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Hearings and Scheduling Officer - 12 Months FTC Maternity Cover
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Role Purpose
The General Optical Council (GOC) is the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, performance, and conduct amongst opticians. We currently register around 33,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians, and optical businesses.
The role holder will be required to manage the timely and efficient scheduling of fitness to practise events in accordance with operational standards and to facilitate the fitness to practise committee hearings, ensuring that they are held in accordance with Rules and protocols. The role holder will support the Operations Manager (Hearings) to ensure that hearings are delivered to a high standard and to enable the General Optical Council to fulfil its statutory duty to protect the public.
Key Accountabilities
MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES HEARINGS
- Manage the smooth running of fitness to practise hearings and meetings to support our objective of protecting the public.
- Provide support, advice, and guidance to all parties at a hearing including the legal adviser, witnesses, and Registrant on our procedures, regulations, and rules.
- Provide high quality and professional customer service to stakeholders at all stages of the hearing process.
- Anticipate and resolve issues that may arise during a hearing and keep cases on track in a sensitive public environment often under pressure.
- Work as a team to facilitate the planning, listing, and running of in-person, hybrid, or remote fitness to practise hearings and meetings.
- Complete post-hearing tasks promptly including sending notifications of the outcome of cases, help ensure our public register is accurate, and determinations are published in line with our disclosure policy.
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MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES SCHEDULING
- Propose, arrange, and coordinate dates for FtP hearings and issue notice of hearing in accordance with rules and legislation.
- Proactively plan and manage own scheduling caseload in accordance with departmental key performance indicators.
- Work with relevant parties on procedural issues to progress difficult cases through the hearing process and ensure predicted hearing times are accurate through regular communication and case management meetings.
- Provide the Operations Manager (Hearings) with relevant and accurate information to ensure progression of cases and to ensure data integrity for management information.
- Manage the allocation of committee members, legal advisers, and clinical advisers to hearing events. This includes ensuring the allocations are fair and in line with internal processes.
- Ensure that upcoming events are published on the GOC website and have been redacted appropriately.
OTHER ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Contribute to standard operating procedures used within the team and ensure they are up to date and reflective of current practice.
- Other reasonable duties may be assigned from time to time.
On some hearing days, the postholder will be in the office by 08.00, and some hearings may finish later than 17.30, therefore the post holder needs to be flexible on these days. Time off in lieu will be granted.
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Essential Skills/Experience/Qualifications
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, or through vocational experience.
- Experience within a similar role; supporting committee or panel work autonomously or experience in working with legislative and rules-based processes and procedures.
- Confident communication skills: tailoring oral and written communications for the intended audience, the ability to adopt a variety of styles, the ability to listen to, influence, and persuade others.
- Excellent administration skills including the use of Microsoft products, including Office and CMS.
- Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement to bring about operational process improvements and improve customer service.
- An understanding or working in a tribunal setting. [desirable]
The above is not exclusive or exhaustive and may alter depending on the requirements of the GOC.
This role will require a blend of remote and office-based working.
Travel to the central London office to facilitate in-person hearings will be required. Travel expenses will not be paid.
Closing date for applications is 16 August 2026, 11:59 pm, please note we reserve the right to close the role early dependent on the number of applications.
Please note that your application will only be considered if it includes both CV and a cover letter. The cover letter should be no longer than 2 A4 pages and must demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria of this role.
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