Head of Dental Nursing

PortmanDentex; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dental group in the UK seeks a Head of Dental Nursing to redefine dental nursing roles and enhance career pathways. This key position involves strategic leadership, external representation, and community engagement across the dental profession. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience as GDC-registered Dental Nurses and strong leadership skills. The role offers a flexible remote working model along with competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Bonus scheme

25 days annual leave

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Life assurance and pension scheme

Health and Wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Substantial clinical and leadership experience at a business-wide operational and strategic level.
• Ability to influence clinicians and the profession.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel across the UK and Ireland with flexible scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a long-term strategy for dental nurse experience.
• Act as a public speaker for the profession.
• Create and evaluate training pathways for dental nurses.
• Enable dental nurses to fully utilize their practice.
• Lead initiatives for community building across the UK and Ireland.
• Partner with teams to ensure best-in-class recruitment and retention strategies.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Public speaking

Communication

Relationship building

Leadership

Education

GDC registration

Job description

Would you like to be able to lead the dental nurse agenda across not only one of the largest UK dental groups but across the dental industry as a whole? To make a real difference in how this critical role is viewed in the industry. We’ve created a new high‑profile transformative leadership role with the ambition to elevate the value, visibility and career opportunities for dental nurses across PortmanDentex and by example across the profession.

Acting as both internal champion and external brand ambassador you’ll build strong partnerships with our People Talent Operations and Clinical teams whilst representing PortmanDentex with gravitas to dental care professionals, clinicians, industry bodies and the public. You’ll inspire change in dental nurse engagement, experience, career pathways and professional recognition shaping a new era for dental nursing.

Key accountabilities include :

• Strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement: developing and delivering a long‑term strategy to reimagine dental nurse experience including pay frameworks, career progression and professional recognition engaging clinicians and key stakeholders at all levels internally and externally.
• External influence: acting as a respected public speaker, thought leader and media voice for the profession.
• Learning & development: creating, delivering and evaluating training pathways from entry level to senior roles.
• Clinical support and operational efficiency: enabling dental nurses to work to the full scope of their practice for optimal job satisfaction, practice efficiencies and patient experience.
• Community building: leading the Dental Nurse Forum, professional networks and engagement initiatives; fostering an inclusive connected nurse community across the UK and Ireland.
• Operational support: partnering with Operations and Talent Acquisition teams to ensure best‑in‑class nurse recruitment, onboarding standards, retention and engagement strategies.

Qualifications :

• GDC‑registered Dental Nurse with substantial clinical and leadership experience at a business‑wide operational and strategic level.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship‑building capability including the ability to influence clinicians and the profession.
• Confident, credible and comfortable operating in the public eye as an external brand ambassador; excellent communication and presentation skills are key.
• Flexible to travel across the UK and Ireland with occasional evening/wkend commitments.

Additional Information :

PortmanDentex is a leading dental group where your skills and ambition make a difference. We support over 370 practices across the UK and Ireland with more than 2400 passionate clinicians and 4500 dedicated practice colleagues providing dental care for 1.5 million patients.

We offer a remote working model that allows you to split your week between working from home and visiting practices or attending meetings as required. This will likely mean 1 or 2 days a week out and about with flexibility around the days that work best for you and the rest working from home.

In addition to a competitive salary our benefits package includes :

• Bonus scheme which recognises our combined contribution.
• 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, special days off (such as your birthday) and the opportunity to purchase up to 3 additional annual leave days.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
• Life assurance and contributory pension scheme.
• Health and Wellbeing benefits including an expensed dental check‑up and hygienist appointment per year, confidential helpline and counselling services and access to a 24/7 GP service.

If you’re ready to make a difference and showcase your skills apply for our Head of Dental Nursing vacancy by submitting your latest CV. Alternatively please feel free to share this opportunity with your friends or colleagues who may be interested.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. We are committed to creating an environment of mutual respect and are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age or nationality.