Area Director – Veterinary Services
Home-based | Extensive travel across your region

About the role

We’re looking for an inspiring Area Director to act as the strategic face of IVC across a defined area of practices. This is a high‑impact leadership role, sitting at the heart of our business, where you’ll shape culture, strengthen local leadership, and drive sustainable clinical, operational and commercial performance.
Working closely with practice leaders and central support teams, you’ll coach, influence and empower teams to deliver outstanding care, while building an engaged, high‑performing network of practices.
Your impact

 

As Area Director, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering six key outcomes:

Improved wellbeing for individuals and teams
Protected and enhanced clinical quality and care
Strong, confident local leadership
Improved financial discipline and performance
Greater operational effectiveness
Improved team engagement and retention

 

What you’ll be doing

Acting as an ambassador for our values, embedding a positive, no‑blame culture across practices
Providing strategic leadership to Clinical Directors and working in close partnership with your Area Support Manager
Overseeing operational and commercial performance, including P&L accountability and financial planning
Coaching and developing leaders, building strong succession pipelines and clear career pathways
Supporting underperforming clinics through insight, planning and targeted intervention
Driving collaboration and knowledge‑sharing across practices
Supporting growth initiatives and the integration of new acquisitions
Ensuring clear, two‑way communication between practices and central teams

 

About you

You’re a resilient, people‑centred leader who thrives in complex, multi‑site environments. You’re comfortable balancing empathy with accountability and can influence and inspire senior stakeholders.

 

You’ll bring:

Significant leadership experience (typically 5+ years), including coaching and mentoring senior colleagues
A proven track record of delivering results across multiple locations
Strong emotional intelligence and outstanding people leadership skills
Commercial and financial acumen, with confidence interpreting KPIs and driving performance
The ability to motivate, engage and challenge teams to be their best
A full driving licence and flexibility for regular travel

Experience in healthcare is beneficial but not essential.

 

Why join us?

IVC is the UK’s largest veterinary group, built on a commitment to local leadership, clinical freedom and supportive collaboration. Our values guide everything we do:

We Care – for animals, people and each other
We Dare – to innovate and think entrepreneurially
We Share – knowledge, trust and best practice