Veterinary Investigation Officer

Salary

£52,194 - £60,251 per annum, pro-rata

Contractual hours

28

Basis

Part time

Region

Scotland - South and West

Package

Attractive benefits, please see below

Date posted

25/09/2025

Job reference

REQ0398

About The Team:

Veterinary Services is part of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, with Veterinary Investigation Officers (VIOs) playing a vital role within the teams based at SRUC's Surveillance Hubs. SRUC operates a network of six strategically located hubs across Scotland:

• Perth and St Boswells in the Centre and South-East
• Ayr and Dumfries in the South-West
• Inverness and Aberdeen in the North

Postmortem facilities are available at the St Boswells, Dumfries, and Aberdeen hubs. Additionally, farm animal diagnostic postmortem examinations are carried out at the School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow, and at the Thurso PM Centre, in collaboration with the Ayr and Inverness hubs respectively.

By maintaining a nationwide presence, SRUC contributes significantly to National Disease Surveillance, gathering data on animal disease trends across Scotland. This data is combined with information from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), forming part of the broader animal disease surveillance dataset for Great Britain.

The Opportunity:

Are you considering a change in your veterinary career? Do you want a role that offers variety and flexibility while safeguarding animal health and welfare? Join us as a Veterinary Investigation Officer and make a difference.

Working under the direction of the Veterinary Services Management Team (VSMT) in this role, you will:

• Maintain a close working relationship with veterinarians and farmers to facilitate data collection to inform the trends, distribution, and nature of livestock diseases in Scotland. Through this work contributing to the local and national disease surveillance functions of SRUCVS.
• Investigate in detail unusual outbreaks of farm animal disease in collaboration with veterinary colleagues within SRUC and other specialist institutions.
• Contribute to commercial consultancy activities, notably by playing an active role in the Premium Sheep and Goat Health Scheme (PSGHS) and/or Premium Cattle Health Scheme (PCHS) for clients nationwide.
• Monitor changing disease trends in the National herd/flock using available datasets.
• Contribute to the education of veterinary undergraduates within the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences so ensuring that students have developed the skills and understanding related to the importance of disease surveillance and herd health management, when they move into their graduate roles.
• Undertake research and develop initiatives with colleagues in SRUC SVMB, the wider SRUC family and external institutions.
• Contribute as required to SRUCVS farmer education and awareness campaigns to promote animal welfare.
• Participate in disease eradication and control programme being directed by APHA by providing appropriate supporting laboratory services as and when required by the Scottish Government.
• Contribute to the advisory, development and research effort of other departments within SRUC. The VIO should liaise with colleagues within the SRUC advisory service (particularly the specialist dairy, beef and sheep agricultural advisors, nutritionists and building advisors) to support a farm animal health advisory service in Scotland.
• Contribute to the provision of an effective, reliable, and efficient farm animal diagnostic and consultancy service to veterinary surgeons in practice and farmers in the area. Key components of this work include the detailed investigation of farm animal disease outbreaks through post-mortem examination, laboratory diagnostic tests and farm disease investigations.
• Carry out any other duties delegated by the Veterinary Services Management Team (VSMT).
• Work for periods at other SRUC Veterinary Services PM sites as necessary to fulfil business needs and as directed by the VSMT.
• The post holder must use their initiative in the conduct of their work, and apply sound judgement at all times to ensure that they conduct themselves within the framework of SRUC regulations and procedures.

This is a part time role of 28 hours per week.

Minimum Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Veterinary Medicine and have proven experience in clinical practice. Preference will be given to those who have undertaken postgraduate study—such as a certificate, diploma, or higher degree—in a relevant species (e.g. cattle or sheep) or discipline such as pathology. Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is essential. Candidates will be supported in working towards further professional qualifications.

Strong teamwork skills are crucial, along with a valid driving licence, as travel between Surveillance Hubs and to farms is a key part of the role.

Eligibility for Sponsorship:

For the purposes of sponsorship, this role may be eligible for sponsorship depending on candidate circumstances.

Why work for SRUC?

• Generous annual leave
• Enhanced pension contributions
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted RAC Membership
• Generous family leave
• Flexible working patterns
• Hybrid working solutions (in some areas)
• Tailored investment in and individuals' learning and development

How to Apply:

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Please read the Job Particulars document before applying.

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