Trainee Optical Assistants

Job Requirements

Optical Assistant

Mackey Opticians have opportunities for Trainee Optical Assistants in our practices in Belfast and North Down.

Who we are

Mackey Opticians are a Northern Irish family and partner run Optometrists with fourteen practices across Northern Ireland. We stock the most amazing unique designer eyewear as well as the hottest brands on the high street. We invest in the best clinical equipment including the latest OCT scanners and we provide advanced eye care therapies including ortho-keratology (a non surgical alternative to laser surgery). We also offer an audiology (hearing) service in some of our practices.

What your days will look like

An Optical Assistant helps Practice Managers, Dispensing Opticians and Optometrists provide patient care and, with training, assists Patients in choosing lenses and frames based on their needs and Optometrist recommendations.

Your daily routine could vary quite a lot with our range of patient needs and with the various activities needed for a successful high street business. You might be helping maintain the appointment diary, welcoming patients, taking recommendations from an Optometrist, helping patients choose frames and lenses, teaching patients about handling contact lenses, making sure that patient and business records are properly kept, or looking after the presentation of the practice and the display of frames.

Overall, it's a busy, worthwhile day, helping people see clearly and choose the right frames and lenses for them.

Prospects

Optical Assistants at Mackey Opticians have progressed to become Practice Managers, Dispensing Opticians (which requires a course of distance learning alongside work) and even Optometrists (which requires full time attendance at University).

Further information

Salary: Competitive salary, commensurate with experience

Up to 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays or days in lieu

Company paid training and an increase in pay on completing our Optical Assistants Course

Company pension contribution

No Sunday working

Job type; Part-Time (at least 24 hours) to Full-time (40 hours) and Permanent

Location: Various locations across Belfast, North Down and Newtownards

Job Duties

Your training will prepare you for the following responsibilities:

• Helping the Practice Manager and Optometrists to run day to day clinics, achieve practice testing and sales

• Helping to create an engaging environment for customers, provide exemplary service, manage customer issues and process all customer orders and returns

• Stock and cost control; helping maintain the frame display and merchandise stock, managing stock inventory and orders, conducting stock takes and minimising loss

• Helping customers select suitable eyewear and accurately dispensing single vision, bifocal and varifocal lensesHelping customers learn to handle contact lenses

• Performing general reception duties, answer telephone, book appointments and take payments

• Taking active steps to increase business

• Ensuring store is presented cleanly and displayed well

• Carrying out administration tasks (including use of the computerised practice management system) as and when needed

• Attending practice and Head Office training to develop your clinical and dispensing skills

• Reconciling daily sales and lodging cash takings at the bank,

• Promoting the Company values to patients and colleagues by setting a good example

• Ensuring all visual merchandising guidelines and training is adhered and ensure standards are immaculate at all times

• And other tasks as may be needed to maintain a profitable and successful Optometry and Audiology practice,

Essential Criteria

• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and willing to learn

• 5 GCSE's at A-C grade (or equivalent) including English and Maths

• Passionate about eyewear and helping customers.

• Good selling skills

• Sound judgement with confident decision-making

• Happy in a busy team; able to accept and offer constructive, effectively and honest feedback

• Able to adapt to frequent improvement in technology and products

• Interested in results and key performance indicators like customer satisfaction ratings or sales

• Experience in using Microsoft office packages

• Numerate - able to understand and operate till (EPOS) systems

• Well presented with a positive, pro-active and professional approach

• Clear and accurate use of English

• A driver's license and access to a car. You may be asked to work at other practices in the group. If this happens mileage for travel to a different practice from your usual practice will be paid for.

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (required)