Optical Manager

The Optical Manager at Drs. Akre & Clark Family Eye Care in New Ulm, MN is seeking a leader with a proven track record in managing teams and achieving goals. The position involves leading a team of opticians, managing optical sales performance, overseeing daily operations, and maintaining inventory levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead, schedule, and coach a team of opticians; set clear performance expectations and hold the team accountable to them
• Own optical sales performance — set goals, track results (capture rate, multiple-pair sales, revenue per patient, and lens upgrades), and course-correct when targets are missed
• Oversee daily dispensary operations: patient flow, order accuracy, turnaround time, and service quality
• Manage inventory levels, vendor/lab relationships, and purchasing budgets
• Resolve escalated patient issues (remakes, insurance questions, billing disputes) quickly and professionally
• Partner with the doctors and front office to keep scheduling and patient hand-offs seamless between clinical and optical
• Maintain key business metrics (sales performance, labor cost, margins) and report regularly to practice ownership
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and develop optical staff; build a team culture centered on accountability and patient service

Qualifications

• Proven management and leadership experience — 3+ years leading a team in a retail, healthcare, hospitality, or other results-driven environment
• A track record of setting goals and achieving them — sales targets, operational KPIs, team performance metrics, etc.
• Strong people skills: hiring, coaching, scheduling, and holding a team accountable with fairness and consistency
• Comfortable owning a P&L-level view of a department — budgets, vendor management, cost control
• Excellent communication and a genuine, patient-first approach to customer service
• Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable making decisions
• Optical or eyecare industry experience preferred but not required — we're glad to train the right leader on frames, lenses, and insurance
• ABO certification a plus if you already have it