Administration & Reception Coordinator

Synergydental; Dunedin; On-site; NZD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Synergy Dental in Dunedin is seeking an experienced Administration & Reception Coordinator to join our busy practice. This role sits at the intersection of patients, clinicians and business systems, handling calls, bookings, payments and records with accuracy.

We value structure, organisation and clear communication. If you enjoy learning the systems, following established processes and delivering reliable admin support, this is the position to grow your career in a high-volume environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy reception or administrative role.
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to follow established processes and use checklists.

Responsibilities

• Manage high volumes of calls, emails and SMS messages.
• Schedule appointments and maintain clinician diary.
• Process payments and clinical documentation accurately.
• Maintain patient records and government funding admin.
• Support clinicians and keep the practice running smoothly.

Skills

High-volume environment

Organisation

Accuracy

Communication

Customer service

Job description

Could you become the operational engine behind an exceptional patient experience?

Synergy Dental is looking for an experienced, highly organised Administration & Reception Coordinator to join our Dunedin team.

Before you apply, we want you to understand what this positionreally is.

Because it isn't an ordinary reception job.

This is a high-volume role

Synergy is a busy dental practice where reception sits at the intersection of our patients, clinicians and business systems.

On demanding days, there can be200+ incoming and outgoing telephone calls.

At the same time, patients are arriving at the counter. Emails and SMS messages are coming in. Appointments are changing. Payments need processing. Clinicians need support. Claims and documentation need attention.

And throughout all of that, our patient information and administration still need to beright.

If reading that makes you uncomfortable, this may not be the position for you.

If instead you're thinking,“Give me good systems, teach me how everything works and I'll get on top of it”, we'd really like you to keep reading.

What matters most to us

Accuracy. Follow-through. Organisation. Composure.

Our patients deserve warmth, empathy and excellent communication.

But behind every great patient experience is excellent administration.

That's why we believe in:

Systems first. Personality second.

When you first join us, we don't need you trying to remember everything or reinventing how things are done.

We need you tolearn the systems.

Follow the processes.

Understand the workflows.

Use the checklists.

Become accurate.

Then become fast.

As those systems become second nature, you'll have the headspace and confidence to let your personality shine through.

That's when great administration and great patient relationships come together.

What you'll actually be responsible for

Working alongside our Reception & Administration Manager, you'll progressively master the systems required to help operate the practice, including:

Managing high volumes of telephone calls, emails and SMS communication

Patient arrivals and departures

Appointment booking and clinician diary management

Cancellations, recalls, waitlists and filling appointment gaps

Accurate patient records and documentation

Payments, receipting and financial administration

ACC, Dental Benefits and WINZ administration

Claims and supporting documentation

Laboratory and referral administration

Following up outstanding actions and information

Responding to clinicians and changing priorities throughout the day

Helping keep patient flow and the wider practice running smoothly

This aligns closely with the actual scope of the position, which extends well beyond front-of-house service into diary management, patient records, financial administration, government funding processes, clinical administration and operational support.

Is this you?

You might be exactly who we're looking for if:

Youlove structure and organisation

You're comfortable following established systems rather than constantly creating your own

You can be interrupted, deal with the interruption and then return to what you were doing without losing the thread

You can distinguish between what'surgent, important and simply noisy

You remain professional when the workload increases

You naturally finish things rather than leaving loose ends

You're comfortable being accountable for your work

You enjoy becoming highly competent at what you do

You're warm and confident with people, but don't need every interaction to become a long conversation

You wantresponsibility and mastery, not simply a job

You're looking for somewhere you can build the next stage of your career

Previous dental experience would certainly help, but we're more interested in evidence that you've successfully operated in ahigh-volume, process-driven administrative environment where mistakes matter.

This probably isn't you if…

We'd rather be transparent now than discover six months from now that the position isn't what you expected.

This role probably won't suit someone who:

Wants a primarily relationship-focused reception position

Struggles with repetitive administrative processes

Becomes less accurate as workload increases

Prefers improvisation to following established systems

Regularly starts tasks without reliably completing them

Needs a quiet environment to concentrate

Sees administration or reception as a temporary stepping stone

Those aren't necessarily weaknesses.

They're simply a poor match forthis particular job.

This can become a significant role

We're not recruiting someone simply to answer the telephone.

The position has been deliberately designed togrow as your capability grows.

Initially you'll work closely with our Reception & Administration Manager and develop competency across the practice's reception and administration systems.

As you demonstrate accuracy, judgement and reliability, more responsibility can progressively be delegated to you.

Our goal is for the successful person to eventually have enough knowledge and capability to help maintain the department confidently when the Reception & Administration Manager is unavailable.

The formal position description specifically anticipates increasing independence, responsibility and the ability to support business continuity as capability develops.

For someone who wants ownership and responsibility, that's the opportunity.

And there are real people behind all those systems

The systems matter because they allow our clinicians and support team to concentrate on looking after patients.

Synergy's culture is built aroundno judgement, comfort, trust over transactions, people before production, competence with kindness and pride in the small things.

You'll be joining people who care deeply about doing their jobs well.

And we'll expect the same from you.

Why this job matters

Every accurately booked appointment matters.

Every correctly entered patient detail matters.

Every message that reaches the right clinician matters.

Every claim that is correctly processed matters.

Every follow-up that actually happens matters.

Because when the administration works properly, the entire practice works better.

Clinicians can concentrate on dentistry.

Patients experience an organised, professional practice.

And the reception team can remain in control even when things get very busy.

You become one of the people who makes that possible.

Good.

Because we're deliberately not trying to attract everybody.

We're looking for the person who has read about the volume, systems, pressure, responsibility and attention to detail and thought:

“That’s me. I’d be good at this.”

If that truly you, we'd like to hear from you.