Senior Practice Director

Senior Practice Director, 12-month fixed term contract, County Durham

Exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to join our Northeast team!

The role will cover the Southern Northeast sites - Ashfield Veterinary Centre, Castle Veterinary Centre and White Oak Veterinary Centre.

The successful candidate will be primarily based at Ashfield Veterinary Centre, whilst maintaining a regular leadership presence across Castle Veterinary Centre and White Oak Veterinary Centre through weekly or bi-weekly visits as required. This approach will ensure strong collaboration, visibility and support across all three practices.

Rota: Full time 40 hours a week.

At CVS, we put our colleagues first, giving you the support you need to provide the best possible care. From clinical to non-clinical challenges, you'll always have the resources and teams alongside you. We'll be your biggest supporter. It's in our nature.

With market-leading learning, on-the-job training, and collaboration with skilled colleagues, you'll have the tools to grow whether you're building confidence early in your career or looking to deepen your expertise. From advancing in your current role to exploring new leadership or specialist pathways, we provide the support and opportunities to help you achieve your goals.

The role

As a Senior Practice Director, you will play a pivotal non-clinical leadership role, ensuring high standards of clinical excellence, patient care and client service across your practices. Acting as both a strategic and operational leader, you will provide clear direction, consistent guidance and visible support while balancing local practice needs with wider regional priorities.

You will lead and develop high-performing Practice Leadership Teams, working closely with Clinical Directors, Head Nurses and the Regional Director to drive strategic, operational and commercial performance across multiple sites. Acting as a key link between the practices and the Regional Director, you will ensure regional priorities, strategic objectives and operational initiatives are clearly communicated and successfully implemented.

Through regular Business-as-Usual meetings, site visits, business planning and KPI performance reviews, you will strengthen collaboration, identify risks, support continuous improvement and help practices achieve both local and organisational goals. You will bring strong experience across profit and loss management, recruitment, HR, health and safety, payroll, rota planning and diary management.

The role will also involve supporting change management and project delivery, strengthening colleague engagement, retention and succession planning, managing complaints and urgent communications, and deputising for the Regional Director when required. With a people-first approach and a commitment to excellence, you will help enhance practice standards, team performance and the ongoing success of the wider organisation.

Most importantly, you live and breathe our I CARE leadership values:

The benefits

At CVS, 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 (pro-rated for part-time)

• 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)
• CVS Pension Scheme
• 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

Interested?

Please click apply now! For further details or an informal chat, please contact Jim in the recruitment team at jim.mcdowell-massar@cvsvets.com.

To submit an online application, click Apply Now, upload your CV and we'll be in touch.

Join us at CVS

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.

Wellbeing support is always available, from monthly line-manager check-ins to our network of 400 Wellbeing Champions, Pastoral Support Vets and personal mentors. We offer leading benefits and policies, such as our Health Shield which provides support for physical and mental health.

Our aim is to free up clinical colleagues to do what they do best, so we offer practices a wide range of operational support. Central expert HR, recruitment, payroll, IT, finance and procurement teams are on hand to support with all aspects relating to the smooth running of each practice.

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

This role is based in Annfield Plain commutable from Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle upon Tyne, Chester-le-Street, Spennymoor, Ferryhill, Stanley, Houghton-le-Spring, Hetton-le-Hole, Washington, Crook, Sedgefield, Seaham, Peterlee, Bishop Auckland, Consett, Shildon, Newton Aycliffe, Gateshead, Jarrow, Hebburn, Blaydon, South Shields, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham, Middlesbrough, Belmont, Gilesgate, Neville's Cross, Framwellgate Moor, Shincliffe, High Shincliffe, Sherburn, Sherburn Hill, Croxdale, Bearpark, Ushaw Moor, Brandon, Langley Moor, Meadowfield, New Brancepeth, Bowburn, Pittington, Witton Gilbert, Sacriston, Nettlesworth, Coxhoe, West Rainton, Hett, Kelloe, Esh Winning, Great Lumley, Bournmoor, Cornforth, Fencehouses, Haswell, Lanchester, Burnhope, Byers Green, Kirk Merrington, Bishop Middleham, Thornley, South Hetton, Murton, Trimdon, Easington, Easington Colliery, Fishburn, Leadgate, Shotton Colliery, Castle Eden, Wingate, Annfield Plain, Dipton, Horden, Blackhall Colliery, Ebchester, Whickham, Rowlands Gill, Winlaton, Ryton, Crawcrook, Wolviston, Stillington, Thornaby.