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Job overview

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Senior Ophthalmic Technician to join our dedicated team, working across the service south sites - Orpington Hospital and Queen Mary's, Sidcup. This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care across a diverse range of ophthalmic specialties.

As a Senior Ophthalmic Technician, you will provide specialist technical and clinical support to a multidisciplinary ophthalmology team, assisting in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. You will undertake a wide range of advanced ophthalmic investigations and diagnostic procedures while ensuring patients receive a professional, compassionate and efficient service.

The post holder will support service delivery across both sites, requiring flexibility and the ability to work effectively within different clinical environments. You will also contribute to the supervision and development of junior staff and students, supporting quality improvement and service development initiatives.

If you are passionate about delivering outstanding patient care and are looking to further your career within ophthalmology, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• Perform a range of ophthalmic diagnostic tests, including visual acuity assessment, visual fields, OCT imaging, fundus photography and biometry.
• Prepare patients for ophthalmic clinics, procedures and treatments.
• Support specialist clinics, including medical retina, glaucoma, cornea, cataract, and emergency ophthalmology services.
• Assist with intravitreal injection and minor procedure sessions.
• Ensure ophthalmic equipment is maintained and operated safely and effectively.
• Support the training and supervision of junior technicians and new team members.
• Contribute to service improvement, patient experience and quality initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with nurses, doctors, allied health professionals and administrative teams to deliver excellent patient care.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care ; creating a great place to work ; leading pioneering research, innovation and education ; building strong and successful partnerships ; providing timely and efficient care ; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability .

We have also agreed four new organisational values – Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive, Innovative – and these underpin everything we do, and how our teams interact with the patients under our care.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the job description and person specification

You will have:

• Significant experience working within an ophthalmology service.
• Knowledge of ophthalmic diagnostic procedures and equipment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience supporting and mentoring colleagues.
• A flexible approach and willingness to work across two sites.

Person specification

essential

Essential criteria

• Foundation Degree or equivalent ophthalmic outpatient experience and specialist competence
• Experience performing a range of ophthalmic diagnostic investigations independently
• Experience of supporting training and development and assessment of staff
• Analyse diagnostic images and test results for technical quality and identify findings requiring urgent review, escalating concerns in accordance with agreed pathways

Desirable criteria

• Service redesign experience

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include. They shouldn’t however replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.

Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success because automatically generated answers:

• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

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King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.