How one optometrist progressed from student optical assistant to partner at Specsavers, navigating leadership development, mobile practice and regional ownership opportunities.
When Joseph McElroy enrolled in optometry at the University of New South Wales, he had not mapped out a long-term career in eyecare. He attended an open day, listened to presentations from different faculties and found himself drawn to the School of Optometry’s blend of science and patient care.
“I originally thought I might go down more of a maths or physics pathway,” he says. “But when I sat in on the optometry talk, I liked that balance – there’s the technical, optical knowledge, but you’re also working directly with people and helping them in a very practical way. That combination really appealed to me.”
McElroy completed a combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Optometry, graduating at the end of 2018. His association with Specsavers, however, began much earlier. During his first year at university, he sought part-time work in the industry and joined the Campbelltown store in Sydney’s south-west as an optical assistant.
“That was really about getting exposure to the industry early,” he says. “I wanted to understand how a practice runs day to day, not just what we were learning in lectures.”
That early start would shape the next decade of his professional life.
Working as an optical assistant while studying gave McElroy insight into the retail and operational aspects of optometry before he stepped into a consulting room. He became familiar with patient flow, dispensing, collections and team dynamics – knowledge that would later ease his transition into clinical practice.
After graduating, he accepted a position as a graduate optometrist at the same Campbelltown practice. The move was seamless: he understood the systems, the team and the patient base.
“It was definitely interesting,” he says of the shift in responsibility. “I’d been working alongside the optometrists and supporting them, and then suddenly I went from being the person on the other side of the door to being the person in the consulting room. The team already knew me, which made it easier, but the expectations were obviously different.”
Over time, he progressed from graduate to experienced optometrist, remaining at the store for several years. That continuity provided clinical confidence, but it also meant his professional experience was concentrated in one environment.
By 2023, around four years after commencing as a graduate, McElroy was ready to broaden his perspective. He joined the Specsavers Pathway Program, paving the way for the next phase in his career.
Structured leadership development
The Pathway Program is designed for optometrists and retail team members interested in partnership. McElroy was encouraged to apply by the optometrist and retail partners at Campbelltown.
“They thought I would be suitable for it,” he says. “At the time, none of the other optometrists in our store had gone through Pathway, so it was a new step. I have a lot of gratitude towards Campbelltown’s store partners who put me on that path and supported me through it.”
The program ran for just over six months and introduced him to the leadership and commercial responsibilities associated with store ownership.
“It opened my eyes to a few things – not just leadership, but financial awareness as well,” he says. “As clinicians, we’re trained to focus on patient care, which is obviously the priority. But when you’re thinking about partnership, you also need to understand budgets, performance, and how decisions you make affect the wider team and the business.”
For McElroy, the program broadened his understanding of how decisions made beyond the consulting room influence store culture and sustainability.
“It gave me more context,” he says. “You start to see how everything connects – from the way a day is structured, to how the team communicates, to the financial outcomes at the end of the month.”
At that point, he had spent close to a decade in the Campbelltown practice, first as a student optical assistant and then as a clinician. Completing the Pathway Program prompted him to consider his next move. However, before committing to partnership, he wanted experience outside a single store.
“I’d essentially been in one location for about 10 years,” he says. “From optical assistant through to experienced optometrist, it was all in the same place. I felt that before stepping into a partner role, I should spread my wings a little bit and see how other stores operate.”
He discussed his goals with the support office and joined the Mobile Optometry Team.
Specsavers operates both fly-in, fly-out and regionally based relief models. McElroy relocated to Canberra at the beginning of 2024, where there was demand for relief work. From there, he worked primarily in the ACT, with occasional placements in surrounding locations including Batemans Bay, Orange and Bega.
The shift from a single, familiar practice to multiple sites required adaptability.
“It was definitely an eye-opening experience,” he says. “Even though all stores operate under Specsavers, they vary so much from store to store. The team dynamics are different, the way the day flows can be different, even how collections or handovers are done can vary.”
For a clinician who had spent a decade in one workplace, the exposure was formative.
“In hindsight, it was exactly what I needed,” he says. “You realise there’s no single ‘right’ way to run a store. There are different approaches that can all work, depending on the team and the patient demographic.”
The mobile role also brought insight into varying patient populations. Each region presented distinct needs and expectations, adding breadth to his clinical and interpersonal experience.
“You’re constantly meeting new teams and new patients,” he says. “It forces you to adapt quickly and communicate clearly, because you don’t have that long-standing familiarity.”
After close to a year in the mobile team, another opportunity emerged.
Partnership in a coastal community
Towards the end of 2024, McElroy learned of an opening for an optometrist partner in Kiama, on the New South Wales south coast.
By early 2025, he had relocated again – this time to take the leap into partnership.
Kiama is less than two hours’ drive from Sydney, but McElroy says it has a distinct small-town character.
“It has a very small coastal town feel,” he says. “Everyone knows each other. One week I’ll see one person, and the next week I’ll see their family member. You really get that sense of community.”
The patient demographic differs from his earlier metropolitan experience, with a significant number of retirees. He notes that this continuity of care is one of the defining features of practising in a close-knit community.
“You’re not just seeing isolated appointments,” he says. “You’re building relationships over time, sometimes across whole families. That brings a different level of responsibility, but it’s also very rewarding.”
The Kiama practice is relatively new and operates with a small team: McElroy as optometrist partner, Teresa Vi Nguyen as retail partner and three retail employees. At present, he is the sole optometrist and is recruiting a graduate to expand capacity.
The move into partnership has required him to draw on the leadership and business skills developed through the Pathway Program.
“The Pathway Program put me in a good position,” he says. “Not just the operational side of things, but being able to communicate with the team, to give feedback, to receive feedback, and to make sure everyone feels valued.”
With a small workforce, clarity and collaboration are essential.
“When you’ve only got a handful of people in the store, every role really matters,” he says. “You have to be very open in how you communicate, because everyone’s contribution has a direct impact on how the day runs.”
As a partner, McElroy is responsible not only for clinical standards but also for the commercial sustainability of the business. Understanding budgets, performance metrics and resource allocation now forms part of his day-to-day remit.
“At the end of the day, you’re accountable for more than just your consulting room,” he says. “You’re responsible for the whole store and the people in it.”
Now in a position to recruit a graduate optometrist to Kiama, he finds himself at a familiar starting point – supporting someone at the beginning of their career, much as he was supported as a student and graduate.
Reflecting on his own journey, he believes varied experience was essential preparation for ownership.
“I’m glad I took the time to work in different environments before becoming a partner,” he says. “It gave me perspective. And ultimately, that’s what partnership is about – taking everything you’ve learned along the way and using it to build something that works for your team and your community.”
