Optical Operations Manager (9360U), Optometry Clinic - #81586

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

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We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

Departmental Overview

At the Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, as part of a world- renowned university that embraces excellence and access, we foster an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and personal resilience and achievement. We demonstrate sensitivity and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. These principles serve us daily in our reasoning and actions and aid us in our decision making.

We educate an estimated 320 students annually. Our O.D. program is a 4 year program with clinical training provided at 2 campus clinics and an additional clinic planned for fall 2025, numerous satellite clinics (community care), VA clinics, and external clinics across the country. Our one-year post-graduate residency programs provide advanced clinical education in specialty areas of optometry with placement on and off campus and our Vision Science program averages 40 PhD students.

The Optometry Clinic provides comprehensive optical care services to the entire Campus population and the general Bay Area community, with approximately 80,000 annual visits to Optometry Clinics at Minor Hall and the Tang Center. The Optometry Clinic is open 7 days per week.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Clinical Operations, the Optical Operations Manager oversees all eyewear center business and operations for the Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science in collaboration with the Faculty Director the of Eyewear Center and the clinic's leadership and management team. This includes oversight of all on and off campus locations, currently 2 in Berkeley and 1 in Emeryville. In addition to offering lab training to the school's doctor of optometry (OD) students, the Eyewear Center oversees a full range of optical services including adjustments and repair, custom lenses and manufactures over 3,000 spectacle jobs annually. The Optical Operations Manager is responsible for attracting and retaining customers by delivering exceptional customer service and fostering customer retention. This includes providing administrative and optical leadership to support the academic and clinical mission, and direction of the optometry clinic enterprise including financial and personnel management, fiscal compliance, risk management, resource and space planning, the administration of systems, performance and process improvement, evaluation of patient flow, order processing, vendor relations and other service initiatives.

This position is in a high pressured, rapidly changing academic clinic environment that requires a comprehensive understanding of all elements of health care delivery, including strategy, business planning, operations, workforce challenges and financial conditions necessary for the delivery of optometric education in a teaching clinic. These areas of responsibility and role priorities are considered fluid and may change temporarily or permanently to meet the needs of the organization.

The Optical Operations Manager has responsibility for the management of all administrative personnel at the various eyewear center locations.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 10/15/2025.

Responsibilities

Participates in developing and monitoring operational and budget processes, staff FTE, finance, human resources, and space planning. This includes but is not limited to the following:

Financial Responsibility

• Settle credit card machines and transfer all receipts according to defined procedures
• Oversees all financial transactions for the Eyewear Center. This includes accepting payments, processing approved refunds, managing philanthropic funding and payments
• Eyewear Center billing and collections. This includes resolving denied insurance claims.
• Resolve discrepancies in balancing cash and payment instruments against computerized payment records.
• Participates in developing and monitoring operational and budget processes.

Order Processing

• Oversee Processing Department to ensure all spectacle orders are completed, posted, paid for and sent to labs and insurers in a timely manner, including out-clinics.
• Assist in verifying the completeness and accuracy of material orders, including the correct posting charges to the patient ledger.
• Oversee shipping and receiving. This includes forwarding and shipping to the appropriate labs, tracking order status, and receipt of orders from labs and other vendors.
• Is the liaison between the Optometry Clinics and finishing labs.

Inventory Management

• Responsible for running sales and inventory reports and meeting with vendors and management team to ensure appropriate stock of frames for display and sale.
• Oversees ordering and receiving items for patients and stock, ensuring order accuracy, updating computerized inventory, and appropriate stock tagging for display and sale.
• Responsible for ensuring frame boards are consistently and accurately stocked to create a more appealing and simplified frame selection process.
• Manages and negotiates inventory return, including stale, damaged, and/or inappropriate stock to vendors and monitor credits for accuracy.
• Maintains a clean and neat dispensary.
• In partnership with the Faculty Director of the Eyewear Center and the facilities team, ensure clinical equipment is operational and serviced routinely.
• May log tickets and/or make service calls.
• Manages ordering, delivery and stocking of general supplies to ensure all locations have the necessary supplies for clinical training, manufacturing and patient care.
• Prepares and executes physical inventory per campus guidelines and best practices.
• Adheres to policies and procedures regarding loss prevention.
• Responsible for hiring of new employees, salary actions, coaching, staff development, terminations, compliance with Caltime reporting, and performance ratings.
• Ensures all approved safety programs are implemented and maintained consistently per standards, creating a safe working environment.

In collaboration with the Assistant Dean of Clinical Operations, the Eyewear Center Director, the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and School leadership, establishes and manages the business model for the Eyewear Center.

• Works collaboratively, congruently and professionally with other departments i.e., patient services, billing, faculty, compliance, information technology and clinic administration to help ensure a positive patient experience.
• Works in partnership with Clinic leadership and the school's Chief Communications Officer to market the Eyewear Center to the general public.
• Maximize managed vision care relationships and sales opportunities.
• Negotiates vendor contracts and product selection in compliance with campus and UCOP policies.
• Provides timely performance reports and data; this includes meeting with corporate partners to review and assess benchmarking data and performance metrics such as capture rates and processing turnaround times.
• Assists management in the analysis of clinic patient flow systems.
• Prepares recommendations to improve or enhance performance of clinical support activities and participates in the development and monitoring of policies and procedures.
• Ensures staffing is efficiently coordinated across Eyewear Center responsibilities
• Complies with all established policies. This includes HIPAA compliance, UCOP and UC Berkeley policies, insurance and billing regulations, legislative requirements, etc.
• Organizes and participates in community engagement events.

Monitors staff performance related to customer service standards; takes action for immediate improvements in performance as needed.

• Functions as a resource for resolving escalated clinical support service issues and concerns raised by patients and their families and / or members of the patient care team
• Patient Scheduling including management of online appointment system
• Patient Check In and Check Out

Ensure staffing is efficiently coordinated across multiple clinics, including Tang, Minor Addition and Emeryville.

• Supervises Eyewear Center staff with responsibility for quality and quantity of work.
• Ensures Eyewear Center is sufficiently staffed throughout the day by managing breaks and lunch with other staff members.
• Skills Development and Training
• Take part in any training offered to further your knowledge of the Clinic procedures/policies and other assigned duties as necessary

Other Clinical Duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Solid knowledge associated with administrative processes to recommend, implement and monitor efficient outpatient clinical support services.
• Solid knowledge of department clinical support operations, policies and procedures. This includes negotiating vendor contracts and managing vendor relationships.
• Solid knowledge of insurance and claims-related processes.
• Knowledge of HR-related policies and procedures and fiscal/budget processes.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective decision-making, project and initiative leadership skills.
• Solid interpersonal skills in order to collaborate and problem-solve with a variety of groups effectively.
• Solid supervisory skills to communicate and monitor established priorities, objectives and timelines.
• Solid skills in leading and coaching staff.
• Solid knowledge of electronic/medical records systems such Epic, Compulink, Eyefinity.
• Must be computer literate with MS Office and/or Google suite.
• Training in clinical support operations and staffing.
• Minimum of 3 years of Optical experience.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Clinical licensing or Certification as Medical Assistant.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $74,700.00 - $103,800.00.

• This is a full-time (40 hours/week), career position that is eligible for UC Benefits.
• This is an exempt monthly-paid position.

How to Apply

• To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

SB 791 and AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.