Dental Nurse Team Lead

NHS National Services Scotland; Stromness; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Stromness is looking for a Dental Manager to lead a team of Dental Nurses and admin staff. This full-time, permanent role involves managing daily operations, leading service improvements, and representing dentistry at national levels. The position includes a competitive salary within Band 6 (£41,668 - £50,775) with a Distant Islands Allowance if residing on Orkney, providing added value to your career. Join us and make a difference in the community!

Benefits

Distant Islands Allowance

Attractive pension scheme

Work-life balance policies

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Experience in dental management or a leadership role.
• Ability to support a team with professional and clinical matters.
• Strong organizational skills to ensure smooth clinic operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Dental Nurses and reception/admin staff.
• Manage dental practice tasks to ensure efficient service delivery.
• Represent dentistry at regional or national meetings.

Skills

Leadership

Dental practice management

People skills

Organizational skills

Job description

About the Organisation

NHS Orkney is committed to delivering excellent care to our 22,000 residents. Whether you’re new to the NHS or bringing experience from elsewhere, your skills will make a real difference.

Our modern healthcare facility, The Balfour, brings together inpatient care, emergency services, outpatient clinics, diagnostics, GP practices and the Scottish Ambulance Service. We’re also investing in services across our outer isles, ensuring high-quality care reaches every corner of Orkney.

We are guided by our core values that shape everything we do – Open and honest, Respect and Kindness – from how we care for our patients to how we support each other as colleagues.

About Orkney

With over 70 islands – 20 of them inhabited – Orkney offers a unique blend of natural beauty, close-knit community and an opportunity for adventure. From dramatic coastlines and rare wildlife to rich cultural traditions and active lifestyles, it’s a place where compassion thrives and every day brings something new. Regularly named one of the UK’s best places to live, Orkney offers a lifestyle that’s both fulfilling and inspiring.

The Position

The successful candidate will lead a team of Dental Nurses and Dental reception/admin staff and will be a key member of the Dental Management team in NHS Orkney. The job also offers a rewarding, diverse range of duties. These include typical dental practice management type tasks to ensure the safe and efficient running of the service, to the recruitment and retention of staff, to leading on service improvements and much more. The post-holder will also have the opportunity to represent dentistry across the wider organisation within NHSO and represent Orkney at regional or national meetings.

We are looking for an experienced dental nurse who has what it takes to lead a team.

• Maybe you are already an experienced dental nurse manager or leader?
• Or maybe you have had a taste of leadership and would like to put this into practice with a new role?

The successful candidate would be putting their dental experience into action by supporting a team with professional and clinical matters, as well as using their organisational skills to ensure the smooth running of our Public Dental Service (PDS) clinics. Working with people (our patients, carers & public, our staff and our stakeholders) is key to this role and we are looking for someone with good people skills, working with kindness, openness and respect, as per NHS Orkney’s values.

Location, Working Pattern and Contract Duration

This post will be based predominantly at Garson Dental Clinic which is in Stromness, the second largest town in Orkney. The postholder will also work from The Balfour in Kirkwall for part of each week. These two sites are the home of our Public Dental Service which delivers routine dental care as well as dental care for those will additional support needs or where specialist input is needed.

The successful candidate will work: Full Time 37 hours per week - NHS Scotland is reducing their full time working week from 37 to 36 hours per week from 1 April 2026 but with no change in pay. This reduction will also be applied pro rata for part time staff.

This post is Permanent

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with NHS Orkney.

Benefits and Salary

Did you know NHS Scotland salaries are higher than those in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland?

The salary for this post is Band 6 £41,668 - £50,775 and if residing on Orkney, you’ll also receive a Distant Islands Allowance of £1,657 pro rata per annum, adding extra value to your rewarding career with us.

NHS Orkney also offers an attractive pension scheme, wide range of work life balance policies, employee assistance programme and various discounts to both local and national retailers.

Further Information

If you share our vision and are ready to be part of Team Orkney, we’d love to hear from you. Your rewarding career starts here!

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional requirements you would like to request, please contact [e-mail]

For further guidance on the recruitment process and tips for creating a strong application, please refer to our Candidate Application Pack.

To find out more about this opportunity please contact Steven Johnston, Director of Dentistry on [e-mail]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Compliance

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third-party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies.

Legal and EEO Statements

Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.

Please note this advert may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Interview Date: Tuesday 24th of February 2026

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.