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Veterinary Surgeon
Location: 97 Uxbridge Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire Practice: Chess Veterinary Clinic Rickmansworth Salary: £45,000-£65,000 per annum, Depending on experience Practice Details
If you are a current Linnaeus Associate, you will need to apply internally. In order to do this, please contact our Talent Acquisition team (details can be found via The Link) and someone will be in touch to discuss and progress your application.
Job Title: Veterinary Surgeon
Location: Rickmansworth & Chorleywood, Hertfordshire
Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Practice: Chess Veterinary Clinic
Salary: £45,000–£65,000 DOE
Are you an experienced small animal vet looking for a role where you can practice medicine properly, with time to work up cases and a genuine surgical caseload? Chess Veterinary Clinic offers a stable, supportive environment with loyal clients, experienced colleagues, a quaint practice building, and excellent facilities. This is a role where your clinical opinion is valued, your development is encouraged, and your work-life balance is protected.
Why join us?
- Wonderfully balanced days with a surgical caseload of 40–50%
- Loyal, largely insured client base that supports gold-standard care
- Supportive, collaborative team with nurses with decade-long tenures
- Structured, predictable rota: 40 hours/week, 1 in 4 Saturdays (1pm–6pm)
- Real opportunity to hone imaging skills
The practice & team
Chess Veterinary Clinic has been serving the Hertfordshire community for over 75 years, building trusted relationships with generations of clients. You’ll be primarily based at our Rickmansworth site, a charming, characterful practice set in a converted stable, and will spend 1–2 days per week at our Chorleywood branch, which features a large consult room, spacious waiting area, and recently refurbished facilities.
Both sites are fully equipped to support high-quality medicine, with an in-house laboratory for thyroid, cPLI, cortisol, routine haematology and biochemistry testing, digital radiography including dental imaging, ultrasound for abdominal and cardiac scans, endoscopy equipment, a dedicated theatre, and a separate area for dentals and ultrasonography.
Our experienced team includes a Nursing Manager with 14 years in practice, RVNs with over a decade of experience, a practice manager who is also an RVN, and long-standing reception staff. The team is welcoming, collaborative, and supportive, with a culture of open case discussion. The practice is located in an affluent area with excellent access to London, near the Rickmansworth Aquadrome and Chorleywood Common, offering a mix of village charm, countryside walks, and cafes for a great work-life balance.
What we’re looking for
- Solid small animal GP experience - minimum 3 years UK
- Confidence in both consults and surgery
- Enjoys working up cases fully rather than referring early
- Interest in developing imaging or endoscopy skills
- Values collaboration and open case discussion
- Pride in delivering high standards of patient care
- Ability to work full-time within a structured rota
Benefits
5 weeks holiday + bank holidays + Birthday Leave
RCVS & VDS fees paid
CPD allowance and 4 days each year to attend events plus Linnaeus CPD Programme (including certificate holder level CPD)
Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD program
Career progression opportunities
Staff discount schemes
Life Assurance
Enhanced sickness pay
Enhanced equal family leave
E-car salary sacrifice scheme
Recruitment referral reward scheme
Wellness program including:
Employee assistance program
Eyecare voucher scheme
Free annual Flu jab
Cycle to work scheme
About Us
Chess Vets is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary Health, the largest family-owned veterinary company in the world. Being privately owned, we can truly be driven by our purpose, to create a better world, and think long-term as opposed to being focused solely on short-term profits.
At Linnaeus, A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS starts with a better world for our people. Our Associates are over 6000 strong and empowered to speak up, step up and deliver quality services. You’ll have access to a huge network of specialists, worldwide development opportunities and an easily accessible, comprehensive wellbeing package that prioritises your physical and mental health, allowing you to focus on what you do best – care for pets.
We are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse, we care about you and want you to be authentic, with everything you need to perform at your best. We are all individual but two important things bring us together: a commitment to excellence and our passion to achieve our purpose.
If you would like to apply for the role or for an informal chat to discuss it further, please get in touch with Joanne in the recruitment team joanne.gray@linnaeusgroup.co.uk
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Part of an amazing global family
Being part of this amazing global group gives us the benefit of a huge network of experts and specialists, a future we can invest in and the security that allows us to concentrate on what we do best – caring for pets. We are proud to count some of the finest specialists, veterinary surgeons and nurses in the UK among our team. Being part of the Mars family of businesses provides huge development opportunities across the group for our Associates.
The future of the veterinary world is at the heart of everything we do. We are all individual but two important things bring us together: a commitment to excellence and our passion to make A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
Linnaeus is owned by Mars, that makes us part of their 70,000 Veterinary Health Associates who spend their days thinking about the 400 million pets of the world and how to improve their lives. Being part of this amazing global group gives us the benefit of a huge network of experts and specialists, a future we can invest in and the security that allows us to concentrate on what we do best – caring for pets.
Our Associates are fundamental to our success and we are proud to count some of the finest specialists, veterinary surgeons and nurses in the UK among our team.
Being part of the Mars family of businesses provides huge development opportunities across the group for our Associates.
Linnaeus is an equal-opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, we are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse for all our associates.
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 our Talent Acquisition team at careers@linnaeusgroup.co.uk
