Veterinary Surgeon (2778)

Do you want to help create a better world for animals? At the RSPCA, we believe animal welfare is everyone's welfare. Join us in creating a better world for every animal. We can do it if we work together, everyone for every animal. Could you be the compassionate and committed Veterinary Surgeon we're looking for? Join our friendly team at Block Fen Animal Centre, located in the beautiful rural surroundings of Cambridgeshire.

Block Fen Animal Centre was built in 2003 and sits on approximately 70 acres just outside the village of Wimblington, near March. We care for a wide range of animals, including:

• Up to 63 dogs, 72 cats, 32 rabbits and a variety of small animals, poultry, and farm animals
• Shifts - Monday  Friday 08.30 - 4.30pm
• Full-time, permanent  - Ideally working 35 hours per week but we are fully open to flex in this and would love to hear from you in you are able to work between 3 - 5 days per week (exc weekends)
• On-site role

Your recruitment journey

Here's what the process looks like, no surprises, just a friendly guide:

Application
Submit your interest via our careers website giving us a sense of your experience, skills, and potential.

Panel Interview  - This will be with Sally Jones, our amazing Centre Manager and one of our Veterinary team. We'll share further insight into the role and delve a little deeper into your experience and skills through competency based interview questions.  

Post-Interview clinical insight visit
If your first stage interview is successful, you'll be invited to visit our Centre Manager and team at Block Fen - this gives you a great opportunity to gain valuable insight into the role and environment.

• Need any adjustments during the recruitment process? Just let us know - we're happy to support you.

Does this sound a strong match of your skills and experience? Choose a career with us and make a difference.

This role is designed with wellbeing and work - life balance in mind. Hours are 8:30am - 4:30pm, there's no weekend working, making this an excellent opportunity if you're looking for a role that fits around other commitments.

From day one, we want you to feel supported and included. We stay connected through regular check-ins and team meetings, and there's always a colleague nearby for advice, collaboration, or a friendly chat. You'll be part of a team that values respect, kindness, and shared purpose. You'll be supported daily - working closely with our dedicated Veterinary Nurse

You'll oversee the rehabilitation of injured and unwell stray animals, as well as those recovering from cruelty or neglect. You'll demonstrate confident, welfare-led practice across a range of veterinary disciplines.

Your responsibilities include: 

• Taking ownership of clinical decision-making and providing veterinary leadership in a sole-charge environment, supported by an experienced RVN and animal care team.
• Applying strong general practice and shelter medicine experience to assess, diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of welfare and clinical cases.
• Leading the delivery of preventative healthcare strategies and shelter medicine protocols to maintain high standards of animal health and welfare.
• Performing and overseeing essential surgical procedures, including neutering, dental procedures and other interventions appropriate to the shelter environment.
• Acting as the veterinary lead for welfare assessments, making confident, evidence-based decisions on treatment, rehabilitation, quality of life and rehoming outcomes.
• Providing expert clinical advice and professional guidance to the RSPCA Inspectorate on welfare-related investigations, including complex or sensitive cases.
• Working collaboratively with animal care colleagues, inspectors and operational teams while maintaining professional judgement and accountability for veterinary decisions.
• Championing best practice, continuous improvement and high standards of clinical care across the shelter.

As a Veterinary Surgeon, your work will be varied, meaningful, and impactful. For full details, please see the attached job description

• Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
• A minimum of 3 years' post-qualification experience, with a broad foundation of clinical skills and confidence managing a varied caseload.
• Experience or a strong interest in shelter medicine, charity veterinary work, or welfare-led practice (full shelter medicine experience is desirable but not essential).
• The ability to work confidently in a sole-charge capacity, taking ownership of clinical decisions while working closely with the RVN and wider animal care team.
• A practical, compassionate approach to welfare decision-making, with the confidence to assess complex cases and make balanced decisions in the best interests of animals.
• Experience performing routine surgical procedures, including neutering and dentals, with the ability to manage a range of clinical presentations.
• Confidence in handling and treating common domestic species including dogs, cats and small mammals, with the ability to provide initial assessment and triage of avian or wildlife cases where required.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain clinical recommendations clearly and work collaboratively with colleagues, inspectors and external stakeholders.
• Resilience, empathy and professionalism when supporting animals affected by neglect, cruelty or challenging welfare circumstances.

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 RSPC

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

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. 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 purpose.  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! 

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.