Head of General Practice

Build something special at Lort Smith (Melbourne) from $150k. What if your next role gave you real clinical autonomy, the backing of an experienced team, and the chance to shape how an organisation evolves? Veterinary medicine should be meaningful, not mechanical. It should challenge you without draining you, and inspire you without burning you out. You belong in a place that stands for something far beyond targets and turnover. Welcome to Lort Smith Animal Hospital. At Lort Smith Animal Hospital, it isn’t just about saving lives, it’s about changing them. For animals, owners, and the vets who choose to build their careers here. This is a role with purpose, scale, ethics, and ambition, where clinical excellence meets genuine mission, and where your work actually means something when you walk out the door.

In your role as Veterinary Director you will lead from the front, supporting your team, shaping standards, and keeping patient care at the heart of everything. This is a hands-on leadership position in a busy outpatient setting, perfect for someone who enjoys both clinical work and helping others thrive.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading, mentoring and developing a team.
• Setting the tone for high-quality, practical, common-sense clinical care.
• Keeping the day-to-day running smoothly, rotas, workflow and patient flow.
• Keeping an eye on performance, budgets and making sure nothing slips through the cracks.
• Managing and overseeing hospitalised patients, and performing routine surgery.
• You will have one day a week to help plan, lead, mentor and teach.
• Supporting more complex cases and clinical decisions when it counts.
• Working closely with nurses and the wider team to keep everything connected.

It’s a role with real variety, where you can make a genuine impact, clinically, culturally and operationally, while still staying close to the work you enjoy.

Why Lort Smith feels different. Founded in 1936, Lort Smith is a not-for-profit hospital built on one simple idea: accessible veterinary care for everyone. That mission creates a culture that’s genuinely supportive, ethically driven, and refreshingly human. The hospital offers emergency care, surgery, diagnostics, dentistry, inpatient and outpatient services, all from a recently renovated, modern facility that still honours its historic roots.

Location perks (because life matters too): Set in North Melbourne, this is one of the most liveable inner-city locations in Australia, and it’s easy to see why it was named Australia’s best place to live. You’re perfectly positioned between CBD energy and green-space calm. City buzz when you want it. Green space when you need it. Coastline when you escape. Cafés, culture, food precincts, and nightlife on your doorstep. This is city living done properly. You can finish a shift and be in a park, a beach, a restaurant, a live music venue, or a café, all within minutes.

So, what’s next? If you’re ready for a role that has meaning, momentum, and a mission, not just a rota, this is your move. Come to Lort Smith and build something that matters. Forget the polished application; just reach out with whatever version of your CV you have on hand. We want to know the person, not just the paperwork. Work with purpose, reawaken your passion, and join a supportive team here at Lort Smith Vets.