Senior Veterinary Surgeon – Emergency and Critical Care (ECC)
Location: Kilmarnock
Salary: up to £85,000 DOE and £10,000 Recognition bonus
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent
Collaborate, thrive, and save pets’ lives
At Vets Now, we believe that when your purpose is to make a difference, you deserve a team that shares your passion. In our Kilmarnock clinic, we’re looking for a Head/Lead Veterinary Surgeon to lead from the front – inspiring clinical excellence and guiding a high-performing and collaborative team that supports pets and people when they need it most.
Kilmarnock is home to a close knit and highly experienced team, with a particularly longstanding nursing cohort who have worked together for many years with minimal change. The clinic benefits from a stable and supportive culture, with veterinary surgeons who bring a wealth of experience, many having previously worked in charity practice. The team includes dedicated CE and Sunday vets, ensuring strong clinical continuity and support. Recruitment opportunities here are rare, reflecting the positive working environment and long-term retention within the clinic. Ideally located just behind Kilmarnock train station, the clinic is exceptionally well connected by public transport, making commuting straightforward from surrounding areas. As part of the wider Vets Now network, the clinic plays a vital role in providing trusted out-of-hours emergency care to pets across Kilmarnock and the surrounding communities.
Lead with Clinical Excellence
As Senior Vet, you’ll lead by example by blending clinical expertise with mentorship and collaboration. You’ll set the tone for quality care, lead in emergency situations, and support the development of your fellow clinicians. You’ll have responsibility for:
- Driving and upholding clinical standards across the clinic
- Supporting the growth, training and wellbeing of your veterinary team
- Identifying clinical development opportunities and shaping team progression
- Championing innovation and service improvement within the clinic
This is more than a job. This is a vital leadership role with real impact where your guidance helps shape the future of ECC, while making a difference to patients, clients, and colleagues every day.
Work-Life Balance That Works For You
This full-time role averages 40 hours per week, including:
- Weekday nights and 1:2 weekends (mix of nights and days)
- Nightshifts 18:00-0900, Saturday day 1200-1830 and Sunday day 0830-1830
- Shared bank holidays
- No more than three consecutive nights
- Protected time for leadership duties and meetings
We understand that life outside of work matters too. That’s why we offer flexibility and can explore part-time arrangements, depending on clinic requirements because your balance is our priority.
Rewarding Work, Your Way
We look after you, so you can look after them, by offering a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Salary up to £85,000 DOE
- Seven weeks pro rata annual leave
- £1,875 CPD allowance + 35 paid CPD hours (pro rata)
- RCVS fees, VECCS membership, and VDS cover
- Private medical insurance
- Family-friendly policies – enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption pay
- Leadership Development Programme
- Access to our AdvantEdge clinical training platform
- Standard pension contributions (5% employee / 3% employer)
- Up to 50% discounted pet care
Support That Sets You Up for Success
You’re never alone at Vets Now: on-shift you’ll work alongside a registered vet nurse, an animal care assistant and a receptionist, and you can contact any of our clinics or referral centers across the UK at any time, day or night, if needing to discuss a particular case or share ideas.
You’ll also be supported by our Support Office in Dunfermline, where our teams work behind the scenes to help you thrive. Our Call Handlers and Customer Care Advisors ensure you can focus on what matters most to your patients.
Ready to Lead with Purpose?
If you’d like to visit the clinic or chat about the role before applying, contact Jessica in our Talent Team at [email protected]
Inclusion and Accessibility
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability or health condition, we’re committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
