Veterinary Specialist - Surgery - Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE)

Veterinary Surgery Registrar/Specialist (Locum) | Full or Part-Time Opportunity

At Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE) Veterinary Hospital, we're seeking an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to join our collaborative specialist team in Collingwood, Melbourne. Our Surgery department is led by Dr Guy Yates supported by Dr Brenton Chambers. This opportunity is ideal for a surgeon looking for a rewarding caseload, a supportive multidisciplinary environment, and flexibility within a well-established referral hospital.

Working alongside experienced surgeons, ECC clinicians, and specialists across multiple disciplines, you'll have the opportunity to manage carefully selected surgical cases where quality patient outcomes take precedence over case volume.

Why CARE?

CARE Collingwood is one of Australia's leading emergency and specialist referral hospitals, providing advanced veterinary care across a wide range of disciplines. Located in vibrant inner-city Melbourne, CARE has built a reputation for clinical excellence, collaboration, and exceptional patient care.

Our surgical service works closely with Emergency & Critical Care and Internal Medicine teams to ensure seamless case management and optimal outcomes for patients and their families.

The Role

This is a purely clinical position with no administrative responsibilities, allowing you to focus on what you do best: delivering outstanding surgical care.

Roster & Schedule

• 2-4 days per week
• Mix of dedicated surgery and consultation days
• Participation in a shared after-hours roster
• 9.5-hour workdays, with occasional overtime as required

Caseload

You'll enjoy a diverse and interesting surgical caseload including:

Soft Tissue Surgery

• Complex soft tissue procedures
• Urological surgery
• Referral surgical cases
• CU and ECC surgical support

Orthopaedic Surgery

• Locking plate fixation
• Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomies (TPLOs)
• Fracture repair and plating
• Total hip replacements

In addition to surgical procedures, surgeons contribute to:

• Shared consulting responsibilities
• Referral case management
• ICU referral support
• General referral caseload

Our focus is on carefully considered, high-quality patient care rather than high-volume surgery.

Team & Collaboration

You will work alongside an experienced surgical team within a highly collaborative hospital environment.

The role involves close interaction with:

• Emergency & Critical Care clinicians
• Internal Medicine specialists
• Referring veterinarians
• Dedicated nursing teams

Success in this position will come from a team-first mindset and a genuine commitment to working collaboratively across departments to achieve the best possible patient outcomes.

Who We're Looking For

We're seeking a veterinarian who:

• Is ACVS, ECVS or FANZCVS qualified, residency trained, or working toward specialist credentials
• Is comfortable managing both complex soft tissue and orthopaedic cases
• Enjoys working within a multidisciplinary hospital environment
• Communicates effectively with colleagues, clients and referring veterinarians
• Takes a collaborative and patient-centred approach to care
• Values teamwork and clinical excellence

Whether you're seeking a flexible locum opportunity or exploring a longer-term role within a specialist hospital, we'd love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Competitive locum rates
• After-hours call-in fee per case
• One week of study leave annually
• Study support allowance
• Opportunity to work alongside an experienced multidisciplinary team
• Exposure to complex referral and surgical cases
• Supportive and collaborative culture
• Potential for ongoing work in the future (subject to business needs)

Next Steps

If you're looking for a surgical role where collaboration, case quality and patient outcomes are the priority, we would love to speak with you.

Apply here or for more information contact:

Sharleen Harman | Talent Acquisition Business Partner | Vet Specialists & Interns

0420 249 101 |

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