Job Description
Animal Referral and Emergency Centre – Broadmeadow NSW
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the continued development of AREC's growing referral services, leading and developing our nursing teams while remaining connected to clinical practice.
We are looking for a Nurse Manager – Referral Services who brings strong leadership capability, clinical credibility and, most importantly, a genuine passion for developing people.
About us:
AREC (Animal Referral and Emergency Centre) was established in **** and is a privately owned and operated emergency veterinary hospital led by a singular, highly regarded emergency veterinarian, Dr. David Tabrett, who continues to work within the business.
We are a family-oriented, non-corporate, ASAV accredited "Hospital of Excellence" practice with a collaborative team of more than 110 employees.
Our team come from a diverse range of backgrounds and our decisions and behaviour are underpinned by our core values of Respect, Diligence, Professionalism, Excellence, Empathy, and Integrity.
With a solid focus on career development, mental health and work-life balance, our compassionate team and leadership are just a small part of what makes AREC special.
Our mission is to provide peace of mind for our clients – that is, both pet owners of the Hunter and the local vet clinics to offer relief for after-hours, emergencies, and referral services.
The Role:
As Nurse Manager – Referral Services, you will be both a practising veterinary nurse and a people leader.
The position is designed to keep our Nurse Managers connected to clinical practice while providing protected time, structure and authority to genuinely lead and develop their teams.
Approximately 50% of your role will consist of rostered clinical shifts, where you will provide clinical leadership, direct workflow and maintain visibility across the team.
The remaining 50% is dedicated to supervisory and management responsibilities, including people leadership, performance and development conversations, workforce management, quality improvement, policy development and supporting the ongoing development of the referral service.
The work pattern will be established collaboratively with the Director of Nursing at the time of appointment and, once agreed, will provide consistency and stability.
The role includes a 1 in 4 weekend commitment in a supervisory capacity, with additional weekend nursing shifts available to cover leave or by personal preference.
You will have formal line management responsibility for the nursing team within Referral Services and will work closely with our Director of Nursing, fellow Nurse Managers, Veterinary Specialists and the broader leadership team.
This isn't simply about being an excellent veterinary nurse.
We are looking for someone who wants to lead people, develop teams and help shape the future of our referral services.
Your Duties & Responsibilities:
Providing day to day leadership,



support and direction to the Referral Services nursing team
Working rostered clinical shifts and modelling a high standard of clinical practice
Maintaining visibility of team performance, workflow, culture and clinical standards
Providing coaching, feedback and ongoing development conversations with team members
Managing performance reviews, development planning and, where required, conduct and performance matters
Supporting other Nurses to develop their own leadership capability and effectively lead their teams
Identifying development and progression opportunities for nurses within Referral Services
Supporting CPD planning and the continued development of clinical capability across the team
Working collaboratively with the Rostering Manager on leave and workforce decisionsUpholding clinical, administrative and behavioural standards across Referral Services
Contributing to policy development, incident review and continuous quality improvement
Identifying opportunities to improve systems, processes and ways of working
Supporting change and coordinating initiatives from planning through to implementation
Working collaboratively with the Director of Nursing, other Nurse Managers and the broader leadership team on shared projects and hospital wide priorities
Helping create an accountable, positive and supportive culture where our people can perform at their best.
About You:
We want someone with strong leadership and people management experience, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and a genuine interest in developing people.
You will be organised, proactive, accountable and solution focused, with the ability to prioritise effectively when faced with multiple competing demands.
Importantly, you will bring strong clinical credibility alongside good business literacy, sound judgement and the ability to think strategically and systemically.
You understand that good leadership means balancing the needs of your people with the operational needs of the service.
You will be comfortable managing change, coordinating initiatives and seeing things through to completion, while working closely and collaboratively with the broader leadership team and contributing to shared organisational priorities.
We are looking for someone who can build genuine relationships with their team while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and having the confidence to provide feedback, address performance concerns and hold people accountable when required.




You will remain calm and level headed when faced with clinical pressure or interpersonal complexity and be able to make considered decisions rather than reactive ones.
Most importantly, you will genuinely care about your people and want to see them grow.
A background in referral practice is not essential but would be highly desirable.
Your Skills & Experience:
Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing with current registration
A minimum of 3 to 5 years' clinical experience within a small animal, emergency or specialist veterinary environment
Demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience within a clinical environment
Strong clinical nursing skills and the credibility to lead an experienced nursing team
Demonstrated experience leading, motivating, coaching and developing people
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
The confidence to provide constructive feedback and manage difficult conversations
Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
The ability to work independently, take initiative and follow tasks and projects through to completion
A collaborative leadership style and ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams
Sound working knowledge of veterinary clinical management systems such as SmartFlow, SpecVet or equivalent.
Highly regarded but not essential:
Previous experience within a veterinary referral or specialist environment
Diploma of Veterinary Nursing or another advanced veterinary nursing qualification
Formal leadership or management training
Experience in performance management, staff development or formal people leadership.
AREC can offer:
A genuine clinical leadership position with protected management time
The opportunity to lead and develop the nursing team within our growing Referral Services
The ability to remain clinically active while progressing your leadership career
Continuing education support and access to employer funded professional memberships and registrations for eligible employees
Competitive remuneration
Career development and leadership opportunities
The opportunity to work alongside experienced veterinary specialists and a multidisciplinary referral team
An engaged leadership team that values collaboration, initiative and continuous improvement
Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing initiatives
The opportunity to have a meaningful influence on the future development of nursing and referral services at AREC.
Additional Information:
Contact:
Sally Groen– ******
AREC foster diversity and inclusion within the organization to create an environment where all individuals are valued and included.
Note: All short-listed applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment check to verify their identity, qualifications and experience in the form of a reference check.
Learn more about us:
View our videos and photos via the below links:
Living in Newcastle; Working at AREC -
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Animal Referral and Emergency Centre(kookaburravets.com)

📌 Nurse Manager- Referral Services (New South Wales)
🏢 Animal Referral and Emergency Centre
📍 New South Wales