The University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine is hiring a Lecturer in Bioveterinary Sciences at its Guildford campus in the United Kingdom. It is a full-time, fixed-term teaching post. The salary is £38,448 to £46,970 a year, plus a 10% Veterinary Market Allowance for applicants who are registered members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). The advert closes on Sunday 22 November 2026.
The job is mainly about teaching future vets and bioveterinary scientists and helping build a new accelerated bioveterinary science programme. A veterinary degree is desirable but not essential, so biologists with teaching experience can apply too. The advert says nothing about visa sponsorship, so international applicants need to ask before applying. Below is everything in the listing, plus how to write the cover letter and what to expect from the selection process.
University of Surrey Lecturer in Bioveterinary Sciences: key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employer | University of Surrey, School of Veterinary Medicine |
| Job title | Lecturer in Bioveterinary Sciences |
| Location | Guildford campus, Surrey, England |
| Contract | Fixed term, full time (length not stated in the advert) |
| Salary | £38,448 to £46,970 a year, plus 10% Veterinary Market Allowance if applicable |
| Visa sponsorship | Not mentioned in the advert |
| Relocation | Relocation assistance is listed among the benefits |
| Documents | CV, cover letter and the University’s application form |
| Informal enquiries | Dr Charlotte McCarroll (c.mccarroll@surrey.ac.uk) and Dr Francesca Contadini (f.contadini@surrey.ac.uk) |
| Advert reference | THE Unijobs listing 416825 |
| Posted | 22 October 2026 |
| Closing date | 22 November 2026 |
What the lecturer will do
The advert describes a teaching-focused role. The postholder will:
- Teach and assess: deliver evidence-based teaching and assessment, and review how teaching is done.
- Design learning: create learning materials and design modules.
- Coordinate quality and support: coordinate teaching quality and student support.
- Build a new programme: contribute to the curriculum for a new accelerated bioveterinary science programme.
- Share the admin: support the school’s educational administration and work closely with staff and students.
- Do pedagogical research: engage in research on teaching and in collaborative academic projects.
The second informal contact, Dr Francesca Contadini, is listed as Programme Lead for Accelerated Bioveterinary Science, which tells you where much of the work will go. Dr Charlotte McCarroll is the school’s Associate Head of School (Education). The advert does not name a line manager, so ask either contact who you would report to.
Requirements: essential and desirable
Under “About you”, the advert lists:
Essential
- Enthusiasm for veterinary medicine and bioveterinary sciences.
- A commitment to excellent teaching.
- Flexible, creative working, with strong teamwork and interpersonal skills.
- Experience teaching in an educational or professional setting.
- Experience developing teaching materials.
Desirable
- A veterinary qualification or a degree in a related biological science.
The criteria centre on teaching. You need real teaching experience and evidence that you have written materials. A PhD is not listed as essential, though most UK lecturers hold one and many applicants will. If you have taught as a graduate teaching assistant, clinical tutor, college lecturer or trainer in a professional setting, that counts as “an educational or professional setting”.
Salary and the Veterinary Market Allowance
The advertised salary is £38,448 to £46,970 a year. On top of this, the advert offers a 10% uplift for MRCVS-registered applicants, called the Veterinary Market Allowance. If you are a vet registered with the RCVS, that adds between about £3,845 and £4,697 a year across the range. Non-vets receive the base salary.
Other benefits in the listing include a continuing professional development (CPD) budget, a pension, relocation assistance, flexible working including job share, on-campus sports facilities, travel schemes and family-friendly benefits such as an on-site nursery.
New starters on a Guildford contract must work on campus for at least 80% of their week during their first four to six months. If you hoped to commute from far away or work remotely early on, plan for that.
Visa sponsorship for international applicants
The advert does not mention visa sponsorship. Universities can sponsor lecturers under the UK Skilled Worker route, but the job and the salary must meet Home Office rules, and the employer decides whether to sponsor a particular post. Before you spend time on a full application, email one of the informal contacts or the University’s recruitment team and ask directly whether this post can be sponsored. Then check the current Skilled Worker salary rules on GOV.UK yourself.
Vets trained outside the UK should also check whether their degree gives automatic RCVS registration or requires the RCVS statutory membership exam. Registration is only needed for the market allowance and any clinical work; the advert does not say this lecturing role requires it.
About the University of Surrey and Guildford
The University of Surrey is a research university in Guildford, a town in Surrey about 30 miles south-west of London. In June 2026 the University reported that it had risen 16 places to 246th in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Its School of Veterinary Medicine teaches veterinary and bioveterinary students, and the new accelerated programme this role supports is part of that growth.
Guildford is a commuter town with direct trains to London, and housing costs are high by UK standards outside London. Check rents in Guildford and nearby towns before you accept, especially on the lower end of the salary range.
How to apply for the Surrey bioveterinary lecturer job
- Read the full job description: it is available as a PDF on the University of Surrey jobs site, linked from the THE Unijobs listing under “Further details”.
- Ask your questions early: contact Dr McCarroll or Dr Contadini about contract length, teaching load, line management and, if relevant, visa sponsorship.
- Prepare your CV: put teaching first: modules taught, student numbers, levels, assessment design, and materials you created.
- Write the cover letter: match every essential criterion with an example (see below).
- Complete the application form: use “Apply on website” on the listing, which takes you to the University’s system.
- Submit before the closing date: 22 November 2026. The advert gives no closing time, so submit by the day before.
How to write a teaching-focused cover letter
For a lecturer post like this, the panel wants proof that you can teach well and build curriculum. Keep the letter to about two pages:
- Opening: the role, your background (vet, biologist or both) and your strongest teaching achievement.
- Teaching experience: what you taught, to whom, at what level, and how students did. Use feedback scores or outcomes if you have them.
- Materials and module design: one or two examples of materials or modules you built, and what changed because of them.
- The accelerated programme: what you could contribute to a new compressed curriculum, such as practical classes, integrated case teaching or digital resources.
- Pedagogical research and teamwork: any teaching research, conference talks or collaborative projects, and how you work with colleagues.
- Closing: your availability and a short line on why Surrey.
A sample opening, for illustration only: “I have taught physiology and pharmacology to veterinary and biomedical students for four years, and I redesigned our second-year practical classes around clinical cases, which raised module satisfaction scores.” Use your own true details.
Questions to ask the informal contacts
The advert leaves several practical points open. A short email to Dr McCarroll or Dr Contadini can settle them before you commit:
- How long is the fixed-term contract, and is there a chance of it becoming permanent?
- Who is the line manager for this post?
- What share of the week is teaching, and which modules or years would I start on?
- When does the accelerated bioveterinary science programme take its first students?
- Can this post be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route? (International applicants only.)
- What are the expected interview dates, and is a teaching presentation part of the process?
Keep the email to five or six lines. Introduce yourself in one sentence, ask two or three of these, and thank them.
How to show teaching quality on paper
Teaching-focused panels look for evidence that someone else has checked your teaching. Useful items to mention in your CV and letter include:
- Student evaluation scores or written feedback for modules you led.
- Peer observation of your teaching by a colleague or mentor.
- A teaching qualification, such as a postgraduate certificate in higher education, or Fellowship of Advance HE (the UK’s teaching recognition scheme), if you hold one.
- Materials you wrote that others now use: practical manuals, case banks, online modules or question banks.
- Any change you made that improved results, with the before and after.
If you trained outside the UK and have none of these labels, describe the equivalent: formal training you received, how your teaching was reviewed, and the numbers of students you taught.
What the selection process looks like
The advert does not give interview dates. UK lecturer selection usually includes shortlisting against the person specification, then an interview with a panel. Many schools also ask for a short teaching presentation or a mock lecture to a panel or students. Prepare a 10 to 15 minute teaching sample on a core bioveterinary topic in case it is requested, and confirm the format once you are shortlisted.
Common mistakes
- Writing a research-heavy letter. The criteria are about teaching, materials and curriculum.
- Ignoring the application form because you uploaded a CV. The advert asks for all three: CV, cover letter and form.
- Assuming visa sponsorship. The advert is silent, so ask.
- Forgetting the 80% on-campus induction rule if you plan to live far away.
- Skipping the informal contacts. A short, specific question shows interest and gets you facts the advert leaves out.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you are a vet or a biological scientist with real teaching experience and evidence of developing materials, and you would like to help shape a new programme. Early-career academics moving into a teaching-focused route will find this a good fit.
This post is less suitable if you want a research-led lectureship with protected research time, or if you need guaranteed visa sponsorship and cannot get a clear answer before the deadline.
Similar lecturer jobs to compare
| Role | Institution | Salary (as advertised) | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecturer, Medical Sciences (Immunology and Bacteriology) | University of Sydney, Australia | AUD 132,533 plus 17% superannuation | 9 November 2026 |
| Assistant Professor in International Political Economy | Durham University, UK | £48,337 to £57,666 | 7 January 2027 |
| Lecturer in General Practice (0.5 FTE) | Australian National University | AUD 124,638 to 141,317 pro rata plus 17% superannuation | 1 November 2026 |
| Research Fellow, School of Health Sciences | University of Southampton, UK | £37,369 to £41,885 pro rata | 23 November 2026 |
If you are still building the qualifications for a UK lectureship, our guides to the Chevening Scholarship and the Commonwealth Scholarship cover the main funded routes into UK postgraduate study.
FAQs about the Surrey Lecturer in Bioveterinary Sciences job
What is the salary for the University of Surrey Lecturer in Bioveterinary Sciences?
£38,448 to £46,970 a year, plus a 10% Veterinary Market Allowance for MRCVS-registered applicants.
Does the University of Surrey sponsor visas for this lecturer job?
The advert does not say. Ask the informal contacts or the recruitment team before you apply.
Do I need to be a vet to apply?
No. A veterinary qualification or a related biological science degree is listed as desirable, not essential.
When is the closing date?
22 November 2026. Submit a day early, because no closing time is given.
Sources and updates
The duties, criteria, salary, benefits, induction rule, contacts and closing date are from the University of Surrey’s advert on Times Higher Education Unijobs (listing 416825), checked on 29 October 2026. The QS World University Rankings 2027 position is from the University of Surrey’s press release of 18 June 2026. Visa guidance is general; check GOV.UK and confirm with the University. I will update this page if the University publishes a sponsorship statement or changes the deadline.
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