Clinical Director

Veterinary Hospital | Referral | First Opinion | Out of Hours

We have an exciting opportunity for the Clinical Director role of the newly amalgamated Hillsborough Veterinary Hospital, comprising of the well-established Cromlyn House Veterinary Hospital; who have been offering high level first opinion veterinary service for over 40 years, Hillsborough Veterinary Referrals; our incredible Specialist and CertAVP referral service previously known as Northern Ireland Veterinary Specialists (NiVS) and MiNight Vets, Hillsborough: our dedicated out-of-hours, emergency and critical care service, who support over thirty practices across Northern Ireland. 

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior vet who is passionate about clinical excellence, team development, and delivering outstanding patient and client care across a diverse and dynamic hospital environment.

The Role

As Clinical Director, you will provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership across all areas of the hospital. You will work closely with senior clinicians, nursing leaders and management to ensure the highest standards of care, strong financial performance, and an engaged, high-performing team culture.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you will combine clinical work with leadership and strategic oversight.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clear clinical leadership across referral, first opinion and OOH services
• Champion clinical governance and continuous improvement
• Lead, mentor and develop veterinary and nursing teams
• Support recruitment, retention and succession planning
• Oversee clinical standards, protocols and compliance
• Drive collaboration between departments to ensure seamless patient care
• Contribute to financial performance, budgeting and strategic growth
• Maintain strong client relationships and uphold exceptional service standards

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Is an experienced veterinary surgeon
• Has significant clinical experience
• Has proven leadership or senior management experience
• Is confident leading multidisciplinary teams
• Is commercially aware and understands practice performance metrics
• Is passionate about clinical quality, governance and team development
• Communicates with clarity, empathy and confidence

A certificate holder or advanced practitioner status would be advantageous, but is not essential.

The benefits

As part of our CVS Group, we know that care for our patients starts with dedicated people like you. That's why we invest in your growth and your future. When you join our team, you'll receive:

• RCVS & VDS fees paid in full
• Generous CPD allowance, BSAVA library access, 450+ courses, and fully funded postgraduate qualifications (CertAVP, PgCert) with tuition, exams, and study leave covered
• Up to 33 days holiday (with option to buy/sell)
• Relocation package and visa fees covered (where applicable)
• Access to Vet Oracle telemedicine specialists, Advanced Clinical Services Network and Regional Clinical Leads for case support and mentoring
• Health cash plan, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Champions and enhanced family leave policies
• Staff pet care discounts – 50% off services, MiPet food and medications
• Competitive salary reflective of experience
• Leadership support and development opportunities
• Well-equipped hospital with advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities
• Collaborative referral and OOH environment
• Relocation support (if applicable)

Why Join Us?

Our hospital brings together the breadth of first opinion practice, the challenge of referral medicine, and the fast-paced nature of out-of-hours care - all under one roof. This creates a truly varied, rewarding and intellectually stimulating clinical environment.

As Clinical Director, you will have the autonomy to shape the future direction of the hospital, influence clinical standards, and build a culture of excellence and collaboration.

We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to do their best work. We foster an inclusive and equitable workplace where diverse perspectives are invited and people feel safe to speak up.

We prioritise investment in our facilities, delivering significant enhancements across numerous practices through a dedicated multi-million-pound improvement fund.

To apply

If you are ready to take the next step in your veterinary leadership career, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now or contact us for a confidential discussion. Please contact our Regional Director Jess at Jessica.Crosby@cvsvets.com