Vet Ops Director

We are rebuilding the veterinary experience from the ground up, making access to care seamless, joyful and genuinely personal for every pet and their owner.

With beautifully designed clinics and purpose-built technology, we are transforming how veterinary care is accessed and delivered. Our clinics combine modern design with first-class clinical care, creating spaces where veterinary teams, clients and pets genuinely want to be.

Our purpose is simple: healthier, happier pets and vets. We believe in a model that benefits everyone: our clinical teams, members, local communities and investors. That means competitive compensation, sensible caseloads, genuine career development and a culture where people feel supported to do their best work.

We are building the veterinary group of the future. If you share our passion for doing things differently, we would love to hear from you.

Role Overview

As Vet Ops Director, you will support and guide clinic teams to deliver clinical excellence and operational efficiency. You will oversee and mentor the Clinical Directors and Head Vets across your patch, promoting consistent standards and performance while championing our core values. You will also spend some time working clinically in our practices, maintaining a strong connection with our teams and clients.

Clinical Directors are accountable for their clinics’ results. You will help ensure performance is well managed across your patch: identifying issues early, applying standards consistently, putting the right support in place quickly and sharing effective practice across clinics.

Key Responsibilities

Main Purpose and Goals

• Work alongside the CVO to provide clinical leadership and operational support across your patch and to Central Office teams.

• Maintain high standards of patient care and deliver outstanding client experiences.

• Foster a culture of respect, collaboration and development across practice teams.

• Drive quality improvement, education and clinical governance.

• Ensure clinic performance is well managed across your patch, with issues identified early, acted on promptly and good practice shared between clinics.

• Support the recruitment, retention and development of veterinary professionals.

• Build Clinical Director capability and succession across your patch.

Clinical Leadership

• Mentor and coach Clinical Directors, Head Vets and clinical teams, encouraging continuous improvement.

• Model and uphold clinical excellence, ensuring consistent adherence to Creature Comforts’ clinical protocols and standards.

• Contribute to clinical discussions, audits and learning events across practices.

• Line manage the Clinical Directors and Head Vets in your patch, including regular one-to-ones, development plans and appraisals.

• As a registered vet, hold the clinical reporting line for your Clinical Directors and vets, applying the clinical standards set by the CVO.

Operational Support

• Collaborate with Practice Managers to support smooth clinic operations and exceptional client experiences.

• Guide and support clinics in meeting operational and financial objectives.

• Contribute to business planning, budgeting and resourcing for your clinics.

• Review the weekly scorecard for every clinic in your patch, identify issues early and ensure each clinic flagged amber or red has a written action plan within five working days.

• Attend the weekly leadership meeting with the CVO and fellow Vet Ops Directors.

• Plan veterinary recruitment ahead of need across your patch, using vet availability, footfall and revenue to inform the timing of each hire.

Hands-on Clinical Work

• Work one rostered clinical session every fortnight in a clinic outside your patch, helping to keep your registration current and maintain a connection with our teams.

• Act as a clinical role model, demonstrating and sharing best practice.

• Avoid covering Clinical Director shifts in your own patch; gaps are covered through the float pool or locums.

People and Culture

• Promote a positive, inclusive workplace culture across clinics.

• Conduct regular clinic visits, feedback sessions and team development meetings.

• Champion wellbeing and resilience initiatives within teams.

Clinical Standards, Quality Improvement and Education

• Lead clinical audits and take part in morbidity and mortality meetings.

• Encourage CPD and oversee structured development pathways for veterinary surgeons and nurses.

• Maintain compliance with RCVS guidelines and Creature Comforts policies.

New Clinics

• Support clinical recruitment and the operational team during clinic builds.

• Ensure equipment and medicines are ordered.

• Support onboarding and the clinic opening period.

• Take over each new clinic from the Business Development Manager around six weeks after opening and support it through to maturity.

Financial Performance

• Understand and monitor clinic financial performance, supporting Clinical Directors, who own their clinic P&L, to act early when results fall short.

• Support accurate billing, debt minimisation and adherence to financial processes.

Health and Safety

• Understand and comply with all health and safety requirements.

Candidate Requirements

Essential

• At least five years’ experience in small animal practice.

• Proven experience leading vets, either as a Clinical Director or across multiple sites.

• Current MRCVS registration.

• Strong knowledge of clinical excellence and practice operations.

• Understanding of clinic KPIs, such as ATV, rebooking and NPS.

• Strong leadership, mentoring and communication skills.

• Excellent organisational skills and a passion for team development.

• A customer-focused, resilient and adaptable approach.

Desirable

• Regional leadership experience.

• Experience opening new clinics or improving underperforming practices.

• A certificate in advanced veterinary practice or management.

• Knowledge of business planning and budgeting.

• A coaching qualification.

• Advanced surgical or imaging skills.

• Experience in change management.

What We Offer

• Salary sacrifice pension scheme, with a 5% employee and 3% employer contribution.

• CPD allowance and study leave (to be confirmed).

• Access to our healthcare incentive after one year of employment.

• Genuine career progression as we grow across London and beyond.

• A supportive, inclusive culture where your development is taken seriously.

• Regular team and company social events.

• Potential eligibility to participate in the Creature Comforts share options scheme after successfully completing your probationary period, subject to the scheme rules and eligibility criteria in place at the time.

• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders.

• 210 hours’ annual leave plus bank holidays, and your birthday off after one year’s service.

Equal Opportunities

At Creature Comforts, we believe the best teams are built from diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and able to do their best work. We actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.