Education Lead

About the role

On 1 April 2026, NSS and NES merged to form Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland), a remote‑friendly national organisation focused on continuity today and a stronger, more connected service for tomorrow. PSD Scotland supports the renewal and long‑term sustainability of health and care services across Scotland, providing education and training, tools and data, and running national functions such as procurement, logistics, and blood, tissue and cell services. Optometry sits within the Dental Directorate and supports the provision of General Ophthalmic Services in community eyecare practices across Scotland, up‑skilling eyecare practitioners to deliver safe, effective eyecare. The optometry team strives to deliver patient‑focused, high‑quality education that improves patient care.

Responsibilities

• Deliver an optometric education programme based on national and local priority needs.
• Liaise with senior professionals within the healthcare team and relevant stakeholders.
• Contribute specialist expertise to national and regional PSD Scotland initiatives.
• Liaise with NHS Boards engaged in supporting postgraduate education to develop local inter‑professional learning opportunities.
• Provide professional leadership, advice, education and support to colleagues, devising key activities in specialist areas at local, national or UK‑wide level.
• Work within delegated management of regional budgets to ensure the PSD Scotland Optometry programme meets annual and longer‑term agreed targets.

Requirements

• Eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK, to be maintained throughout employment.
• For NHS applicants, an NHS secondment will be offered in the first instance; for non‑NHS applicants, a fixed‑term or secondment would be considered.

Schedule

• Fixed‑term position for 12 months (secondment possible for NHS staff).
• Part‑time, 28 hours 48 minutes per week.
• Flexible location – remote‑friendly, with office‑based and hybrid working arrangements; willingness to discuss alternative working patterns.

Qualifications

• Registered healthcare practitioner.
• Postgraduate qualification (e.g., MSc) or independent prescribing optometrist.

Skills

• Extensive experience in a community or hospital setting.
• Experience planning, delivering and managing training programmes (including undergraduate).
• Highly developed professional communication skills, with facilitation, consultation and negotiation ability across a wide range of stakeholders, including senior levels.
• Positive and enthusiastic approach to developing community optometry in Scotland.
• Willingness to travel throughout Scotland, with occasional overnight stays, and flexibility to support evening and weekend deliveries.
• Demonstrates honesty, integrity, care and compassion; uses tact and persuasion when necessary.
• Ability to work on own initiative, organise and prioritise workload, meet strict deadlines.

Benefits

• Life‑work balance – opportunities for flexible and hybrid working.
• Generous NHS pension scheme.
• Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review.
• Annual leave – 27 days increasing with service plus 8 public holidays.
• NHS discounts and more.