Band 5 Civilian Dental Practice Manager

Job summary

Are you looking to work in and manage a modern, patient-focused dental practice that prioritises quality care and professional development? At Defence Primary Healthcare, we are intent on providing excellent care in a friendly and encouraging environment.

When it comes to delivering outstanding administrative and clinical care, our motivated Civilian Dental Practice Managers make all the difference. We know just how valuable your skills are, so come join the wonderful team at dental centre Holywood Palace Barracks, Northern Ireland.

This full-time role offers 37.5 hours per week and all requests to work flexibly will be considered, allowing for business needs, and reviewed annually. Due to the nature of this role part-time hours/job-share will not be permitted.

Job description

The Civilian Dental Practice Manager (CDPM) will provide administrative management and clinical support for the provision of dental care in Defence Primary Health Care Dental Centres (DC), to enhance force generation and operational capability and minimise dental morbidity on operations.

This is to include maintenance of clinical sessions, on average at least 1 session per week, prioritised and directed from the DC Senior Dental Officer (SDO)/Regional RHQ chain of command as required. The timings for such sessions will depend on local staffing levels (effected by staff absence/local detachment/illness etc) to provide Dental Nurse cover.

The Civilian Dental Practice Manger (CDPM) will, when in surgery be required to delegate some management tasks to Agenda for Change Band 4 Dental Nurse(s) as is normal in a dental centre.

The successful applicant for this CDPM role are required to gain the qualification in the Joint Dental Practice Managers Course within 12mths of starting in role.

Person specification

Main details of the role include but are not limited to:

• Maintain high quality standards in their own work and encourage others to do so.
• Liaise with visited dental centres, ensuring appropriate management of patients and preparation of equipment is undertaken.
• Manage and supervise referrals to Specialist Practitioners and Secondary Care facilities, liaising with patients to ensure appointments are attended and documentation is returned to the Dental Centre on completion of treatment.
• Cover duties as requested by SDO/LM in relation to role including covering/standing in for fellow Practice Managers duties of own or other dental centres for a limited period if required due to e.g. posting, resignation, extended leave etc.
• Be responsible for monitoring the welfare of those under their authority and is to be the primary contact for dealing with staff issues. Raising any concerns to SDO/RHQ as required.
• Co-ordinate staff leave, courses and other absences to ensure adequate staffing of the Dental Centre.

Please refer to the attached Terms of Reference for a full list of duties.

Qualifications

National Examining Board for Dental Nurse (NEBDN) Certificate or National Vocational Qualification in Oral Healthcare Dental Nursing Level 3.

Hold ONE of the following five additional qualifications –

oOral Health Education Certificate
oDental Radiography Certificate
oOrthodontic Dental Nursing certificate
oDental Nursing Sedation certificate
oSpecial Care Dental Nursing certificate

Memberships

Current full General Dental Council registration (please include details on any current, spent or impending restrictions to practice).

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• NHS Core – NHSC1 – Communication
• NHS Core – NHSC2 – Personal & People Development
• NHS Core – NHSC3 – Health, Safety & Security
• NHS Core – NHSC4 – Service Improvement
• NHS Core – NHSC5 – Quality
• NHS Core – NHSC6 – Equality and Diversity

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• An NHS pension
• Free on site parking
• Restaurant
• Access to Gymnasium
• Access to the Defence Discount Card that offers discount in many shops and online shopping

Allowances

• Retention Allowance ( RRA) £1500per annum
• General Dental Council Registration reimbursement

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in your CV and that you have saved it, making sure that any reference to your personal details have been removed from your CV prior to submitting your application.

Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Technical Skills:

• NHS Core – NHSC1 – Communication
• NHS Core – NHSC2 – Personal & People Development
• NHS Core – NHSC3 – Health, Safety & Security
• NHS Core – NHSC4 – Service Improvement
• NHS Core – NHSC5 – Quality
• NHS Core – NHSC6 – Equality and Diversity

The interview may consist of a mix of direct questions and clinical situation-based scenarios.

NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework - https://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/KSF-Handbook.pdf

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Northern Ireland

For jobs based in Northern Ireland, applications are welcome from all sectors of the community, but members from the Roman Catholic community are particularly welcomed, as this group is currently underrepresented in our workforce.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Heidi Beales
• Email : Heidi.beales100@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-SGDMSResourcing@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see further information document.

Attachments

Terms of Reference Opens in new window (pdf, 305kB)Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 37kB)20250910-Candidate_Pack-compressed (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 697kB)FAQs updated 28.11.2025 (1) Opens in new window (docx, 65kB)