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Veterinary Surgeon

ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ESSEX MID & NORTH BRANCH
45,331 per year
East Winch Wildlife Centre
Full-time
5th July 2026
Listed today

Do you want to help create a better world for animals?

At the RSPCA, we believe animal welfare is everyone's welfare. Join us in creating a better world for every animal. We can do it if we work together — everyone for every animal. Choose a career with us and make a difference.

We are looking for a new team member to join us as a Veterinary Surgeon.

  • Working hours:24 hours with some weeks working 3 days and some 4 days.
  • Shift: The normal expected shift would be from 10.30am to 6.30pm with a 1 hour break however, this can vary depending on needs of the centre and may include an early or late shift too.
  • Location:East Winch Wildlife Centre

Our recruitment journey – key dates for you to note

Here's what the process looks like, no surprises, just a friendly guide:

  1. ApplicationYou'll be asked to answer 3questions to give us a sense of your experience, skills, and potential. Don't worry if you don't tick every box - what really matters is what you can bring to the role and the team.
  2. Panel InterviewIf your application is successful, you'll be invited to apanel interviewwith the Hiring Manager. This is a chance to:
  • Share more about what you've done and what you're proud of
  • We encourage you to ask questions about the role, the team, and the impact you could make. Interviews are a two-way conversation, and we recognise that any career move needs to feel right for you as well as for us.
  • Show off your skills and behaviours in a relaxed, supportive setting

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, just let us know - we're happy to support you.

We think this role is going to be popular and are expecting to attract high interest, so we strongly encourage early applications to avoid missing out. The deadline for applications will be 5th July 2026

Here at RSPCA no two days are the same, as a Vet Surgeon, we've added a short summary of what a typical day might look like, for a full insight please refer to the attached job description.

You will be responsible for overseeing the rehabilitation of injured/ill strays and victims of cruelty and neglect and demonstrating competence across veterinary disciplines,

You will also be responsible for:

  • Dentistry
  • Neutering and other soft tissue surgery
  • Shelter medicine
  • Some sole charge
  • Participating in off site work around once a week for shelter medicine work with our local branches and centres.
  • Implementing RSPCA policies in regards to the re-homability of animals including decision making on individual cases
  • Welfare support work for the RSPCA Inspectorate
  • Interest or previous experience in shelter medicine
  • A pragmatic welfare oriented approach
  • Happy to handle dogs, cats, small furries and possibly bird and wildlife initial triage (although not expected to be an expert on wildlife)
  • 2 years + previous clinical experience preferred
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Ability to work autonomously and make informed decisions
  • Great communication skills
  • In line with above you will have the ability to explain complex clinical and welfare decisions in a clear and compassionate way to a variety of non-clinical staff, including the Animal Center teams and Inspectorate

Essential Requirements -

  • Drivers License and a maximum of 30 minute commute is essential for this position due to consistent travel and emergency call outs.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK as we are unable to sponsor visas.

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed to our purpose. For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family!

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.