Optician

University of Rochester; United States; On-site; USD 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Rochester seeks an optician in Rochester, NY to provide comprehensive patient care, eyewear fitting, and prescription recommendations. You will measure interpupillary distances and lens centers, advise on frames and lenses, and coordinate with labs for fabrication.

The role involves invoicing, cash handling, and engaging with customers in a dynamic hospital setting. Strong customer service, precision in measurements, and knowledge of ophthalmic technology are essential.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree and 1 year of related experience involving direct patient contact required
• Bachelor's degree and 5 years experience preferred
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience

Responsibilities

• Provides comprehensive patient care related to patient evaluation, prescription recommendation, eyewear selection, fitting and purchase.
• Measures bridge, eye size, vertex distance, PK distances and lens centers using a millimeter rule and pupillometer.
• Completes invoicing, cash handling and financial arrangements with patients or third parties.
• Assists patients in selecting frames and educates on wearing and caring for glasses/contacts.
• Prepares work orders and coordinates with labs for lens fabrication; verifies finished lenses.
• Maintains inventory and relationships with labs and suppliers; supports marketing events.
• Participates in trunk shows and vendor events; may fit and dispense contact lenses as needed.

Skills

Patient care

Prescription evaluation

Eyewear fitting

Customer service

Cash handling

Inventory management

Education

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree preferred

Or equivalent combination

Tools

Lensometer

Pupillometer

Specialized software

Job description

Job Location (Full Address)

601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, New York, United States of America, 14642

Opening

Worker Subtype: Regular

Time Type: Time as Reported / Per Diem

Scheduled Weekly Hours: As Scheduled

Department: 910129 Ophthalmology Optical

Work Shift: UR - Day (United States of America)

Range: UR URC 207 H

Compensation Range: $22.91 - $30.93

The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

Responsibilities

Provides comprehensive patient care related to patient evaluation, prescription recommendation, eyewear selection, fitting and purchase, and coordination with other health care professionals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Fills ophthalmic eyeglass prescriptions specified by MD or OD and makes final adjustments to the eyewear to the satisfaction of the patient. Evaluates prescriptions with consideration of the patients' vocational and recreational visual requirements. Makes recommendations for lenses, including contact lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit patient needs.
• Measures patients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, papillary distance, and optical centers of eyes using a millimeter rule and light reflex pupillometer. Determines patient's current lens prescription by using a lensometer or lens analyzer and patient's current eyeglasses.
• Completes all administrative and customer service tasks correctly and on time, including invoicing patients, cash handling, and financial arrangements with patients or responsible third-party to cover charges. Coordinates service support, including inventory, equipment maintenance and repair, requisitioning of supplies, and materials. Recommends expenditures for equipment to management. Initiates expenditures for routine supplies and maintenance at the direction of management. Uses specialized software to maintain customer database and report financial transactions.
• Assists patients in selecting frames according to style, color, coordinating frames with facial and eye measurements and ophthalmic prescription. Instructs patients in adapting to, wearing and caring for eyeglasses and/or contact lenses.
• Prepares work orders, which may include instructions for grinding, coating and fabricating eyeglasses. May perform finish lens grinding, and/or communicate the work of processing to lab technicians to fill the work orders to specification. Verifies the finished lenses have been ground and fabricated to specification.
• Heats, shapes, or bends plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses using hands, pliers or other tools and materials to fit patient.
• May perform lens finishing work as needed.
• Maintains retail inventory, including meeting with sales representatives, ordering frames, lenses and other supplies. Creates innovative and pleasing displays of merchandise to entice purchases. Maintains inventory utilizing sales management software. Establishes and maintains relationships with optical labs, finish laboratories and suppliers to purchase inventory, collect equipment/product information or resolve equipment/product problems.
• Participates in trunk shows throughout the University in conjunction with Marketing and special sale events at selected University locations. Attends Optician vendor shows, exhibitions and trade shows as needed to keep abreast of new ophthalmic retail trends and purchasing supplies.
• May fit and dispense contact lenses. As a Contact Lens Specialist, duties include pre fit, preparation and evaluation, diagnostic fit and evaluation, lens dispensing, patient education and delivery procedures, follow-up visits with patient/customer, and administrative issues.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Associate's degree and 1 year of related experience involving direct patient contact required
• Bachelor's degree and 5 years experience preferred
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Certified Optician-ABO and NYS license upon hire required and
• NCLE Certification for opticians who will participate in fittings upon hire required

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture to advance the University's Mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create - and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our soc