Hospital Director (2272)

Do you want to create a better world for animals? At the RSPCA, we believe all animals deserve kindness and respect. We work for the benefit of every animal – as well as pets, that includes farmed animals, wildlife, and animals used in science. Choose a career with us and make a difference for every kind.

We are looking for a Hospital Director to join us at our Finsbury Park Animal Hospital. 

Location: Site based at Finsbury Park Animal Hospital.

Working hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

The Hospital Director position offers a unique and rewarding opportunity to be at the forefront of shelter medicine for one of the UK's largest and most respected animal welfare organisations.

Are you ready to be part of our journey and make a difference?

As our lead Veterinary Surgeon in the region, you will hold overall responsibility for the smooth operation of our animal hospital, ensuring the highest standards of care for the animals entrusted to us.

This pivotal role also encompasses clinical governance across our regional veterinary services, making a tangible impact on animal welfare throughout the area.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Providing expert, up to date advice on animal welfare and scientific matters to our dedicated staff and the wider public. 
• Performing essential clinical duties within our well equipped hospital.
• Managing and supporting veterinary services across local RSPCA branches, centres, and our vital Inspectorate team.
• Leading and inspiring a substantial team, with direct line management and indirect oversight of staff members, including budget and staffing responsibilities.
• Ensuring unwavering compliance with the RCVS code of conduct regarding the use of veterinary medicines by all relevant staff.
• Collaboratively developing and implementing a forward thinking regional veterinary strategy, working with diverse stakeholders to continuously improve the health and welfare of animals in our care through the promotion of best practices.
• Strategically managing the procurement and provision of veterinary services within the RSPCA, aligning with our core priorities, policies, and procedures to maintain consistently high standards.
• Actively fostering and developing strong professional relationships with private veterinary surgeons and other animal welfare charities in the region.
• Contributing to the advancement of shelter medicine through participation in clinical audits, publications, and relevant research.
• Mentoring and guiding RSPCA veterinary colleagues, including supporting recent graduates through their Professional Development Phase (PDP), and championing the development of innovative veterinary initiatives within the Region.

For a comprehensive understanding of this exciting opportunity, please refer to the detailed job description attached to this advert.

To succeed within this role, it is essential that you are able to:

• Identify opportunities for bottom line improvement and proactively manage risk with a holistic, long-term perspective.
• Prioritise, make decisions, take initiative, and drive delivery, whilst continuously seeking improvements and tackling difficult situations.
• Set high standards, ensure follow through, and achieve quality and productivity goals.
• Motivate and empower others to achieve organisational goals through strong negotiation and collaborative information sharing for positive outcomes.
• Deliver concise and audience appropriate presentations (oral and written).
• Effectively adjust to change and maintain performance under pressure.
• Demonstrate a strong work ethic, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn.
• Inspire and lead the Operations Team through clear communication, engagement, and high emotional intelligence.
• Work in the best interest of the entire organisation through effective collaboration.

To be considered for an interview, you must also:

• Be a member of  Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons;
• Have experience of managing a team of clinical professionals;
• Have experience of managing budgets;
• Have knowledge and experience of broader animal welfare considerations in the provision of veterinary advice;
• Have demonstrable strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK - We are unable to sponsor visas at RSPCA

In person interviews will take place on the 13th of June. 

Due to high interest in some of our roles, we review applications as they are received. This can occasionally result in positions closing earlier than advertised. Therefore, we strongly recommend submitting applications early. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications after the posted closing date.

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed  to our mission.  For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family! 

Should you need any support with your application or interview process please contact resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk / 0300 123 0685.

Our mission is to ensure animals have a good life by rescuing and caring for those in need, by advocating on behalf of all animals and by inspiring everyone to treat them with compassion and respect