Head of Client Services (Maternity Cover – 12–15 Months)

Vets4Pets Basildon 24-Hour Hospital

📍 Basildon, Essex
🕒 Full-time | Maternity cover (12–15 months) Salary up to £40,000 depending on experience
🐾 Veterinary sector experience essential

About Us
Vets4Pets Basildon is a family-run, 24-hour RCVS-accredited small animal hospital with emergency and referral services, advanced diagnostics, and a strong reputation for clinical excellence and compassionate care.

We are passionate about delivering an outstanding client and patient journey, supported by empowered, engaged teams and data-driven decision making.

We are now seeking an experienced Head of Client Services to join us on a maternity cover basis and play a pivotal leadership role across our client-facing operations.

The Role
This is a senior leadership position with real influence. You will lead and support our reception and client care teams while working closely with clinical leadership to enhance client experience, manage complaints, support referrals, and drive sustainable business growth.

You will combine hands-on people leadership with strategic analysis, using business and client data to continuously improve service delivery and client satisfaction.

Key Focus Areas
Client Experience & Reputation

• Lead and support the reception and client care teams to deliver a first-class, consistent client experience
• Own and manage client complaints, feedback, and Google reviews, ensuring timely, empathetic, and effective resolution
• Analyse complaint trends and client feedback to proactively improve workflows, service delivery, and patient care
• Manage reputational risk and identify opportunities to elevate the client journey
• Oversee call monitoring, training, and client communication standards
• Ensure client-facing areas reflect a professional, welcoming hospital environment

People Leadership & Development

• Recruit, train, and develop a high-performing client services team
• Provide coaching, mentoring, 1:1s, and structured development plans
• Support performance reviews, PDPs, and CPD planning
• Promote a positive, inclusive culture focused on wellbeing and engagement
• Support workforce planning, rota management, and work-life balance

Operations, Referrals & Business Growth

• Manage and support referral processes, helping grow this key area of the business
• Analyse client services data, KPIs, complaints, and financial reports to identify trends and improvement opportunities
• Conduct audits and use insights to propose ideas that improve client experience, efficiency, and revenue
• Work closely with finance on debt management, insurance, and financial controls
• Collaborate with Support Office on marketing, digital presence, and community engagement
• Contribute to pricing discussions and service development initiatives

About You
You will be a confident, compassionate leader with strong operational and analytical skills and a genuine passion for client care.

Essential:

• Previous experience within the veterinary sector
• Proven experience leading or supporting client-facing teams
• Strong complaints handling and client communication skills
• Ability to analyse data, KPIs, and feedback to drive improvement
• Organised, proactive, and solutions-focused leadership style

Desirable:

• Veterinary nursing background
• Experience in referral hospitals or 24-hour practices
• Experience working with audits, workflows, and service improvement projects

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a progressive, well-respected 24-hour hospital
• Play a meaningful role in shaping client experience and business growth
• Work alongside an engaged leadership team who value development and ideas