Highly Specialist Orthoptist

NHS Jobs; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Highly Specialist Orthoptist to lead our Neuro‑Orthoptic service. You will provide advanced assessment and management for complex ophthalmic and neurological cases, train and supervise colleagues, and drive audits and service development.

The post involves autonomous and collaborative work with Ophthalmology and a broad multidisciplinary team, including leadership for extended roles and quality improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration is mandatory.
• Orthoptics degree or diploma required.
• Postgraduate training or MSc preferred.
• Experience in BIOS extended role clinical advisory group is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver Neuro-Orthoptic service for complex patients.
• Provide specialist assessment, diagnosis and management.
• Lead training, supervision, audits and quality improvement.
• Collaborate with Ophthalmologists and multidisciplinary team.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical leadership

Audit

Research

Teaching Orthoptics

Communication

Neuro-orthoptics

Education

HCPC registration

Orthoptics degree or diploma

Postgraduate training (MSc or equivalent)

BIOS extended role experience

Job description

Go back Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Orthoptist

The closing date is 04 October 2026

Join our team and play a key role in delivering and developing our specialist Neuro-Orthoptic Service, providing expert, evidence-based care to complex patients while supporting, leading and developing colleagues within a friendly, collaborative and forward-thinking Orthoptic team.

Main duties of the job

To lead and deliver a high-quality, evidence-based Neuro-Orthoptic service, providing highly specialised assessment, diagnosis and management to patients across a wide range of complex ophthalmic, neurological and medical conditions, including tertiary referrals. The role provides clinical and professional leadership to the Neuro-Orthoptic team, including training, supervision, audit and quality improvement, while supporting the Orthoptic Professional Service Manager with the operational management and development of the wider Orthoptic service. The postholder works autonomously and collaboratively with Ophthalmologists and the wider multidisciplinary team, provides specialist clinical advice, manages dedicated Neuro-Orthoptic clinics, and contributes to extended roles within the scope of practice and Agenda for Change banding.

About us

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its employees. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for a period of a maximum of five months due to maternity leave of the substantive post holder. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts and statutory maternity provisions.

Please note all existing NHS staff will only be considered on a secondment basis. This must first be agreed with your current line manager.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

• Orthoptics BMedSci OR . BSc (Hons) Orthoptics OR . Orthoptics BSc (Hons) OR . Diploma from British Orthoptic Council (DBO)
• To be registered with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Postgraduate plus further training relevant to sub-specialist practice e.g. higher degree e.g. MSc OR . Relevant short courses and experience to a Masters level
• Role of clinical advisor or active involvement in a BIOS extended role clinical advisory group
• Post masters experience in specialist area developing advanced clinical skills and leadership
• Medical exemptions for Orthoptists

Experience

• Advanced clinical practice, both in theory and practical knowledge in a range of clinical areas, particularly in neuro-orthoptics
• Knowledge and experience of clinical matters beyond direct clinical role
• Significant advanced clinical experience in assessment & management of patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple areas of specialist clinical practice
• Evidence of on-going commitment to continuing professional development following BIOS/HCPC guidelines.
• Visual field examination and interpretation
• Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.

Skills & Knowledge

• To be approachable and maintain an excellent rapport with colleagues
• Good verbal and written communication skills with adults, carers, parents and children, students and all staff disciplines.
• Evidence of working successfully as part of a multidisciplinary team and independently.
• Ability to produce written reports
• Skilled in use of slit lamp, optic disc imaging and interpretation of visual fields results, or other ophthalmic investigations usually carried out by specialist medical staff
• Experience of research and development activities
• Experience undertaking and presenting audit

Personal Qualities

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills; ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
• Leadership, organisational and negotiating skills
• Ability to use initiative and quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information
• Capable of performing sustained high intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment
• Skills of persuasion
• Possesses precise, fine-motor physical examination skills
• Works well autonomously
• Self-motivated

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£49,387 to £56,515 a yearpa/pro rata for part time staff