Veterinary Surgeon - Small Animal

Overview

Salary up to £65,000 DOE, relocation allowance up to £5,000 and welcome bonus up to £5,000.

Plymouth Vets is a modern, purpose-built 24/7 hospital looking for an engaged Veterinary Surgeon to join our welcoming and progressive team. This is an opportunity to work in a hospital environment where collaboration, case continuity and high clinical standards sit at the heart of everything we do.

A dedicated small animal practice seeing a broad mix of cases, from routine consultations through to emergency and critical care. With in-house specialists in exotics, the caseload also includes more unusual patients. You’ll enjoy a balance of consults and surgery across the week, with opportunities to develop areas of clinical interest where possible. As a referral-accepting hospital, you’ll have the satisfaction of seeing cases through from start to finish.

Hospital-level facilities include digital and dental X-ray, CT scanner, laparoscopy, endoscopy, advanced imaging and a fully equipped in-house laboratory. We accept referrals from the local area and cover Out of Hours emergency critical work for local IVC practices, Vets 4 Pets and the PDSA with our own dedicated OOH team at Derriford Hospital.

Our main site is a new, purpose-built hospital, supported by three branch surgeries, with time split across sites. The hospital features a large reception, seven consult rooms, a central prep area with three theatres (including a dedicated orthopaedic theatre), a dental suite, X-ray and CT rooms, five species-specific wards plus isolation, quiet office space, a vet library, staff areas, a large boardroom for CPD events, and ample on-site parking.

Full-time hours are 40 per week over four days, typically 9am–7pm, with part-time applications over 20 hours also considered. You’ll participate in a 1:5 full weekend rota at the hospital, with Sundays as sole charge for emergencies only. There is no additional out-of-hours or on-call work.

You’ll join a team of 14 vets, supported by 25 RVNs and SVNs and a dedicated client care team led by the Practice Director. Our vets range from new graduates to over 15 years of experience. We have certificate holders in exotics, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and diagnostics, with ongoing development opportunities and active support for further certificates.

Recognised as a Burgess Excel Award winner and Gold Standard Rabbit practice, we work closely with charities including the PDSA, RSPCA and the local Monkey Sanctuary.

Relocating to Plymouth offers an exceptional lifestyle with the sea, Dartmoor National Park nearby, easy access to Cornwall and Devon’s coastline, vibrant city life, great food, cultural attractions and good transport links.

• Competitive base salary plus benefits
• 6.6 weeks annual leave (pro rata) including bank holidays; additional holiday entitlement for your birthday
• Private Medical Insurance; 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced family-friendly policies; maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
• CPD allowance and paid CPD leave; certificate support;
  Academy learning opportunities
• Care Fund and research funding options; infection prevention and quality improvement programmes
• Professional memberships (BVA, VDS, RCVS fees)
• Cycle to Work and Green Cars schemes; voluntary benefits; discounts with retailers
• Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice
• AI-assisted recruitment process with human review of final decisions