Academic Consultant Associate Professor (Professor In) Special Care Dentistry in Division I of Public & Child Dental Health

(Permanent & Full-Time)

The Dublin Dental University Hospital is seeking an Academic Consultant Associate Professor (Professor In) Special Care Dentistry to provide clinical and academic leadership in Special Care Dentistry. This is a Permanent, Pensionable and Full-Time Position.

This post is to provide clinical and academic leadership in Special Care Dentistry. The successful candidate will be expected to further develop and manage the clinical, education/training and research area of Special Care Dentistry and provide a consultant service for the care of people who come within the remit of the speciality and who cannot be treated in primary care.

The Dublin Dental University Hospital provides comprehensive oral / and dental diagnostic, surgical support service in Special Care Dentistry. It runs several taught postgraduate programmes, including Clinical Doctorates in six areas, one of which is Special Care Dentistry. The School runs undergraduate programmes in Dental Science, Dental Hygiene, Dental Technology, Clinical Dental Technology, Orthodontic Therapy and Dental Nursing.

Research is a core activity of the Dublin Dental University Hospital and it is committed to improving oral health by generating the evidence base for clinical practice through research in subject fields of relevance to dentistry and oral biology.

The appointee will be responsible for clinical matters to the Clinical Director. The position reports and is accountable to the Head of Division and ultimately the Dean for educational and research matters. Overall post management is undertaken by the Executive team of the DDUH comprising the CEO, Dean and Clinical Director.

Outline of Duties and Responsibilities

A major role is the joint working with key stakeholders in the HSE, in particular service providers and other agencies to scope and deliver appropriate education/training and research in the area of Special Care Dentistry.

The specialty is embedded in the undergraduate curriculum in the Dublin Dental University Hospital and opportunities exist for further development of continuing professional development with online courses. A three-year taught doctoral D.Ch.Dent. programme, along with other Continuing Professional Development courses (CPD), are the responsibility of the post holder as the Programme Director.

Service provision includes patients whose care cannot be provided in primary care as well as for patients whose dental needs fit the requirements for the education and training programmes provided by the Dublin Dental University Hospital.

This post is an integral part of the educational and clinical service delivery in the area of Special Care Dentistry. As part of this role, the consultant is responsible for the delivery of special care and for specialist dental care teaching and learning, which is key for undergraduate and postgraduate dental education in these disciplines.

Duties

The key duties of the role are to act as Professor In Special Care Dentistry / Consultant Special Care Dentist under the Dublin Dental University Hospital and in particular to;

Hold office under the terms and conditions of the POCC23 consultants’ contract which will determine that he/she will participate actively in the management of the hospital, taking cognisance of resource constraints.
Attend as and when required at the Dublin Dental University Hospital and in any partner hospital or institution of the Dublin Dental University Hospital.
Manage and deliver a specialist Special Care Dentistry referral clinic.
Provide consultant services for patients in the Dublin Dental University Hospital and in partner organisations.
Participate in an on-call rota.
Supervise and be responsible for the clinical work and the record keeping of all junior dental and auxiliary staff attached to his/her discipline. To work with the Clinical Director/the Dean/the CEO and supporting structures of the hospital in all matters appertaining to the general efficiency of the hospital.
Be responsible for the proper performance of their duties by the staff assigned to the Department/Specialty and services under his/her control and instruct them in the proper performance of their duties.
Keep such records as may be required by the Dublin Dental University Hospital.
Provide strategic oversight in the development of education, research and clinical service delivery in Special Care Dentistry.
Participate in the administrative organisation and delivery of education and training to undergraduate, postgraduate and those in higher training and continuing education programmes.
Provide undergraduate education and training in the area of Special Care Dentistry.
Co-ordinate and lead the postgraduate doctoral programme and CPD in Special Care Dentistry.
Lead on research programmes and promote scholarly activities.
Undertake and supervise independent research related to Special Care Dentistry.
Maintain Continuous Professional (and Personal) Development.
Participate in the administration and promotion of the activities and interests of the Dublin Dental University Hospital and of the School of Dental Science, Trinity College Dublin.
Participate in a system of professional practice review (including clinical audit) to support the maintenance of service, quality and standards.
Prepare and develop clinical protocols and guidelines.
Initiate, support and implement Continuous Quality Improvement and Accreditation initiatives appropriate to the service in agreement with the Executive Team.
Initiate, support and implement Risk Management systems and initiatives appropriate to the service in agreement with the Executive Team.
Reside within such distance convenient to the designated work base as may be approved by the CEO.
Perform such other duties appropriate to the office as may be assigned to him/her by the Clinical Director/Dean/CEO, including fulfilling the role of Head of Division, if requested.
The post holder will attend the Divisional Meeting and all other meetings as required.

The extent and speed of change in the delivery of services is such that adaptability is essential to this level of appointment. The person chosen will be required to maintain, enhance and develop their knowledge, skills and aptitudes necessary to respond to changing situations. Therefore, this Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Qualifications, Experience & Person Specification

Each candidate must have:

Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications & Experience

As Professor of Special Care Dentistry, the appointee will be fully committed to lead the area of Special Care Dentistry.

Candidates must, on the latest date for receiving completed applications for the post:

(a)

(i) be registered in the Register of Dentists for Ireland or be entitled to be so registered;

(ii) be registered in the Register of Dental Specialists for Ireland, if such a list exists for that speciality, or be entitled to be so registered. If a Specialist list does not exist satisfactory evidence of completion of specialist training is required; (See note 2***)

And

(iii) hold the Intercollegiate Speciality Fellowship in Special Care Dentistry;

Or

(iv) hold an equivalent qualification; See note 2**

And

(b) possess a high standard of professional knowledge and experience.

And

(c) possess the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and administrative capacity) to enter on the discharge of the duties of the office.

Candidates must have the requisite academic background, knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability, management, leadership and professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

Note 1.EU Directive 2005/36 requires specialty training of at least 3 years full time, or equivalent:

Article 35(2): Full-time specialist dental courses shall be of a minimum of three years duration supervised by the competent authorities or bodies. It shall involve the personal participation of the dental practitioner training to be a specialist in the activity and in the responsibilities of the establishment concerned.

Note 2.Equivalent qualification:

Equivalence to the standard of the Intercollegiate Specialty Fellowship Examination.

A minimum of twenty four months in a full-time training post or equivalent part-time post under the supervision of a named Consultant in Special Care Dentistry, post qualification as a specialist. Part time training pro-rata to be attained within five years.
A written confirmation of satisfactory progress from the named Consultant Trainer, including satisfactory completion of the appropriate number of competencies, if prescribed.
Supervised clinical experience on complex cases appropriate to Special Care Dentistry, in a secondary or tertiary care setting, cross disciplinary care management, training and leadership and confirmation of learning by exam/ attestation/ confirmation of acquired learning.

Academic Qualification

The candidate must have attained a PhD and have a proven track record in research (senior authorship on peer-reviewed publications) and success in securing funding for research projects. The candidate must demonstrate that they have had a substantial and sustained research output and impact in the field of Special Care Dentistry. The candidate must demonstrate that they have has shown strong leadership in research and a well-developed and recognised international research profile including international research collaborations of significance.

An integral part of this academic position is to provide teaching in Special Care Dentistry, and to undertake and supervise translational research in the School of Dental Science, Trinity College. The appointee will be based at the Dublin Dental University Hospital. The candidate should have experience in the clinical and didactic teaching of undergraduate Dental Science, Dental Hygiene and Dental Nursing students in a university setting. The candidate should also have extensive experience in the clinical and didactic teaching of postgraduate students in Special Care Dentistry, preferably in a multidisciplinary setting. The candidate should have relevant experience and leadership in the design, delivery and management of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Special Care Dentistry.

The candidate should demonstrate a sustained commitment to developing the undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes within the School.

Leadership

The candidate must possess:

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including leadership of clinical and academic teams at national and international levels.
Strong leadership ability in research and a clear research focus.
Leadership qualities in teaching, including curriculum development and innovation.
Clear personal motivation with the ability to empower and motivate others.
A high level of organisational and administrative skill that can deliver strategic change.
A demonstrable ability to plan and facilitate a team to adapt to rapid changes taking place in the educational and health services in Ireland.
Have evidence of senior leadership in clinical academia.
Experience with input into strategic planning and the ability to deliver on strategic needs of the organisation.

Health

Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

General

Dublin Dental University Hospital will not be liable for travelling or other expenses incurred by candidates who may be invited to attend for interview.

Closing date for applications is Friday, 29th May 2026 at noon.

Shortlisting will take place immediately and interviews will be held in person.

Interested candidates should submit a Cover Letter together with a copy of their Curriculum Vitae via Hirehive.

For any informal enquiries please contact Mr David Barry, CEO at david.barry@dental.tcd.ieand Prof Angus Burns, Head of Div I at angus.burns@dental.tcd.ie.

A job description is available upon request and for any HR enquiries contact Simion Tita / HR Officer at simion.tita@dental.tcd.ie / landline number 01- 612 7289.

Offers are subject to Garda Vetting, Pre-employment medical, References and CPD in various HSEland Training Programmes

The Dublin Dental Hospital is an equal opportunities employer

Academic Consultant (Prof In) Special Care Dentistry of Public & Child Dental Health - Perm & FT

Benefits

Job Description