Chief Executive Officer
Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (“the BSAVA”). The Association has embarked on a major transformation programme to secure a sustainable future amid rapid change: both within the veterinary profession and across the wider world in which it operates.
The BSAVA’s Programme of Change (“PoC”) will touch every facet of the internal organisation and its operations. It also aims to refresh and expand the BSAVA’s relationship with its members, the wider profession and organisational partners while, in parallel, developing channels to markets and relationships beyond the UK.
It’s an important time for the BSAVA and presents an exciting opportunity for a new CEO to lead the transformation, succeeding our outgoing CEO, who after 9 years in the role, will be leaving it in 2026. We are now seeking a visionary, dynamic and influential new person to take the BSAVA forward into our next chapter.
The new CEO should possess the confidence and aspiration to influence policy and convene people to drive change through collaboration. Entrepreneurial in outlook yet delivery focused, you will bring excellent leadership credentials and a track record of building effective relationships across diverse stakeholders.
You may come from any sector, with experience of income generation, alongside the ability to inspire, advocate, and translate vision into action. An understanding of how membership associations and/or non-profits operate, whether through executive experience or as a trustee, will be beneficial.
I am delighted that you are considering the role of CEO and hope that you are inspired to join us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Julian Hoad
The BSAVA President
About Us
The BSAVA was established in 1957 to promote excellence in small animal practice through education, science, and collaboration. Originally formed by a group of veterinary surgeons with a shared interest in companion animal medicine, the BSAVA has grown to represent over 10,000 members across the UK and beyond.
The BSAVA provides continuing professional development, publishes respected clinical resources, and organises scientific meetings. Through its activities, the BSAVA aims to advance veterinary knowledge, improve standards of care, and support the professional development of those working in small animal practice.
As we approach our 70th anniversary in 2027, our Programme of Change sees us modernising how we operate: digitising access to content and knowledge, improving member experience, and strengthening our role as a trusted, forward-looking organisation. These capabilities will position the BSAVA as the home for small animal veterinary professionals, enabling them to deliver outstanding care and build sustainable careers.
Our new Chief Executive will lead this transformation, making the BSAVA more future adaptive and ensuring its status as the leading small animal veterinary membership association.
Our vision
A world where the small-animal veterinary profession and professionals can thrive.
Our mission
To champion the profession by providing veterinary professionals with the knowledge, resources, and community that empower them to deliver exceptional care, sustain fulfilling careers, and achieve the best outcomes for animals and owners.
Our values
The values at the heart of the BSAVA guide our decisions, actions and behaviour for the benefit of our communities, and society.
> We nurture and support our communities
> We aim for excellence in all that we do
> We strive to be bold and innovative
> We are accountable and trustworthy
> We are rigorous and evidence led
These headline values are underpinned by more detailed statements of intent, which give greater depth to our aspiration to be genuinely values-driven.
Strategy
Over the past few years, the BSAVA has been working on how to give our members the support and the voice they need, when they need it, wherever they are in their career. We have ambitious plans for the BSAVA and how we support the profession – and to make these plans a reality, we’ll be changing how we operate. We can only do that by working with our members and volunteers, our staff, the wider profession and our partners in different ways and staying focused on what veterinary professionals need to thrive, throughout their careers.
Our Programme of Change is gathering momentum and is redefining aspects of what is currently seen as business-as-usual operations.
The CEO will own the Programme of Change and will assume responsibility for its success and all aspects of strategic continuity and stakeholder engagement, while also ensuring operational excellence, good governance and measurable operational progress.
As part of this work, the BSAVA has developed a new multi-year strategy with Board, staff and member involvement. The new CEO will be responsible for leading the continuing evolution of the strategy and own the business plan to implement it.
Here’s how we’re creating a BSAVA for the future:
For our members, we’re:
> Focusing on what they need, when they need it.
> Building on our strengths and reshaping them for the future.
> Listening to, learning from and acting on what the profession tells us, and giving them the voice they need and deserve.
> Making it easier for people to engage with us in ways that fit their working lives –whether that’s locally, digitally or through our volunteer and professional networks.
> Strengthening how people in the profession connect with each other.
> Giving our volunteers greater support, recognition and voice.
> Helping the profession work together.
> Staying mission-focused in how we champion the profession.
> Revitalising our simple but powerful premise of the profession supporting the profession.
For staff, we’re:
> Focusing everyone on a new ‘North Star’: the percentage of the small-animal veterinary profession represented by the BSAVA membership.
> Prioritising content, products and services that genuinely add value to our members.
> Changing how we organise ourselves, the way we operate and the way we structure our teams and roles, so everyone is working towards shared goals that revolve around our members.
> Simplifying how teams work together, improving our systems and data and moving away from manual, frustrating processes.
> Providing clearer roles and responsibilities, clearer direction, quicker decisions, and better communication at every level.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
The BSAVA is committed to being an organisation that is representative of the communities we serve. We recognise that building more diverse and inclusive workforce, volunteer and membership communities will allow us to reach and engage with people who can benefit from our work. We also recognise that society is not yet equal and the professions we are part of have their own challenges to be faced. As an organisation, we operate in a wider professional context where we can complement the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ (RCVS) and other organisations’ inclusion initiatives.
We recognise where the BSAVA is able to make a difference within our own activities and fields of influence and where we must actively support others in tackling this matter more broadly in the professions as a whole. The responsibility for EDI will continue to lie with all members of staff, volunteers and the BSAVA’s leaders.
EDI is everybody’s business, it’s the foundation for fair chances and we have a vision of professions where everyone understands how they and those around them contribute to and strengthen what we all seek to do – improve the health and welfare of small animals.
Finances
Whilst the BSAVA operated a deficit for 2024 (before investment gains and losses) of £1.64m, this includes over £650,000 of investment in the strategic planning process and development activities. The BSAVA investment portfolio provided a significant positive contribution to our financial performance, with gains in value of £918,982. The strategic investment policy includes a broadly diversified spread of assets, including UK and overseas equities, government and non-government bonds and pooled funds to cover more specialist areas of investment. Reserves at 31st December 2024 were just over £12 million of which over £7 million is regarded as free reserves.
Income for financial year ending 31 December 2024
Expenditure for financial year ending 31 December 2024
Organisation Structure
The BSAVA is currently implementing a new organisational structure aligned to a new operating model. The precise leadership configuration is evolving as part of this transition, but the operating model is structured around three interconnected pillars:
1. Association (community, insight, and professional voice)
2. Commercial (content, products, partnerships, and revenue), and
3. Operations (finance, people, technology, and delivery infrastructure).
The design is intentionally integrated rather than siloed, and the CEO will be responsible for embedding clear accountability and cross-pillar collaboration as the model continues to mature.
A dedicated Programme of Change (PoC) Office reports directly to the CEO to oversee delivery of the transformation roadmap and ensure disciplined execution across the organisation.
Role Description
Job title:
Chief Executive Officer
Location:
The BSAVA’s head office is in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire and operates a hybrid working policy. The CEO is expected to spend a minimum of 2-3 days per week in the office initially.
National engagement (likely to include monthly meetings in London as well as UK wide meetings 3-4 times per annum) and occasional international travel will be necessary to support the BSAVA’s strategic and professional objectives. A relocation package is available for this post.
Salary:
Circa £110,000 per annum
Reporting to:
President of the Board of Trustees
Direct reports:
This role is responsible for the line management of the Executive Team (“ET”) and through them, the wider staff team (circa 50 staff).
Job purpose:
Our Vision and the changing environment require that the BSAVA embraces change as a constant and we already have a Programme of Change in progress and gathering momentum. The programme will ultimately redefine all aspects of what is currently seen as businessas-usual operations.
The CEO will own the Programme of Change and will assume responsibility for its success and all aspects of strategic continuity and stakeholder engagement, while also ensuring operational excellence, good governance, and measurable operational progress.
The Chief Executive Officer will be an influential leader at the highest level both externally and internally, and the visible voice of the BSAVA.
A strategic leader, the CEO is expected to set direction, explore opportunities, drive influence, and ensure alignment across the ET to deliver the BSAVA’s mission and longterm sustainability.
Through inspirational leadership and by ensuring clear priorities and success metrics are in place, the CEO will lead the BSAVA both strategically and operationally.
The CEO will:
> Direct an effective implementation of the BSAVA’s agreed business plan.
> Delegate to and empower the ET to increase membership and reinforce the acknowledged value of the BSAVA in support of the profession, while also delivering sustainable growth, operational excellence, and impact aligned with the BSAVA’s mission.
> Ensure everyone in the BSAVA works collaboratively with all stakeholders to enhance the BSAVA’s profile, strengthen its voice, expand its reach and deepen its impact.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic leadership and programme stewardship
> Maintain and evolve the momentum of the Programme of Change, ensuring ongoing alignment with the BSAVA’s vision, business plan, and sector trends.
> Lead the ET to achieve the BSAVA-wide objectives by driving seamless delivery and embedding relevant practices.
> Set the BSAVA’s culture and represent the organisation’s interests to the Board, members, the veterinary profession and industry partners.
Governance and reporting
> Serve as principal advisor to the Board, reporting on performance, transformation outcomes, strategic risks, and organisational health.
> Ensure compliance with regulatory, financial, and ethical standards, supporting the Board with timely, transparent insight.
> Oversee executive recruitment, performance management, and resource allocation to support delivery of strategic and operational priorities.
> Carry out duties and responsibilities as a Company Director as directed by the Companies Act 2006.
Stakeholder engagement and advocacy (The Power of Association)
> Work closely with the BSAVA’s President to develop and foster strong relationships across the veterinary sector, represent the BSAVA to external stakeholders, strengthen strategic partnerships, and enhance the organisation’s profile and influence.
> Champion member value, advocacy, and engagement by leveraging transformation benefits and listening to feedback to enhance offerings.
> Sustain partnerships with industry, regulatory bodies, academic institutions, and international colleagues, advancing the BSAVA’s influence and reputation.
General
> Foster a continuous improvement mindset, embedding modern business practices, agile decision-making, and a culture of inclusion and professional excellence.
> Provide visible leadership through organisational change, coaching senior leaders, and ensuring staff and volunteers are supported and inspired.
> Deliver business objectives, monitor performance metrics, and adapt responses to new opportunities and sector challenges.
Person Specification
Qualifications
> Qualified by experience in appropriate leadership roles.
Experience
> Senior leadership experience, with experience of working on organisational wide strategies and business plans.
> Commercial experience of developing and diversifying income streams.
> Experience of managing change at a strategic level.
> Proven ability to balance strategic vision with operational delivery, governance, and financial stewardship.
> Experience of communicating, influencing, and networking with a range of stakeholders resulting in impact and organisational advancement.
> Proven track record of building, motivating and inspiring high performing teams.
> Desirable: An understanding of membership associations and/or non-profit sector.
Key competencies and personal qualities
> Innovative, with the ability to motivate people to turn ideas into action and impact; setting goals and defining the path to success, and looking across the whole system to align teams, functions, and priorities into one coherent organisation.
> Entrepreneurial and curious.
> Outstanding and adaptive leadership and management skills coupled with a learning and growth mindset.
> Able to navigate change, uncertainty, and opportunity with grounded judgement, learning agility, and measured risk-taking.
> Anticipates shifts in the external landscape and steers the organisation accordingly; shaping strategy around long-term relevance and system-level impact.
> Comfortable leading in ambiguity, sequencing change, and making trade offs.
> Embodies and communicates the mission, building trust and influence with internal and external stakeholders to expand relevance and reach.
> Leads through others by creating a high trust, high-accountability culture across the executive team, and champions shared goals while stepping back from functional ownership.
> Confident speaking publicly and communicating effectively in writing.
> Working knowledge of how to use social media and digital channels to generate interest and profile.
> Committed to equity, diversity, and an inclusive and empathetic approach to relationships and work culture.
> Open-minded, willing to listen and understand different perspectives while finding a way forward for the benefit of the organisation.
> Demonstrable ability and willingness to work under own initiative and to meet internal and external deadlines.
> Ability to contribute effectively and constructively within Board engagement.
> Demonstrates resilience and comfort working in grey situations.
Benefits
Alongside the opportunity to lead the BSAVA through a significant period of transformation and growth, we offer a competitive executive package designed to support wellbeing, flexibility and long-term success, including:
> 30 days’ annual leave, plus an additional day for every five years of service.
> Competitive pension contributions, starting at 7% and increasing to 10% with length of service.
> Life assurance at three times annual salary.
In addition, we provide:
> Comprehensive health and wellbeing support, including a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, access to mental health first aiders, enhanced company sick pay, occupational health services, annual flu vaccinations, and access to private medical insurance after 12 months’ service.
> Enhanced family leave provisions, including maternity, paternity, adoption and related family leave.
> Access to a free legal advice helpline offering specialist support across a range of matters.
> Paid volunteering leave to support charitable or notfor-profit causes.
Practical benefits including free onsite parking and a Cycle to Work scheme supporting healthy, sustainable commuting.
How to Apply
To apply for the role, please upload your CV together with a supporting statement (of no more than 1000 words) onto the Prospectus website via the link.
For guidance on formulating your Supporting Statement, please review our guide here.
Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.
If you wish to apply using an alternative format please contact Prospectus on 020 7691 1920 or email executive.admin@prospect-us.co.uk
Applications via the Prospectus website should be made at: https://prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/193604
At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.
Recruitment timetable
Deadline for applications: Sunday 29th March 2026
Interviews with Prospectus: 2nd – 13th April 2026
Interviews with the BSAVA: w/c 4th May 2026
Queries
If you have any queries or wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Anna Gardet or Erica Ritchie via email with a copy of your CV:
Anna.Gardet@prospect-us.co.uk
Erica.Ritchie@prospect-us.co.uk
