Senior Veterinary Surgeon - Small Animal

Overview

Salary up to £75,000 DOE, Up to £5,000 Relocation Allowance, plus Up to £5,000 Welcome Bonus. Unicorn Vets has been proudly serving the Southampton area for over 30 years and is now offering an exciting opportunity for a confident Senior Veterinary Surgeon to take full clinical ownership of one of our practices. This role is ideal for an experienced vet who enjoys autonomy, leadership and the freedom to drive a practice forward while delivering outstanding patient care.

You will see a varied small animal caseload including cats, dogs, rabbits and small furries, with a strong balance between consultations and surgery throughout the day. Case continuity is actively encouraged, allowing you to manage and develop cases to a high standard, while having the option to refer where appropriate. This role offers real scope to grow the practice, shape services and pursue your own clinical interests with a high level of independence.

This is a sole charge position, ideal for a confident and experienced vet who enjoys independence. You will be supported day-to-day by two RVNs and a receptionist, with additional support available from the wider group and neighbouring branches whenever needed.

Unicorn Vets operates from two long-standing practices in Southampton, Fairfield and Park, both of which have served the community for over three decades. This role will be primarily based at our Park branch, giving you the opportunity to truly make the practice your own. The Park branch is set within a converted house and is currently being prepared for an upcoming refurbishment.

In the meantime, you will be well supported with excellent facilities including digital X-ray, in-house haematology and biochemistry with extended panels such as SDMA and T4, ultrasound with echocardiography, endoscopy, capnography, tonometry and ECG. The setup allows you to work cases up thoroughly and confidently.

This is a full-time role of 40 hours per week, worked across four or five days with a mixture of early and late shifts. You will take part in a one in six Saturday morning rota from 8:30am to 12:30pm, with no out-of-hours or on-call work. Part-time applications are also very welcome and can be discussed to suit the right candidate.

If you have an interest in completing a certificate or expanding your clinical expertise, this will be fully supported. Continued learning and professional development are actively encouraged for those passionate about progressing their skills.

Southampton offers a fantastic lifestyle, combining coastal living with city convenience. With easy access to the New Forest, the South Downs and the Solent coastline, the area is ideal for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits, sailing, walking and green spaces. The city also offers excellent shopping, dining and cultural attractions, alongside strong transport links including direct trains to London, making it a great place to build both a career and a life.

Because our people matter:
We recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from:

• Work-life balance
• 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
• 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, VDS cover, RCVS Fees
• Colleague Benefits:
  Company pension scheme (IVC Evidensia contribution)
• Cycle to Work and Green Cars Scheme (eligibility)
• Voluntary benefits selection and retailer discounts
• Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice

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.