Director, Optometry
The University of California, San Diego
About this position
Position Description
The Director, Optometry is the chief optometrist for the Department of Ophthalmology, responsible for overseeing, evaluating, and advancing the performance of the optometry service, including in the areas of primary eye care, urgent eye care, diabetic eye care, dry eye, glaucoma, low vision, neuro-ophthalmic disorders, specialty contact lenses, pediatrics, and myopia control. The role provides strategic and operational leadership for the optometry service, ensuring high-quality, efficient patient care while supporting and guiding optometrists and technical staff in the optometry clinics The Director of Optometry plays a central role in implementing clinical and educational programs, applying advanced optometric concepts to train and educate ophthalmology and family medicine residents in urgent eye care and ocular disease management. The Director provides critical leadership support across clinical, operational, and administrative functions. Is responsible for optometrist recruitment and contributes to workforce development and performance management. The position is instrumental in developing, implementing, and executing plans to expand optometry care services, including at satellite clinic locations. In collaboration with departmental leadership, the Director of Optometry assists in developing, analyzing, and implementing strategies to improve clinic operations, provider productivity, quality outcomes, and patient access, while applying departmental policies, goals, and objectives to establish clinical protocols and work standards. With extensive expertise in ocular disease, and urgent eye care, the Director, Optometry triages and manages patients with complex eye-related conditions to optimize visual function, comfort, and ocular health. The role applies advanced optometric principles to diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system and associated structures, and to identify systemic conditions with ocular manifestations. The Optometry Manager performs examinations and procedures, uses medical devices and technologies, and prescribes pharmaceutical agents in accordance with California State Board of Optometry regulations. This position spends the majority of time (50% or more) achieving organizational objectives through the coordinated efforts of subordinate staff. The Director establishes departmental goals and objectives, functions with a high degree of autonomy, and is accountable for the stewardship of human, financial, and physical resources in alignment with departmental and organizational priorities. The role ensures adherence to internal controls, manages systems and procedures to safeguard departmental assets, and holds subordinate supervisors and professionals accountable to established standards. Assignments are defined by objectives, with the Director determining the best way to allocate resources to meet schedules, goals, and performance expectations. The position reviews and approves recommendations for functional programs, provides guidance to staff on achieving outcomes in compliance with established policies, and exercises sound judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria. Decisions made at this level have a significant operational and financial impact; errors or failure to achieve objectives may result in increased costs, staffing implications, and delays to overall departmental initiatives.The Optometry Service is expected to experience change and growth. As such, demand and functional changes are anticipated. Other duties as assigned. Receives assignments in the form of objectives and determines how to use resources to meet schedules and goals. Reviews and approves recommendations for functional programs. Provides guidance to subordinates on ways to achieve goals in accordance with established policies. Erroneous decisions or failure to achieve goals results in additional costs and personnel, and serious delays in overall schedules.
Qualifications
Doctoral degree in optometry issued by an accredited school/college of optometry. Completion of optometry residency, or equivalent experience. Licensure by the California State Board of Optometry. California Topical Pharmaceutical Agents and Glaucoma Certification. Seven or more years of relevant experience in the practice of optometry. Broad knowledge and skills of optometry essential to managing the clinic and associated services. Strong knowledge associated with diagnosing eye diseases and various eye conditions, which may be unusual and/or complex in nature. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Skills to present complex information in a clear and concise manner. Effective decision-making and project leadership skills. Strong management skills. Oversight of important projects and initiatives. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Able to work in a collaborative manner with campus management, patients, staff, and faculty at all levels across campus. Proven ability to organize and manage multiple priorities, and to delegate work functions efficiently. Broad skills associated with managing HR and fiscal resources in a manner necessary to achieve unit objectives and goals. Demonstrated ability to provide supervision, guidance and discipline to staff members. Advanced knowledge and skills of optometry essential to successful performance of duties assigned to this position. Experience in optometry standard operating procedures and policies. Advanced knowledge and expertise in medical optometry and urgent eye care in order to treat and manage ocular diseases. Must be able to communicate complex findings of examination to patients to patients in a clear and concise manner. Ability to work with diverse patient population. Skill to develop relationships and communicate with diverse groups of people using tact, judgment, diplomacy and flexibility. Exercises judgment to interpret University and Department policies. Participates in the implementation of processes. Knowledge of and adherence to the UCSD Principles of Community. Demonstrate professionalism in dress, conversation, attitude, behavior, and attentiveness to people. Conducts duties with honesty, accountability, fairness, and professionalism.