Optical Assistant Apprentice

Key responsibilities of the role (but not limited to the role):

Conduct and Legalisation

Demonstrate and promote adherence to company policy, procedure, professional standards and legal obligations, including Data Protection, Health & Safety and all GOC regulatory legislation requirements. To ensure all in-store administration is completed accurately and all manual and computerised customer records are maintained in accordance with company guidelines and relevant data protection laws. To have a good working knowledge of the Vision Express ways of working. To take personal responsibility for your own development, ensuring regulatory e-learning is completed efficiently and be proactive in maintaining and developing knowledge through participation in company development programmes. Maintain the highest store standards possible, including the appearance of both store and your own personal presentation.

Sales and Service

To act as a Vision Express brand ambassador, creating a welcoming environment for all customers and ensuring their expectations are exceeded throughout the customer journey. To relentlessly deliver the best customer service through the Vision Express ways of working and behaviour, every day to every customer. To support the management team in achieving the required targeted growth in sales and profit To deliver a seamless customer journey through the meeting/greeting, offering of refreshments, initial eye examinations, dispensing, fitting and collections of every Vision Express customer. To provide accurate and knowledgeable advice and guidance to meet each customer's specific needs through the recommendations made, selection and purchase of all types of eye-wear and eye-care solutions. To conduct eyewear repairs and order replacements when required. To participate in all stock-taking activities as determined by the management team. Keyholder duties after successful completion of silver training (if and when required). Make decisions within the agreed scope of your role on matters relating to the day-to-day retail operation within your store. Escalate to line manager where required.

Team Work and Communication

To maintain good and professional working relationships with the store team. Attend and participate in morning briefs and team meetings. To provide honest feedback to the management team to support ongoing improvements. Any other duties or responsibilities as reasonably requested by line management.

Additional Responsibilities:

Where applicable, to use in-store laboratory equipment in the production and manufacture of high-quality eyewear ensuring;

The quality of eyewear produced is compliant with company standards and produced within the agreed timeframe. All laboratory equipment is maintained/calibrated in accordance with company guidelines. Effective lens usage in accordance with company guidance/policy and thus contribution to store cost control. The laboratory lens and consumable stock levels are stored correctly and in accordance with company policy. Duties may vary in accordance with customer demand and store structure.

Training Outcome:

The successful candidate will work towards achieving a Level 3 qualification in optical and gain experience in a busy optical practice.

Upon completion of the Level 3 qualification, you will be an experienced and qualified optical assistant, and as such, you can continue building up skills that will always be in demand. Career breaks and part-time working are often possible.

You could go on to acquire higher level optical qualifications such as:

Ophthalmic Dispensing – Become a qualified Dispensing Optician. Contact lens Optician - fit Contact lenses. Low vision specialist - help people where traditional spectacles will not suffice. Supply low vision aids, magnifiers, advice on improving contrast and on other non-optical aids such as bump-ons. Optometry courses – carry out full eye examinations and issue prescriptions. Clinical representative – visiting practices introducing new frame ranges and Ophthalmic lenses. In-practice trainer – You could use your knowledge to train others.

Other non-clinical roles:

Practice Management you could complete a management course. Practice ownership. You could go into business yourself, partnership or franchise.

Employer Description:
We opened our first Vision Express store over thirty years ago in Gateshead. Today we now have over 550 stores across the UK and Ireland. A lot of things have changed over the years, but our number one goal has stayed the same. We want to make life that bit easier and more enjoyable for our customers.

Working Hours :
Monday to Friday between 9:30am to 5pm.

Skills:
Communication skills,IT skills,Organisation skills,Customer care skills,Team working