Senior Clinical Lead RVN – Small Animal Practice
Location: Ponteland, Northumberland
Salary: £30,000–£34,000 pro rata
Job Type: Permanent | Full-time or Part-time (20–40 hours per week)
Are you an RCVS-registered Veterinary Nurse ready to take the next step in your career?
We are seeking an experienced, motivated, and highly organised Senior Clinical Lead RVN to join our friendly, progressive, independent small animal practice. This is an exciting opportunity to combine hands-on clinical nursing with leadership responsibilities in a supportive environment where your skills are valued and your professional development is actively encouraged.
As our Senior Clinical Lead RVN, you will play a key role in leading and developing our nursing team while helping to maintain exceptional standards of patient care and clinical excellence throughout the practice.
This role is ideal for a confident veterinary nurse looking to progress into a leadership position within a modern, nurse-led practice.
What We Offer -Competitive Benefits
- Salary of £30,000–£34,000 pro rata
- Christmas bonus
- Staff discount scheme
- Additional paid birthday leave
- Christmas party and team events
- Employee rewards programme
Flexible Working
- Part-time or full-time hours available (20–40 hours per week)
- 1 in 5 weekends on-call from home
- One weekday evening on-call from home
- Generous out-of-hours retainer
A Modern Independent Practice
We are proud to offer:
- A varied caseload including referral-level medical and surgical cases
- A rapidly growing client base
- Advanced, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment
- A genuinely nurse-led environment where your skills are fully utilised and appreciated
The Role
As Senior Clinical Lead RVN, you will oversee the day-to-day running of the nursing team while maintaining high clinical standards and supporting the continued growth and development of the practice.
Clinical Leadership & Team Management
- Oversee the daily organisation and management of the nursing team
- Delegate and assign duties effectively
- Coordinate daily procedures and workflow
- Ensure team members remain organised, productive, and supported throughout the day
- Maintain confidence and competence across all areas of veterinary nursing
- Assist with and lead more complex surgical and anaesthetic procedures
- Support the team in managing advanced and high-risk surgical cases
- Lead by example in patient care, anaesthetic monitoring, and clinical professionalism
Mentoring & Staff Development
- Support, mentor, and guide less experienced nurses
- Encourage confidence, teamwork, and professional growth
- Identify training and development opportunities for team members
- Foster a positive, approachable, and supportive workplace culture
Standards, Organisation & Accountability
- Maintain exceptional standards of hygiene, cleanliness, and organisation
- Ensure nursing duties and cleaning protocols are completed consistently
- Monitor workflow and follow up on outstanding tasks
- Delegate and oversee diary messages, courtesy calls, and follow-up duties
- Promote accountability and efficiency while maintaining a positive team environment
Continuous Improvement
- Contribute ideas to improve workflow, efficiency, patient care, and team development
- Help maintain the practice's Gold Standard approach to care and service
- Encourage continuous improvement and professionalism throughout the team
Our Nurse-Led Environment
We are passionate about enabling our nurses to work to their full potential and utilise the skills they have worked hard to achieve.
Our nurses are actively involved in:
- Nurse-led consultations (20-minute appointments as standard)
- Inpatient care
- Wound management and bandaging
- Theatre nursing, including scrubbing into surgery
- Blood sampling
- Patient triage
- Digital radiography and dental radiography
- Scale and polish procedures
Our Facilities
Our purpose-built practice includes:
- Separate dog and cat waiting areas
- Separate dog and cat consulting rooms
- Dedicated nurse consulting room
- Separate dog and cat wards with integrated heat mats and lighting
- Walk-in kennels
- Glass-walled theatre with two multiparameter monitors
- Laparoscopic equipment
- Digital radiography with integrated bucky table and exposure plates
- Dental radiography suite
- Full orthopaedic equipment for fracture repairs, cruciate surgery, and MPL procedures
- Complete in-house IDEXX laboratory and EPOC diagnostics
- High-quality ultrasound equipment
- Complete BOAS surgical kit
- Bronchoscope and gastroscope
Training will be provided where required.
About You
The ideal candidate will:
- Be an RCVS-registered Veterinary Nurse
- Have a minimum of two years' veterinary nursing experience
- Be confident and competent across all areas of clinical nursing
- Have experience assisting with complex surgeries and anaesthetic procedures
- Possess strong leadership and organisational skills
- Be approachable, supportive, and capable of motivating a team
- Thrive in a busy clinical environment
- Demonstrate excellent communication, delegation, and teamwork skills
- Be proactive, reliable, and passionate about maintaining high clinical standards
Why Join Us?
- Friendly, family-feel team culture
- Every team member is genuinely valued and appreciated
- Excellent opportunities for growth and professional development
- No targets or sales pressures
- Supportive management and collaborative working environment
- Opportunity to help shape and develop a growing independent practice
Take a look at our Instagram and Facebook pages to get a glimpse of our practice, our team, and the fantastic feedback we receive from our clients.
Job Details
Job Types: Permanent, Full-time, Part-time
Benefits
- Additional leave
- Employee discount
- Company events
- Professional development support
Education
- Diploma of Higher Education (preferred)
Experience
- Veterinary Nursing: Minimum 2 years (required)
Licence/Certification
- RCVS Registration (required)
Work Location: In person – Ponteland, Northumberland
Pay: £30,000.00-£34,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Employee discount
- Free parking
Work Location: In person
