Optical Assistant in Coventry

Main area Optical Assistant Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday 0900 - 1700) Job ref 218-ACS-B3-8360297

Site University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Town Coventry Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 28/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 11/11/2026

Job overview

Join Our Optometry Team at the Spec Shop

Love people, precision, and great eyewear? We’re looking for a motivated, customer-focused team player to join our Optometry team at the Spec Shop.

In this hands-on role, you’ll work both independently and alongside a Dispensing Optician, helping deliver outstanding patient care and smooth clinical support.

What you’ll be doing:

• Dispensing spectacles under the guidance of a Dispensing Optician
• Advising patients on spectacle wear, fit, and comfort
• Adjusting and maintaining frames for optimal performance
• Glazing and verifying spectacles using in-house equipment
• Keeping the Spec Shop looking sharp, organised, and customer-ready
• Monitoring and managing stock levels
• Supporting administration and assisting with basic clinical duties when required

What we’re looking for:

• A strong customer-service mindset
• Attention to detail and manual dexterity
• Confidence working with eyewear and technical equipment
• Ability to work independently and as part of a close-knit team

Please be advised that sponsorship is not eligible for this post.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking a dedicated individual to join our Optometry team at the Spec Shop, working independently and alongside the Dispensing Optician to enhance customer service and support the administration of clinical services.

The role involves dispensing spectacles under the guidance of a Dispensing Optician, advising patients on proper spectacle wear, and making necessary adjustments to frames. You will be responsible for maintaining the physical appearance and usability of the Spec Shop, assisting in its administration, and monitoring stock levels to ensure demand is met. Additionally, you will utilise glazing equipment to glaze and verify customers' spectacles and may cover basic clinical assistant duties as needed in clinics.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Spectacle Dispensing: Assist patients in selecting appropriate frames based on their prescription, facial measurements, and personal preferences while considering cosmetic and functional needs.
• Spectacle Glazing & Verification: Utilize provided glazing equipment to glaze spectacles accurately. Verify completed spectacles by ensuring they match the order, meet quality standards, and conform to British Standards.
• Stock Management & Ordering: Order spectacles, frames, and related optical products. Liaise with suppliers to manage stock levels effectively and ensure the timely availability of products.
• Customer Communication & Administration:
• Handle telephone inquiries, schedule appointments, and provide excellent customer service.
• Ensure all spectacle orders are processed and delivered within the promised timeframe.
• Notify patients when their spectacles or contact lenses are ready for collection and follow up on non-collections to minimize outstanding orders.

Payment Processing & Financial Administration: Process patient payments, issue receipts, and manage daily banking transactions for Spec Shop. Records & Documentation Management:

Medical Notes & Clinical Support: Assist in managing patient medical records, ensuring proper placement and organization. Quality Assurance & Customer Service: Maintain high standards of customer service and ensure all interactions align with the agreed quality standards of Spec Shop. Workplace Maintenance & Safety: Keep the dispensing area tidy, safe, and presentable at all times. Training & Development: Participate in ongoing training and development to stay updated with industry best practices and enhance professional skills.

For further details please see the attached job description.

Qualifications

• Key Skills Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy
• NVQ, A-Levels, or equivalent qualification

Experience

• Experience in a customer-facing role
• Ability to make decisions and resolve work-related issues

Knowledge

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office packages Word, Outlook, and Excel
• Understanding of general office procedures
• Awareness of current issues within the NHS

Skills

• Strong organisational skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to handle difficult and sensitive patient inquiries with professionalism
• Confidence in presenting information to others
• Ability to persuade and negotiate effectively

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust’s values. (As detailed in UHCW’s Values in Action document below)
• Applicants applying for job roles with managerial responsibility will be required to demonstrate evidence of promoting equal opportunities through work experience

To ensure that we provide world-class patient care, UHCW recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values and Behaviours in their everyday life. Therefore, if you are invited to interview, you will be undertaking a Values Based Interview/Assessment, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and Behaviours which can be accessed on the right side of this page under the job description.
The Supporting Information Section in your application should therefore reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated Behaviours. You will be expected to provide us with examples from work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviour.

The Trust is committed to Equal Opportunities within the workplace. All vacancies will be considered for Job Share unless otherwise stated. All applicants who have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be interviewed. Where a post has an overwhelming response, this Trust may use random selection in order to reduce numbers to interview, any disabled applicants will automatically be guaranteed an interview and will be exempt from this process.

In submitting an application form, you authorise University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you, including Occupational Health data (inoculations and screening tests). This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third-party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post.

UHCW NHS Trust, by virtue of its Green Plan, is committed to ensuring that the way we provide services minimises the impact on the environment and the future health of the public e.g. zero waste to landfill, reducing our carbon footprint and increasing our recycling and reuse percentages.

If you are successful at interview you will receive a conditional offer of employment and we’ll ask you for information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete all pre-employment checks to progress to a final unconditional offer.

We must confirm the identity of our staff and their right to work in the United Kingdom. We will ask you to submit proof of your identity and right to work documents via a secure digital platform approved by the Home Office, named TrustID. Alternatively, you may be asked to attend our office with original documents.

Depending on your level of exposure with patients you may be required to undertake a Standard or Enhanced DBS. The cost of this check will be charged to you and will be deducted from your salary over the first 3 months of employment at the current rate.

All correspondence will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk/SPAM folders

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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