Optician Lead

The USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology is seeking an Optician Lead to join the optometry service.

Job Summary:

The Optician Lead is responsible for communicating with optometrists to manage efficient clinic flow, understanding and processing billing, tracking inventory and sales, and developing creative strategies to ensure best care, maximized sales, and profit margins are achieved in the clinic and optical shop. This position has shared responsibilities to those of the opticians, including selecting the most appropriate eyeglasses for patients as prescribed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, obtaining eye measurements, assisting with scheduling patients, and determining eligibility with various insurances (including the in-house USC Roski Eye Institute vision plans).

Job Accountabilities include:

• Oversee the performance and training of opticians at all locations and be able to work out of all locations.

• Oversees all optical practices including monitoring glasses and contact lens orders, meeting with sales consultants for ophthalmic frame and contact lens inventory, and attends meetings to keep up-to-date with new technology, fashion, and trends.
• Ensures lab is in full working order, including functional instruments and prepared supplies. Communicates with all locations to ensure all equipment is running.  Assists in-office lab in cutting, edging and finishing orders when necessary.
• Ensures there is adequate staff coverage for in-office lab duties and that all orders are completed accurately and in a timely fashion. Trains and assists new hires and other staff, as needed. Organizes and attends regularly scheduled meetings to ensure the optometrists and administrators are kept up-to-date and aware of all happenings at the clinic and with the team.
• Collaborates with optometrists to achieve optical sales goals and encourages staff on techniques and strategies to achieve those goals. Lead with marketing to promote optical offices and optometry services. Organizes special events to publicize optometry and optical services, including exclusive eyewear events, staff appreciation week, and student orientations.
• Provides counsel and suggestions to patients on frame shapes, styles, and colors; lens materials and thicknesses; and special lens coatings such as anti-glare and anti-scratch. Troubleshoots problems with patient vision and frame fit, and handles all complaints and challenging patient cases.
• Responsible for maintaining inventory control of frames, contact lenses and other eye care products. Ensures that inventory is accounted for and constantly replenished.
• Responsible for using precision equipment to measure various eye features, including patient’s bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, segment height, and optical centers of eyes.
• Prepares work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses. Communicates with lab to process difficult orders.
• Understands billing processes and daily cash accounting. Responsible for verifying daily collections and reviewing daily goals with staff. Works with other opticians and Optician Lead to ensure all insurance authorizations are completed for the following clinic day.
• Trains staff on functionalities of electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
• Understands and oversees authorizations and claim submissions for USC Roski Eye Institute Vision Plan(s).
• Instructs patients on how to apply and remove contacts lenses and educates and assists them regarding contact lens hygiene and care.
• Manages schedules for all opticians and optical staff for all locations (up to seven days a week) to ensure sufficient staffing at each location during staff vacation/sick leave/etc. Manages lunch and break schedules. Also coordinates with optometrists for special events, time-off for meetings, when to close clinics, etc. Also sign off timesheets for any team members.
• Responsible for all opening and closing procedures that will ensure safety, health, esthetics and sale for optical and optometry clinic. Trains staff on opening and closing procedures and ensures they are completed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Preferred Education: Associate's degree or Bachelor's degree

Preferred Experience: 5 year experience.

Preferred Field of Expertise: Degree in Opticianary.  National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE) certification. Two years’ experience as USC Roski Eye Institute Optometry Service staff member.

Supervises: Level:

Leads one or more employees performing similar work.

May oversee student, temporary and/or resource workers.

Applicant Attachments (Required): Application/Resume

Posting Hourly Range: “The hourly rate range for this position is $26.07 – 31.56. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.”

Education: Required: High school or equivalent Preferred: Associate's degree in related field(s) Preferred: Bachelor's degree in related field(s)