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Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
43 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Training
A willingness to undergo training to carry out the job.
- Experience
Minimal of six years previous hospital work and registered at least eight years.
- Experience
Managing staff and co-ordinating optometry services
- Experience
Complex contact lenses including paediatric contact lenses
- Experience
Low Vision work
- Experience
Working with the elderly
- Experience
Working with children
- Experience
Experience of working in sub-specialty clinics such as glaucoma, cataract, anterior segment, acute referral, medical retina, vitreoretinal or neuro-ophthalmology
- Experience
Pre-registration optometrist supervision
- Experience
Experience of postgraduate teaching
- Experience
Experience of research and audit
- Qualifications
BSc (Hons) degree in Optometry
- Qualifications
General Optical Council registered
- Qualifications
Post-graduate higher clinical optometry qualifications (e.g. College of Optometrists professional certificates/diplomas in independent prescribing, glaucoma, contact lens practice, medical retina, low vision or paediatric eye care)
- Practical Skills
Precise manual dexterity skills including handling contact lenses and removing eye lashes
- Practical Skills
Performing practical refraction, contact lens fitting and low vision aid dispensing skills on adults and children.
- Practical Skills
Performing contact tonometry on adults, children and babies.
- Practical Skills
Use of Volk and gonioscopy lenses.
- Practical Skills
Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy
- Practical Skills
Instillation of ophthalmic drugs in adults and children
- Special Knowledge
Complex refraction
- Special Knowledge
Practical working knowledge of fitting complex rigid, soft and scleral contact lenses including paediatric contact lenses.
- Special Knowledge
Practical working knowledge of low vision aids
- Special Knowledge
Optometric paediatric assessment
- Special Knowledge
Glaucoma assessment and monitoring
- Special Knowledge
Interpretation of glaucomatous visual fields
- Special Knowledge
Interpretation of corneal topography/tomography and retinal imaging.
- Special Knowledge
Pre and postoperative cataract assessment
- Special Knowledge
Management of anterior segment disease
- Special Knowledge
Medical retinal assessment and monitoring
- Special Knowledge
Ophthalmic drugs used in optometric practice and in the treatment of anterior segment disease and glaucoma
- Special Knowledge
Knowledge of computer systems and keyboard skills.
- Special Knowledge
Research and Audit
- Other Requirements
Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments if necessary), including clearance on blood borne viruses in compliance with Trust Policy
- Intellectual Skills
Well-developed interpersonal mental and emotional empathy skills where barriers exist because of age, special needs, physical or language difficulties
- Intellectual Skills
Good written and verbal communication skills
- Intellectual Skills
Managing people
- Intellectual Skills
Able to work independently upon own initiative and take a lead role in the department.
- Circumstances – Personal
Ability to work in a busy environment. Flexibility with working hours, especially finishing time.
- Disposition – Adjustment/Attitude
Professional attitude to work.
- Disposition – Adjustment/Attitude
Patient
- Disposition – Adjustment/Attitude
Willingness to manage staff and help others in a team.
- Disposition – Adjustment/Attitude
Willingness to be responsible for the delivery and development of optometric services
Desirable
20 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Training
Willingness to specialise and to learn new skills to extend the role of the optometrist
- Experience
EDTRS LogMAR acuity testing
- Experience
Peli Robson Contrast sensitivity
- Experience
Toxic screening
- Experience
Experience of examining pre-registration optometrists
- Experience
Managing a clinical service
- Experience
Financial responsibility
- Qualifications
Inclusion on GOC Independent Prescribing specialty register
- Qualifications
European Computer driving licence
- Qualifications
Examiner/Assessor for the College of Optometrists
- Qualifications
Registered pre-registration supervisor with the College of Optometrists
- Practical Skills
Removing corneal or conjunctival sutures
- Practical Skills
Contrast sensitivity assessment
- Special Knowledge
LogMAR acuity testing
- Special Knowledge
Peli Robson Contrast sensitivity assessment
- Special Knowledge
Published articles
- Special Knowledge
College of Optometrists council member or AOP Hospital Optometry Committee member
- Special Knowledge
Member of the local LOC
- Special Knowledge
Financial awareness relating to department budget
- Disposition – Adjustment/Attitude
Leadership qualities
Job summary
This is a leadership role within Optometry in the Head and Neck clinical service unit, at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. As Deputy Head of Optometry, you will assist in leading the operational delivery, professional standards and strategic direction of a Leeds wide Optometry service in acute and community pathways, while also maintaining an expert clinical role within a highly specialised service. The post is primarily based at St Jamess University Hospital and works across multiple sites and partner settings.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an experienced hospital optometrist with the clinical authority and management capability to help lead service improvement, manage and develop staff, and work effectively with senior clinical and operational colleagues. This role will suit someone who wants to combine expert practice with strong team leadership skills, values high standards, and is motivated to assist in expanding and shaping services for patients across a large teaching Trust.
About us
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our vision is to provide the highest quality specialist and integrated care. We will do this through delivery of our multi-year goals and strategic priorities, which you can read about on this page. Central to it all is The Leeds Way our values and behaviours that are at the heart of everything we do.
Details
- Date posted: 02 September 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 8b
- Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Reference number: 001794
- Job locations: St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7TF, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
Shortlisting Date: 16.09.26
Interview Date: 01.10.26
Why you should join our Team
The Optometry service is part of a major Ophthalmology Department within one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in the NHS. The team delivers highly specialised core and enhanced Optometry patient services across paediatric and adult pathways, supports tertiary work, contributes to teaching and clinical research, and plays an important part in wider service development across Ophthalmology. This is a large enthusiastic team of 18 optometrists, a dispensing optician manager and optometry administration staff, with a strong professional identity, a broad clinical scope in core and enhanced services, and a clear commitment to evidence-based practice, education and continuous improvement and development.
You will work alongside experienced optometry, ophthalmology, orthoptic and operational colleagues, contribute to business planning and strategic decision making, and help shape how services develop for the future. It is an excellent opportunity for a highly experienced hospital optometrist who aspires to combine an expert clinical role with optometry leadership and management.
What you will bring to the role
- BSc (Hons) in Optometry and GOC registration
- Minimal of six years experience within Hospital Optometry
- Post-graduate higher clinical optometry qualifications, preferably including Independent Prescribing
- Expert knowledge and experience in core and enhanced services within Hospital Optometry and Ophthalmology
- Leadership experience in Hospital Optometry with the ability to manage staff and be responsible for the co-ordination and delivery of optometric services
- Experience of clinical teaching and supervision of pre-registration and newly qualified optometrists
- Experience of research, audit and evidence-based practice
- Excellent communication skills
- The ability to work autonomously while providing visible professional leadership to others
Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.
About Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Our Trust values
The Leeds Way is working together to support each other and deliver the best possible care to patients.
We are.
Responsible Open and Honest One Team Kind
Our Trust priorities
Our purpose: Excellent, safe and sustainable care for every patient every time
Our priorities:
People Improvement and Innovation Partnerships Outcomes
To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Deputy Head of Optometry with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Leeds, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Head of service role. The advertised salary is £66,582 to £77,368 a year. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 16 Sep 2026.
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