can. And our appointments are all 20 minutes (longer for end‑of‑life appointments).
We were Petplan Practice of the Year 2019, having won 2 previous awards and been finalists in the Nurse and Practice Manager categories too.
We think you would like to be part of the team – we all work together to get the job done and provide great service. We are inclusive and supportive – none of us are perfect but we will try to help however we can. If you want to join in on a Go Ape adventure, take part in the local pub quiz or come out for a meal that’s great – but if you don’t that’s fine too!
We think your opinions and ideas are important – open dialogue and discussion is encouraged for all team members, and we promise to listen and act where we can. Clinical meetings lead to real change – bring your ideas so we can discuss and implement them.
We know your work/life balance is vital to your wellbeing – we try to accommodate time off requests whenever possible, to ensure you can get to all those important events in your life. One of our vets has recently come back from a 2‑month sabbatical – time away from work is important!
About Our Surrounding Area
Biddulph, originally a mining town, is set within the Staffordshire Moorlands (and bordering Cheshire), with beautiful countryside in every direction.
Biddulph Grange Garden (a National Trust "masterpiece of Victorian Garden design") and Biddulph Country Park are both within a 5‑minute drive for lunchtime fresh air.
Mow Cop, Staffordshire Way Gritstone Trail, Little Moreton Hall (NT), The Cloud and Jodrell Bank are just some of the very local walks and sights we have on our doorstep. We are also close to Manchester if you feel in need of a big city!
Benefits
* 6.6 weeks annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays
* Additional holiday entitlement for your birthday
Wellbeing
* Private Medical Insurance
* Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline
* Enhanced family‑friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
* Initiatives focused on colleague wellbeing
Development
* £1250 CPD allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave pro rata
* Certificate support
* Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
* Access to Vetlexicon – our online encyclopaedia provider
* All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding
* All our Vets get £1250 per annum to spend via our Care Fund
* Infection Prevention and Control Programme
* Quality Improvement Programme
Professional Memberships
* BVA membership
* VDS cover
* RCVS fees
Colleague Benefits
* Company pension scheme. IVC Evidensia will make a contribution as well
* Supporting a greener commute to work with a Cycle to Work scheme and Green Cars Scheme, subject to eligibility criteria
* Voluntary benefits: we give you the flexibility to choose from a range of voluntary benefits to suit you
* Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers
* Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice
At IVC Evidensia we are committed to diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging. We are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analysing resumes or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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