Reception Operations Manager

Multi-site private dental group, London | Full-time | £40,000+ depending on experience

About us

We're a growing, forward-looking private dental group with clinics across London. We're rethinking how dental reception works: our front of house is run by dedicated patient-facing hosts, and our office reception team is increasingly supported by automation and AI. As we expand into new sites, we're looking for a Reception Operations Manager to own the whole department and help us build it for the future.

The role

You'll be fully responsible for our reception department across all sites. That means the people, the systems, the processes, and the results. You'll lead a team split into two functions, Office Reception and Front of House Hosts, and make sure every patient gets a smooth, professional experience from first phone call to checkout.

This role suits someone who enjoys running a department end to end, likes building structure where there isn't any yet, and gets excited about using technology to make teams work better.

What you'll do

People and line management

• Line manage the full reception team, including regular 1:1s, performance reviews, training, and development.
• Handle all HR matters for the team, from absence and conduct to wellbeing and appraisals.
• Recruit, onboard, and train new team members as we grow and open new sites.

Department operations

• Organise how the department runs day to day: who does what, rotas, cover, and task allocation across both reception functions.
• Write and maintain clear processes and documentation for the team to follow.
• Design the structure and infrastructure needed to scale the team as the business expands.

Diary and appointment management

• Take ownership of diary filling and utilisation across our clinicians.
• Make sure appointments are booked correctly, with the right clinician, treatment, and time.
• Track performance against department KPIs and act on what the numbers show.

Systems and tools

• Own the systems the department relies on, including our practice management software, our phone system, digital checklists, and our learning management system and training content.
• Keep the tools configured, used properly, and improving.

Innovation, AI and automation

• Identify opportunities to use AI and automation to improve efficiency and the patient experience.
• Work with our technical support team to design, test, and roll out new tools and workflows.
• Bring fresh ideas and a progressive mindset to how dental reception should work.

Working with the wider team

• Work closely with our clinicians and Clinic Manager to keep the clinics running smoothly and diaries working for everyone.

About you

• Proven experience running a team or department in an operations role. This could be in dentistry, healthcare, hospitality, retail, or another customer-facing business. We'll teach you the dental side.
• Confident line manager with hands-on HR experience.
• Strong with IT. You pick up new software quickly and enjoy getting the most out of it.
• Genuinely interested in AI and automation, and keen to apply them in a real business.
• Organised, process-minded, and comfortable writing documentation others can follow.
• Able to hire and build teams in a growing business.
• Calm, professional, and people-focused, with high standards for patient experience.
• Dental practice management software experience (such as Dentally) is a bonus, not a requirement.

What we offer

• Salary from £40,000, depending on experience
• The chance to shape a modern reception department in a growing business
• Support from a dedicated technical team to bring your ideas to life
• Room to grow as we expand across London
• Discounted dental care for 2x family and friends, as well as free dental exams and hygienes for you!

How to apply

Send your CV and a short note telling us about a team or process you've built or improved to recruitment@thedentist.co.uk.