Administration & Reception Coordinator

Synergy Dental; Dunedin; On-site; NZD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Synergy Dental in Dunedin is seeking an experienced Administration & Reception Coordinator to join our busy practice. You will be the operational engine behind an exceptional patient experience, ensuring accuracy and efficiency across front-of-house activities.

This high-volume, process-driven role requires strong systems knowledge, careful attention to detail, and warm, professional communication with patients and clinicians alike.

Qualifications

• Love structure and organisation.
• Ability to follow established systems and processes.
• Comfortable handling interruptions and changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Manage high volumes of calls, emails and SMS.
• Book appointments and manage clinician diary.
• Process payments, receipting and financial administration.
• Assist with ACC, Dental Benefits and WINZ administration.
• Handle claims and supporting documentation.
• Manage laboratory and referral administration.
• Follow up outstanding actions and information.
• Support clinicians and keep patient flow smooth.

Skills

High-volume administration

Reception and front-desk

Systematic/structured work

Excellent communication

Attention to detail

Tools

Dental software

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

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.

Administration & Reception Coordinator

Systems first. People always.

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.

Ask questions.

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 take genuine pride in getting details right

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
• Finds constant interruptions particularly stressful
• 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.

Still reading?

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: