Lead Veterinary Surgeon - Small Animal

 

Not every Lead Vet role is about managing a large team, endless meetings or stepping away from clinical work.

At Beechwood Veterinary Clinic, this role is about having the freedom to do your best work, the opportunity to take ownership of your caseload, and the chance to play a meaningful role in shaping a well-established practice. Whether you're already operating at a senior level or you're a capable and ambitious GP veterinarian ready to take the next step, this position offers genuine scope to develop your career in a way that suits your interests.

You'll be joining a close-knit, highly supportive team where your decisions matter, your expertise is valued, and your professional goals can be actively supported.

An Opportunity to Grow Into Leadership

This position would suit an experienced Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys first-opinion practice and is looking for a role with greater influence, variety and clinical autonomy.

While the title is Lead Veterinary Surgeon, we're deliberately keeping an open mind about what leadership looks like for the right person. You may already have leadership experience, or you may simply be ready for more responsibility and ownership within a practice.

For veterinarians interested in developing beyond a purely clinical role, there is genuine opportunity to progress into responsibilities such as Clinical Director, Single Accountable Leader and COS holder. Equally, if your ambitions are primarily clinical, we'll support those too.

What matters most is finding someone who enjoys being part of a small hands-on clinical team, takes pride in their work and wants to help drive the practice forward.

A Role Where You Can Truly Make an Impact

This is a brilliant opportunity for a confident all-round Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys both medicine and surgery and wants to see cases through from start to finish.

Beechwood has an established client base with a varied medical and surgical caseload, giving you the opportunity to build strong client relationships and develop continuity of care. You'll have the clinical freedom to work cases up properly and make decisions that put patient care first.

We're particularly keen to hear from vets who are confident with routine first-opinion surgery and medicine. The successful candidate will take ownership of the surgical caseload within the clinic, while also managing a broad range of medical cases.

If you have a particular interest in surgery, medicine or a developing clinical niche, we'll do our best to support that. We recognise that great veterinary careers aren't one-size-fits-all and we're keen to create a role that allows you to pursue the areas you enjoy most.

For complex, referral-level or intensive care cases, we benefit from excellent internal referral pathways and strong local support networks, meaning you can work confidently within a first-opinion environment while knowing additional expertise is always available when needed.

Small Team, Big Opportunity

One of the most appealing aspects of this role is the size of the team.

Beechwood is intentionally small, which means you'll quickly become an integral part of the practice. You'll work alongside another Veterinary Surgeon, and a dedicated, friendly support team who genuinely enjoy working together.

In larger hospitals, it can sometimes feel difficult to influence how things are done. Here, your contribution will be highly visible and genuinely valued.

You'll have the opportunity to help shape clinical standards, support the development of colleagues and contribute ideas that directly improve the practice for patients, clients and the wider team.

Modern Facilities and Strong Clinical Support

Beechwood Veterinary Clinic is a well-established small animal practice in the heart of Ranelagh, one of Dublin's most sought-after neighbourhoods.

Our facilities include a fully equipped surgical theatre, comprehensive in-house laboratory, digital radiography, ultrasound, blood pressure monitoring and modern diagnostic equipment that allows us to deliver high-quality first-opinion care efficiently and effectively.

We're proud of the standard of medicine we provide and believe clinicians perform at their best when equipped with the right tools, supported by experienced colleagues and trusted to make good clinical decisions.

A Sustainable Work-Life Balance

We believe excellent veterinary care shouldn't come at the expense of your personal life.

This role is based on a 40-hour week, worked across five days, with flexibility available for the right candidate.

The practice operates between 8:00am and 6:30pm, with current shifts scheduled between 7:30am and 7:00pm to allow for preparation and close-down duties.

Weekend commitment consists of one Saturday morning every two weeks, from 8:15am to 1:15pm.

Most importantly, there are no on-call duties, no out-of-hours responsibilities, no Sunday working and no Bank Holiday shifts. We work alongside a dedicated 24/7 out-of-hours provider, allowing the team to fully switch off when they leave for the day.

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for a Veterinary Surgeon who is confident managing routine first-opinion medical and surgical cases and enjoys building strong relationships with clients and colleagues alike.

You don't necessarily need previous Lead Vet experience to be successful in this role. What's more important is your clinical capability, communication skills and willingness to take ownership when needed.

You'll be comfortable working independently within a small team, enjoy collaborating with colleagues and take pride in delivering excellent patient care.

Applicants must be registered, or eligible for registration, with the Veterinary Council of Ireland.

Why This Role Stands Out

This isn't just another Veterinary Surgeon position.

It's a chance to join a respected Dublin practice where you'll be trusted, supported and given room to grow. It's an opportunity to take greater ownership of your work, develop your clinical interests, build long-term client relationships and potentially explore leadership, all while maintaining an excellent work-life balance.

Whether you're an experienced GP vet looking for more influence, a senior clinician considering your first leadership role, or someone who wants a practice where they can genuinely make a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

If you're looking for the next meaningful step in your veterinary career, Beechwood Veterinary Clinic could be exactly the opportunity you've been waiting for.

Rewarding Your Expertise   

In return for your experience and leadership, you’ll receive a highly competitive salary, alongside an excellent benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, career development, and life outside of work.

Work Life Balance  

*Enhanced holiday entitlement  

*Birthday Leave (paid day off on your birthday)  

Focus on Employee Wellbeing  

*Paid Maternity Leave Package  

*Paid Paternity Leave  

*Cycle to Work Scheme  

*Full access to EAP and Wellbeing Centre  

*Paid Bereavement Leave  

*Company Sick Pay  

Development  

*€1300 annual CPD allowance with 5 days paid CPD days pro rata  

*Funding of any Certificates / Diplomas / PhD’s you may want to pursue  

*Career Progression Opportunities, both clinical and non-clinical  

Professional Memberships  

*VCI membership paid  

*VDS cover paid  

Additional Benefits  

*Annual Pay Reviews  

*Dedicated CARE fund – annual contribution of €1,200 from IVC Evidensia for each Vet to use on a case of your choice to ensure successful outcome with your patient (T&Cs apply)  

*Pawesome Benefits - reward gateway giving discounts and cashback with hundreds of retailers  

*Employer Pension Contributions  

*Free Flu Inoculations  

*Discounted Veterinary Fees  

*Opportunity to join company programmes (LGBTQ+, Wellbeing Champions, Clinical Board and many more)