Just qualified and ready to take on a challenge that’ll grow your confidence fast? Clark Optometrists in Kirkwall, Orkney, offers a career-defining first role for an ambitious optometrist who wants to develop real clinical skills in a supportive, hands-on environment, all while living somewhere truly special.
- Location: Orkney
- Contract length: Fixed term, 1 year, with option to extend
- Remuneration: Salary £55,000 (negotiable) + relocation costs + £5K completion bonus + accommodation + career development plan
Why start your career in Orkney?
Orkney offers the kind of early-career experience that’s hard to find anywhere else. In a single-practice island community, we provide care across the full spectrum of patient needs, from routine exams to acute presentations and complex pathology. Our location means we play a key role in managing conditions locally, working closely with highly supportive secondary-care specialists.
For newly qualified optometrists, this creates an exceptional learning environment:
- You’ll see a wider variety of conditions than in most early-career roles, helping you quickly build confidence in recognising and managing pathology
- You’ll follow patients through from first presentation to resolution, gaining a depth of continuity that strengthens your clinical reasoning
- You’ll have the opportunity for regular placements with the local NHS hospital (around one day per month) with structured support to gain broader experience of ophthalmology
- You’ll develop adaptability and problem-solving skills that are the hallmark of strong, independent clinicians
- You’ll have autonomy when you’re ready, but never isolation. Unlike many remote or rural posts, you’ll always be working alongside experienced colleagues, with immediate access to support and second opinions whenever you need them
- You’ll gain hands-on experience that accelerates your development far beyond what’s typical in a busy, high-street environment.
But what truly sets Orkney apart is the community itself. Our patients are warm, appreciative, and often families we’ve cared for across generations. That trust adds a uniquely rewarding dimension to your clinical work, one where your decisions matter, your care is valued, and your contribution is genuinely felt. This is an environment where newly qualified optometrists grow quickly, broaden their skills, and build solid clinical confidence in a supported, encouraging setting.
Life beyond the practice
Orkney has a thriving community of young professionals, from fellow healthcare workers to creative freelancers, engineers, and teachers. Whether you’re into wild swimming, gym sessions, live music, island sports, photography, or just good pub chats, there’s a brilliant social scene here if you know where to look (and we’ll happily show you!).
You’ll also enjoy:
- Stunning coastal walks
- Regular events and festivals
- Great cafés, bakeries, and breweries
- Clubs, gigs, galleries, and sports leagues
It’s a fantastic place to start your career, meet new people, and enjoy a lifestyle that’s both inspiring and grounded.
What we offer
- £55,000K salary (negotiable)
- Help with relocation costs
- Completion bonus (£5,000 bonus paid upon completion of full years work)
- 1-year fixed term contract, with the option to extend
- Structured NHS placement opportunity in partnership with the local hospital
- Accommodation provided for the year
- 2 fully paid for return flights per year for visiting friends/family
- Flexible terms, including support with buying out pre-reg tie-in contracts if you’re currently tied to a role you don’t wish to continue in
- Modern tech including OCT imaging
- Supportive, friendly team who love what they do.