Optician

Columbia Eye Center and the Columbia Eye Surgery Clinic has operated in the Midlands of South Carolina for nearly 100 years. Our vision is to provide the most advanced treatment options to generations of patients. With a team of 15 American Academy of Ophthalmology certified physicians and more than 100 expertly trained staff in three locations, Columbia Eye Clinic is the largest medical and surgical ophthalmology practice in the Midlands and one of the largest in South Carolina.

Competitive Benefit Package: medical, dental, Health Savings Plan, employer paid Vision, employer paid Life & AD&D, 401k, pension plan, voluntary Term Life, short-term disability, employer paid long-term disability, shoe reimbursement, employer paid scrubs, 7 holidays, day off for your birthday, and PTO, bereavement, continuing education reimbursement.

JOB SUMMARY:  The Optician is responsible for helping patient achieve the right type of eyeglasses, and lense shape in accordance with their eyesight or eye conditions. Their duties include communicating with other eye care professionals to receive prescriptions and send them to Laboratory Technicians, providing customers with sample frames to fit their prescriptions and maintaining accurate customer data regarding their current or updated prescription.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Designs, measures, fist, and adapts lenses and frames for patients according to written optical prescription or specification.  Assist patients in choosing frames and coordinate those with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription.  Inform the patient of different lens types, coatings, and new technologies available to them.
2. Measures patient for bridge and eye size, temple length, pupillary distance, optical center, segment height, and vertex distance.  Prepares work orders for lab fabrication.
3. Sells optical goods to include (but not limited to) spectacle lenses, ophthalmic frames, plano sunglasses and contact lenses.
4. Assists patients in selecting ophthalmic frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are best suited for and coordinated with both the optical prescription and face and eye measurements.
5. Recommends specific lens designs, options, and coatings to best suit the patient’s needs.
6. Adjusts and repairs frames as needed.
7. Instructs patients on use and care of eyeglasses.
8. Maintains records of patient encounters, prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
9. Neutralizes glasses.
10. Verifies that finished lenses are ground to specifications.
11. Must comply with all HIPPA and safety policies, procedures, and regulations.
12. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  To meet the business needs of the company duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

1. High School Diploma or GED and 2 years’ experience in dispensing glasses.
2. ABO certified or in process of receiving certification.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Competencies include excellent judgment, dependability, and diligence.
2. High ethical standards and integrity.
3. Strong organization skills with attention to detail, accuracy and thoroughness
4. Ability to prioritize tasks.
5. Monitors own work to ensure quality.
6. Customer and patient service orientation: prompt response to patient needs and ability to manage difficult or emotional customer situations with tact, empathy and diplomacy.
7. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
8. Ability to work cooperatively in group situations; offers assistance and support to coworkers, actively resolves conflicts, inspires trust of others, and treats patients and coworkers with respect.
9. Proficient in Microsoft office products.
10. Proficient in reporting software
11. Excellent communication and professional leadership skills.
12. Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and commitment.
13. Flexible and able to multi-task; can work within an ambiguous, fast-moving environment, while also driving toward clarity and solutions; demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities and guiding investment in people and systems.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL EFFORT:  

• Full-time position with a work schedule of Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
• Position operates in a professional office environment requiring minimal physical activity. 
• Building meets required ADA standards and we will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Physical demands include but are not limited to:

• The ability to sit, stand, walk, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone to talk and hear.
• The ability to frequently sit and reach with hands and arms.
• The ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
• Manual dexterity for operating complicated equipment

• Must be able to utilize office equipment such as desktop/laptop computers, copiers, printers, scanners, telephones, and calculators.