Operations - Business Partner

UK-based - Full-time role
Market competitive salary
25 days holiday per annum

Apply by 28^th October

VetThing is one of the fastest-growing veterinary groups, built on a simple idea: when vets recognise something in each other’s work that only the profession truly understands — “it’s a vet thing.” Launched in November 2025 under the leadership of vet-turned-founder Ben Hanning MRCVS, VetThing is majority-owned by the veterinary professionals who work within it, and it is scaling fast, now home to 13 clinics and counting. We’re backed by Vetopia, the third-largest pan-European veterinary group, spanning eight country-specific brands and 220+ clinics across eight countries. That means UK-level speed and start-up energy, with established European infrastructure behind it.

We are seeking an experienced Business Partner to work with a portfolio of approximately 10–15 veterinary practices, supporting their commercial performance and sustainable growth. This is a senior, relationship-led role for someone who understands veterinary practice from the inside and has led multi-site practices through growth and change.

Our model is practice-led. Practices retain responsibility for their day-to-day management and financial performance, while benefiting from the expertise and support of the wider group. You will work alongside Practice Partners and Practice Managers as a trusted partner, using a coaching style to build capability, provide constructive challenge and encourage ownership, rather than managing by instruction.

You will also be the key link between practices and our central functions, making sure group initiatives are implemented well, deliver real value at practice level and are shaped by feedback from the teams you support.

Key responsibilities

• Practice partnering. Act as the primary day-to-day contact for your portfolio, building trusted relationships with Practice Partners, Practice Managers and clinical teams through regular visits and virtual catch-ups.
• Coaching and leadership development. Coach practice leaders to set priorities, solve problems and achieve their objectives, building confidence and capability while respecting each practice’s autonomy and identity.
• Commercial performance and growth. Work with practice leaders to develop and deliver business plans and growth strategies, monitoring P&L and KPIs, identifying opportunities and supporting action where performance needs to improve.
• Change management. Lead the implementation of central initiatives across the portfolio, translating group priorities into practical actions, securing engagement and supporting teams through change.
• Central collaboration. Work closely with Finance, Integration, Commercial, Strategy, Marketing and M&A, ensuring a joined-up approach and representing practice needs and feedback within the central organisation.
• Partner and Practice Manager meetings. Plan and deliver Partner and Practice Manager meetings that share priorities, performance and best practice, and ensure actions are followed up.
• Supplier and marketing support. Work with the Head of Commercial and our marketing agency to support supplier initiatives and local marketing activity that drives practice growth.
• New practice integration. Support the integration of newly acquired practices, including relevant CMA compliance requirements.
• European collaboration. Contribute to the Vetopia Business Partner team, sharing UK insight and bringing successful approaches from across Europe.

Person specification:

Essential:

• Substantial experience working in veterinary practice or healthcare services, with a strong understanding of how practices operate, perform and grow
• Proven experience leading or managing multi-site veterinary practices, or a comparable multi-site operations role
• A collaborative, coaching style of leadership, with the ability to influence, challenge constructively and build accountability without relying on direct authority
• Demonstrable experience of leading change and embedding new ways of working across multiple sites
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to interpret P&L reports, budgets and KPIs and turn them into practical action
• Experience of business planning, growth strategies and performance improvement
• Excellent communication, presentation and meeting facilitation skills
• Strong organisation and the ability to manage a portfolio of practices and competing priorities
• Confident with Microsoft Office and digital tools for analysis and reporting
• A full UK driving licence and the ability to travel regularly across the designated area

Desirable:

• Experience across small animal, with exposure to farm, equine or referral practice.
• Experience working with practice owners, partners or independently managed businesses
• A recognised coaching or leadership qualification
• Experience supporting acquisitions, business integration or regulatory compliance, including CMA requirements
• Experience working within a group or international organisation

Equal opportunities

VetThing is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, disability, age, pregnancy or maternity, or any other characteristic protected by law. All applicants will be considered for employment based on their skills, qualifications and experience relevant to the role.