Head Veterinary Nurse

Posting date:	17 March 2026
Salary:	£40,000 to £45,000 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	16 April 2026
Location:	Surbiton
Remote working:	On-site only
Company:	Purosearch
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	JOB-57601-20726

Summary

Head Veterinary Nurse – 12-Month Maternity Cover

Surbiton

From £40,000 DOE | Full Time | Monday–Friday | No Weekends | No OOH

Why Apply?

• 50/50 clinical and leadership position - stay hands-on while developing management experience

  
  

• Monday - Friday rota with no weekends or out-of-hours

  
  

• Lead, mentor and shape nursing standards within a highly engaged team

  
  

• Excellent CPD, certificate support and genuine leadership progression

  
  

  Benefits

  • 5 weeks holiday + bank holidays + birthday leave

    
    

  • RCVS & VDS fees paid

    
    

  • Generous CPD allowance with funded external training

    
    

  • Access to clinical boards and learning resources

    
    

  • Employer pension contribution

    
    

  • Life assurance

    
    

  • Enhanced family leave

    
    

  • Staff discount scheme

    
    

  • Electric car salary sacrifice scheme

    
    

  • High-quality uniform provided

    
    

  • Protected induction and onboarding time

    
    

  • Annual flu vaccination

    
    

    The Role

    This role combines clinical nursing (3 days per week) with leadership and administrative responsibilities (2 days per week), allowing you to remain actively involved in patient care while influencing nursing standards, team development and clinical processes.

    You will work closely with experienced teams, supporting day-to-day operations, mentoring nurses at all career stages, and contributing to wider practice strategy and leadership discussions.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Maintain a strong hands-on clinical presence across all branches

      
      

    • Oversee nursing standards and clinical quality

      
      

    • Support, mentor and develop RVNs and SVNs

      
      

    • Assist with operational workflows and team coordination

      
      

    • Contribute to leadership decisions and practice development

      
      

    • Promote a collaborative and positive team culture

      
      

      About the Team

      • Stable, supportive and highly experienced nursing teams

        
        

      • Mix of senior and newly qualified nurses

        
        

      • Strong mentoring culture and shared clinical standards

        
        

      • Collaborative environment where nursing input is valued

        
        

        Career Development & Leadership Exposure

        • Involvement in senior leadership discussions

          
          

        • Exposure to multi-site strategy and operational planning

          
          

        • Opportunity to develop leadership and management skills

          
          

        • Access to extensive internal and external CPD programmes

          
          

        • Certificate support available

          
          

          About the Group

          You will be joining a large, well-established veterinary network focused on long-term investment in people, clinical excellence and patient care. Associates benefit from access to an extensive professional network, advanced learning opportunities and comprehensive wellbeing support.

          The organisation is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where every team member feels supported, valued and empowered to develop their career.

          To view all our vacancies, please visit https://purovets.com/veterinary-jobs/

          And don't forget, if this position is of no interest to you but you know someone who may be interested, please pass on our details. We offer £250* for every successful candidate referral. *Terms and conditions apply.

          Ref no: JOB-57601