Experienced Small Animal veterinary Surgeon in Bury

Looking for an independent practice where your voice carries just as much weight as your clinical opinion? Pike Moor Vets has been caring for pets since the 1970s. Owner and Head Veterinary Surgeon, Robin Hodgkinson, joined the practice as a newly qualified vet in 1995 and has never looked back. After progressing from assistant to partner, he became sole owner in 2019 and has spent the last few years thoughtfully evolving the practice. Rather than chasing rapid growth, Robin's focus has always been on building a better practice. Investing in people, strengthening clinical standards and creating a stable, supportive team have always come before increasing client numbers. It's an approach that's helped shape the collaborative culture Pike Moor Vets is known for today.

The Practice: As an independent practice, our decisions are made by the people who know our patients, our clients and our team. We believe in continuity of care, clinical freedom and giving our vets the time to build meaningful relationships with clients. We aren't driven by consultation targets or KPIs. Instead, we're focused on practising good medicine, supporting one another and continually improving. Over the past few years we've worked hard to build a permanent, close-knit team of five vets and seven RVNs, creating consistency for both our patients and the people who work here. Across the team, we have a wide range of experience and interests. Robin has a particular passion for soft tissue surgery and performs BOAS surgery alongside a range of more advanced soft tissue procedures. More than 30 years after qualifying, Robin remains as passionate about being hands-on clinically as he is about mentoring the next generation of vets. That same enthusiasm extends to developing the practice itself. If someone joins us with an interest in developing a new service, we're always happy to invest in the equipment and training needed to make it happen. Endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery are already high on our future wish list, and we'd love to welcome someone who can help bring those plans to life.

Our Culture: Leadership and communication are something the whole practice works on together. Through regular team meetings, encouraging ideas from every member of the practice and creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, we're continually improving how we work together. It's a culture where your opinion matters, your ideas are heard, and everyone is encouraged to help make the practice even better. We're proud of what we've built, but we're equally excited about where we're heading. That's why we're not looking for someone simply to fill a vacancy; we're looking for someone who wants to help shape the future of Pike Moor Vets alongside us.

The Role: We're looking for an experienced Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys working as part of a close-knit team and is confident in managing a varied first-opinion caseload. You’ll be comfortable with routine consultations and surgery, enjoy managing your own cases and value discussing more challenging cases with experienced colleagues. Most importantly, you’ll share our passion for providing excellent primary care, building trusted relationships with clients and always doing what’s right for the patient. If you’re beginning to think about developing your mentoring or leadership skills over the coming years, that’s something we’d be delighted to support. As our team continues to grow, there’ll be opportunities to share your experience and help support less experienced colleagues. We see this as a role that can evolve alongside you. You’ll be working across our two practices in Horwich and Westhoughton, located just four miles apart. Together, they offer a well-equipped first-opinion environment, including a modern ultrasound machine, digital dental radiography, multiparameter monitoring, a comprehensive in-house laboratory and support from a visiting cardiologist. Like most independent practice owners, Robin has an ever-growing wish list of equipment he’d love to invest in. Given the chance, he’d probably have bought it all by now! Thankfully, good business sense usually prevails. But when the right person joins the team with the passion to develop a new area, we’re always happy to invest where it will make the biggest difference to our patients, our team and the future of the practice.

The Rota: We know a healthy work-life balance matters, which is why this full-time position offers:

• Four-day working week (a three-day week could be considered)
• 1 in 4 Saturday mornings only (9 am–12.30 pm)
• No Sundays
• No routine out-of-hours
• No on-call

Our out-of-hours service is provided by PetMedics, allowing you to enjoy your evenings and weekends.

What's on Offer: Salary of £45,000–£65,000 DOE, five weeks' holiday plus bank holidays, paid RCVS, VDS and BVA or BSAVA memberships, CPD actively encouraged and supported.

Life in Bolton: Located on the edge of beautiful countryside while remaining within easy reach of Manchester, Pike Moor offers the best of both worlds. Whether your weekends are spent exploring the Peak District, North Wales or the Lake District, cycling through local trails, climbing, running or enjoying Manchester's thriving music, food and cultural scene, there's something here for everyone. Our team enjoys spending time together too. From outdoor adventure days featuring raft building and archery to this year's planned Crystal Maze challenge, we believe it's important to celebrate the people behind the practice. Come and discover why so many of our team choose to stay, and why a career at Pike Moor Vets is rewarding, fulfilling and, above all, enjoyable.