Referral Veterinary Clinician - Head of Laboratory Services

Referral Veterinary Clinician - Head of Laboratory Services

Donnington Grove Veterinary Group are welcoming applications from boarded and board‑eligible Internal Medicine/Pathology clinicians to join the senior leadership team as the new Head of Laboratory Services. This is an exciting new role to grow the laboratory service both in‑house and to our referral practices at our Leading Equine Hospital based in Newbury, West Berkshire.

Newbury is a thriving market town with good train links to London. The Practice is based in a semi‑rural location with good access to open countryside.

We are a busy Equine and Small Animal practice running laboratory tests in key diagnostic areas including haematology, clinical chemistry, endocrinology, microbiology, serology and molecular diagnostics. The role involves leading a team of Laboratory Technicians to deliver a first‑class service to our team of 50 Veterinary Surgeons and our wider referral network. Our ambition is to grow the services that we provide and we aim to become the Laboratory of choice within the IVC Evidensia Group.

The successful candidate will be involved in the development of the portfolio of tests and ensuring that the Laboratory is up to date in terms of equipment and working practices.

Experience in leading teams is essential as we are committed to developing our in‑house team, encouraging individuals to expand their knowledge, and to drive a strong team‑working ethic. We want to maintain an inclusive environment where everyone is engaged in the future plans of the Laboratory.

• Previous experience within a busy veterinary laboratory handling equine samples, and/or clinical setting
• An MRCVS qualification who is board eligible or has obtained Specialist Status in Internal Medicine or Pathology
• Good communication and line‑management experience

• 6.6 weeks annual leave
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Your birthday as a paid day off

• Enhanced family‑friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing, including discounted gym membership
• Non‑accidental injury support

• Excellent CPD allowance & enhanced leave
• 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
• Infection Prevention and Control Programme
• Quality Improvement Programme

• VDS cover
• RCVS fees

• Pawsome Benefits – reward gateway giving discounts and cashback with 100’s of retailers
• Pension – 5% Employee/3% Employer
• Discounted staff pet care

• Director

• Full‑time

• Health Care Provider

• Veterinary Services

Salary up to £120k DOE.

If you would like to apply, please follow the link on page or send your covering letter and current CV to

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing 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.