Clinical Lead Veterinary Surgeon - Large Animal

Salary up to £65,000 DOE, Welcome Bonus up to £5,000 plus Relocation Allowance up to £5,000

Avondale Vet Group are looking for an experienced and proactive Clinical Lead Farm Vet who is passionate about supporting others and keen to take the next step in their career. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on clinical excellence and enjoys mentoring and coaching fellow vets, helping to nurture the next generation of talent within the team. While you’ll play a key leadership role, this is not a management position - you won’t be responsible for financial or operational duties such as P&L or budgeting. Your focus will be on guiding clinical standards, supporting less experienced vets, and driving forward best practice across our varied and interesting farm caseload.

As part of IVC Farm, you’ll be connected to a wide network of farm vets, offering lots of opportunities for collaboration, development, and sharing of ideas. We foster a culture of teamwork, with regular practice-wide, leadership, and departmental meetings to keep everyone connected and supported.

Fix or flex - find your perfect balance

We understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. We offer flexible rota patterns and working hours to accommodate your personal needs and priorities. Whether you prefer fixed or flexible work patterns, we are committed to finding the right solution for you.

The full-time hours for this position include working up to 40 hours per week across 5 days, with a weekly half day, which is a full day following a weekend on call. Working hours are 8:30am - 5pm Monday to Friday. The current rota operates on a 1 in 4 schedule, offering a day off in lieu after a weekend on-call and additional payment for out-of-hours work. To support your role, a pickup vehicle will be provided for both work and personal use.

Find your future

At Avondale, we are a thriving, large semi-rural practice providing small animal, equine, and farm veterinary services. Our purpose-built premises are conveniently located just 40 minutes from Glasgow, offering a well-established base in Strathaven and the surrounding areas. Our farm team handles a diverse caseload, from large dairy clients to beef, sheep, and smallholding work. We are committed to professional growth and development, with a team member holding the DBR qualification. With a rich history dating back to 1921, Avondale even boasts a unique claim to fame - our founding partner was the first to diagnose and report a left displaced abomasum (LDA)!

Our multidisciplinary team includes 2 clinical directors, a practice manager, 20 vets, 7 RVNs, 3 SVNs, and 9 support staff. We foster a close-knit and supportive environment, ensuring our team thrives both professionally and personally. Located on the outskirts of Strathaven, a charming market town with a fantastic community spirit, we enjoy excellent local amenities, including historic sites like Strathaven Castle, award-winning parks, a golf club, and even an airfield. With top-rated schools and easy access to Glasgow, it's a fantastic place to live and work.

We also know how to have fun outside of work! Whether we're participating in local events like the annual Strathaven Raft Race - getting soaked or cheering from the sidelines - we believe in making the most of our time together.

Because our people matter

We recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from:

1. Work-life balance
2. 6.8 weeks annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays
3. Additional holiday entitlement for your birthday
4. Wellbeing
5. Private Medical Insurance
6. Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline
7. Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
8. Initiatives focused on colleague wellbeing
9. Development
10. £1250 CPD allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave pro rata
11. Certificate support
12. Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
13. Access to Vetlexicon - our online encyclopaedia provider
14. All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding
15. All our Vets get £1250 per annum to spend via our Care Fund
16. Infection Prevention and Control Programme
17. Quality Improvement Programme
18. Professional Memberships
19. BVA membership
20. VDS cover
21. RCVS fees
22. Colleague Benefits
23. Company pension scheme. IVC Evidensia will make a contribution as well
24. Supporting a greener commute to work with a Cycle to Work scheme and Green Cars Scheme, subject to eligibility criteria
25. Voluntary benefits: we give you the flexibility to choose from a range of voluntary benefits to suit you
26. Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers
27. Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice

Up to £65,000 DOE