Job Description

Job Category: Technical
:
Grade UE04: 26,093 to 28,778 per annum pro rata
CMVM / Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Part-Time: 28 hours per week
Open-ended (permanent)
The Opportunity:
Are you passionate about animal care and ready to make a real difference? This is a fantastic opportunity to become part of a leading veterinary and teaching hospital, where your work directly supports the health and wellbeing of a wide range of animals.
We're proud of our dynamic and compassionate team of vets, nurses, and assistants-all united by a shared commitment to delivering exceptional patient care. Now, we're looking for someone equally dedicated to join our Animal Care Team.
This is a hands-on, fast-paced position that plays a vital role in the care of our hospitalised patients. You'll be involved in a variety of essential tasks, including:

• Cleaning and maintaining kennels, wards and clinical areas to the highest hygiene standards
• Supporting hospital's infection control protocols
• Feeding and grooming inpatients
• Walking dogs and providing enrichment
• Assisting vets and nurses with procedures involving dogs, cats, and exotic species
• Managing laundry and general patient care duties

Shift Pattern
You'll work a rolling pattern of 4 daytime shifts on (7:30am - 8:30pm) , followed by 8 days off, offering a consistent rhythm and a healthy work-life balance. You'll be part of a supportive pod system, sharing annual leave cover equally with your two pod-mates.
Holiday Commitment
As part of the rota, you'll also cover a fair share of public holidays, including over the Christmas period, if your shifts fall on those dates.
Training & Support
We offer a comprehensive 6-8 week training programme to help you settle into the role. You'll normally shadow our friendly and experienced team during standard daytime hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm) to build your confidence and skills. Any hours worked beyond your contracted time during training will be paid as overtime.
Your skills and attributes for success:

• Experience working with animals in a veterinary setting is essential.
• Ability to work alone as well as part of a team is essential.
• Excellent communication skills are essential to this role.
• Full, clean driving licence is essential.

HfSA Staff benefits include:

• Staff discount for pet treatment.
• Amazing onsite perks:

• Staff discount for on-site gym and exercises classes
• Free car parking with electric car charging points
• Two on site canteens.
• Cycle to work scheme, on-site bike lockers and showers available.
• Additional shift cover opportunities are available, accruing paid overtime for additional hours worked.
• Holiday entitlement of 36 days + 4 days public holiday per annum for full time staff (pro rata).

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Informal enquiries regarding this position can be emailed to s.knight@ed.ac.uk
Application Information
Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

• CV
• Cover letter

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our

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Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our (opens new browser tab)
The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 7th October 2025.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
About Us: As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow's greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About the Team:
The is a one-of-a-kind centre of excellence in clinical activity, teaching and research. Our purpose-built campus, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pentland Hills Regional Park, is home to more than eight hundred staff and almost eighteen hundred students, all of whom contribute to our exceptional community ethos.
The School comprises:








We represent the largest concentration of animal science-related expertise in Europe, impacting local, regional, national and international communities in terms of economic growth, the provision of clinical services and the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Education
The School is accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and participates in the Veterinary Medical Colleges Admissions Service (VMCAS). We are consistently ranked the best vet school in the UK by both the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and the Guardian League Tables. We are consistently ranked among the best in the world by global rankings.
The School is a global education provider with over 1,800 undergraduate, postgraduate and research students from around the world. We provide world-class education to improve the health of animals and human beings alike and are leaders in veterinary education, research, and clinical practice, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. The Roslin Institute collaborates closely in delivering research-led teaching to undergraduate veterinary students, and promoting clinical veterinary research and translation. The unique association with leading medical and veterinary schools (through the University's College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine) with a genuine commitment to the concept of One Medicine, also enables the translation of expertise and knowledge into human health and vice-versa.
Research Impact
In a joint submission to the latest UK Research Excellence Framework exercise, research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) has been ranked number one in the UK for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences by combining Times Higher Education's ratings for each institution. The judgement, based on the quality and breadth of research, maintains the R(D)SVS and SRUC's position as the strongest provider in these subject areas. The institutions' research environment was classified to be 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences research. The Vet School and SRUC submission was also assessed as being 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent in terms of the impact its research work has on wider society.
Community The School holds a Silver Athena SWAN award and the Roslin Institute holds a Gold Award in recognition of their commitment to advance the representation of women in veterinary medicine and animal science. It is home to a thriving and diverse community of staff and students, with access to facilities including campus allotments and apiary, cycle storage and showers, walking and running trails, two restaurants and a modern gym.

Skills Required