Specialist in Small Animal Surgery

Fixed-Term Opportunity (Equal family leave cover) 

Part-time: 2 days a week and a 1-in-4 out of hours rota. 

We are looking for a Specialist in Small Animal Surgery or a clinician who has completed an approved residency programme and is preparing to sit the board examination. Ideally, we are seeking experience in both soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery. This role offers an exciting opportunity to advance surgical skills and gain exposure to a referral surgical caseload. 

It’s an exciting time to join a forward-thinking, highly motivated surgery team supported by the Linnaeus Group, with significant investment in new innovative services and a commitment to personal and career development. 

Cave is a multi-disciplinary veterinary hospital in Somerset, UK.  We have a diverse specialist team, including disciplines such as surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, dentistry, oncology, neurology and ophthalmology. 

Cave is located just off J26 of the M5 in the beautiful Somerset countryside.   It is easily commutable from Exeter and Bristol. 

Your role and responsibilities 

We are looking for a proactive member to join the team, with excellent communication skills, a strong focus on animal welfare, and a positive, collaborative mindset. You will work as part of the surgery team to facilitate the acceptance of routine, urgent and emergency surgical cases, as well as management of internal transfers from our internal medicine team. 

The Surgery Team 

Our surgery service consists of: 

• Three Diplomats of the European College of Veterinary Surgery 

• One residency-trained surgeon 

• Dedicated surgical nurses and theatre technicians  

The role includes: 

• Management of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgical referral cases 

• Care of surgical inpatients 

• Out of hours support to referring veterinary surgeons 

Training & Education: 

• The surgery team is actively involved in ongoing in‑house training for our referral registered veterinary nurses, primary care referring vets and nurses and contributing to clinical development across the organisation. 

• The surgery team work closely with all teams across the hospital, and the right candidate will work well as part of a hospital team. 

• Surgeons also regularly deliver external CPD, including lunch‑and‑learn sessions, and provide case‑based advice to referring vets where needed. 

Equipment: 

• Laparoscopic/thoracoscopic equipment 

• New arthroscopic equipment 

• Electrosurgical unit 

• Extensive orthopaedic kit 

Benefits 

• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays and Birthday Leave (pro-rata) 

• RCVS and VDS fees paid 

• External CPD funded 

• Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD program 

• Career progression opportunities 

• Staff discount schemes 

• Life Assurance 

• Enhanced sickness pay 

• Employer contribution pension scheme 

• Wellness program including: 

• Employee assistance program 

• Eyecare voucher scheme 

• Free annual Flu jab 

• Cycle to work scheme 

If you would like to apply for this role, please click the Apply Button or for more information, please feel free to reach out directly to Sian Emery (Talent Acquisition Partner) at [email protected]