Practice Director Galway | 4-site group (City, Knocknacarra, Bearna & Moycullen) Full-time, Permanent Salary up to €55,000 DOE + Director Bonus Lead with purpose. Bring your business expertise into veterinary care. We are seeking an accomplished, people-centered leader to join our Galway group as Practice Director, overseeing four well-established small animal practices within IVC Evidensia, the world's leading veterinary services provider. This is a rare opportunity for an experienced manager or senior leader - perhaps from healthcare, retail, hospitality, professional services, or another multi-site environment - to step into a meaningful, impactful role, working in close partnership with veterinary professionals and support teams who are deeply committed to animal welfare and client care. About the Practices Ark Vets – Galway Ark Vets is a cornerstone of veterinary care in Galway, known for clinical excellence, teamwork and innovation. The Knocknacarra branch acts as the group's referral centre, supporting both first-opinion and referral cases and offering advanced diagnostics and surgical capability, including CT, digital X-ray and ultrasound, a full IDEXX laboratory suite, endoscopy, orthopaedics, and a brand-new surgical extension with state-of-the-art theatres. The St. Mary's Road practice complements this with a dedicated dental suite and dental X-ray facilities. Across the Ark Vets sites, you will work alongside a highly skilled, collaborative team of veterinary surgeons, nurses, managers and support colleagues who value professionalism, learning and a positive workplace culture. Bearna & Moycullen Vets Located between Galway City and the natural beauty of Connemara, Bearna & Moycullen Vets offers high-quality small animal care in two modern, purpose-built clinics. Both sites are well equipped with digital X-ray, ultrasound and IDEXX laboratory systems, with dental X-ray being introduced shortly. The teams here are close-knit, experienced and client-focused, with a loyal local client base and a working pace that allows time for thoughtful, compassionate care. The location offers an outstanding quality of life, combining coastal living with easy access to the city. The Role: Practice Director As Practice Director, you will have overall responsibility for the operational, financial and people leadership of the four Galway practices. You will work closely with clinical leads and practice managers to ensure the practices run efficiently, sustainably and in a way that supports excellent patient care and team wellbeing. This is a senior leadership role with real autonomy. You will set direction, guide performance, develop people, and translate business insight into practical, values-led decision making – always with the support of a wider regional and national IVC Evidensia leadership network. What You'll Be Responsible For You will oversee day-to-day operations across the four sites, ensuring smooth workflows, strong client experience and effective use of resources. You will take ownership of financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting and P&L management, while identifying opportunities for sustainable growth and efficiency. Leading, coaching and developing people will be central to your role. This includes recruitment, performance management, succession planning and creating an environment where teams feel supported, heard and motivated. You will also ensure compliance with health, safety and regulatory standards, manage facilities and equipment, and handle client feedback and service recovery with professionalism and empathy. Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will contribute to strategic planning and help shape the future direction of the practices. Who We're Looking For We are looking for a proven leader with strong business and people management experience, ideally gained in a multi-site, customer-focused or regulated environment. While experience in veterinary practice is welcome, it is not essential – we are particularly interested in speaking with candidates who bring business experience and transferable leadership skills and a genuine interest in healthcare and animal welfare. You will be commercially astute, comfortable managing budgets and performance, and confident leading diverse teams through change. Strong communication skills, emotional intelligence and a collaborative leadership style are essential, as is the ability to balance operational demands with long-term thinking. Most importantly, you will be motivated by purpose and impact, and excited by the opportunity to work alongside veterinary professionals to support exceptional care. You will need to have a full, clean driving license for this role due to the element of travel between sites.What We Offer This is a full-time, permanent role working 40 hours per week across five days, with no weekends or out-of-hours commitments. In return, we offer a competitive salary of up to €55,000 DOE, participation in a discretionary director bonus scheme, and up to €5,000 in relocation support if required. You'll also benefit from a comprehensive package focused on wellbeing, development and long-term career progression. This includes: Work-life balance & Employee Wellbeing *22 days annual leave *Birthday leave *Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline *Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption pay *Initiatives focused on colleague wellbeing *Paid bereavement leave & Company sick pay Development *Annual CPD allowance with paid CPD days pro rata for Veterinary Professionals *Full Support and Funding of any Certificates / Diplomas / PhD's you may want to pursue *Career Progression Opportunities, both clinical and non-clinical Colleague Benefits*Annual pay reviews *Director bonus scheme *Company pension scheme *Pawesome Benefits - reward gateway giving discounts and cashback with hundreds of retailers *Cycle to Work Scheme *Free flu inoculations *Discounted treatment for your own pets at any IVC Evidensia practice Ready to Make a Difference? If you're an experienced leader looking for a career move that combines business leadership with real purpose, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to start a conversation about leading veterinary care in Galway.
€0 - €55,000 a year
Up to €55,000 DOE