Patient Experience

Join Smileway – Revolutionising Dental Care in South Africa

Smileway is redefining dentistry in South Africa. We believe patients should receive outstanding clinical care and an experience that feels warm, human, and thoughtfully designed. The future of healthcare is not just efficiency and expertise — it's how we make people feel.

We are introducing hospitality-inspired thinking into oral healthcare. This role is key to elevating patient journeys, shaping delightful experiences, and helping our teams deliver care that people value, remember, and return for.

Role: Patient Experience & Service Design Lead

Key Responsibilities:

The Patient Experience & Service Design Lead is responsible for elevating the end-to-end patient journey across Smileway practices and embedding a culture of warm, consistent, and thoughtful care.

This role focuses on service excellence, experience design, and supporting practice teams to deliver outstanding patient interactions:

• Design and enhance patient experience and service workflows across practices
• Support Operations Partners to ensure seamless, patient-centred day-to-day operations
• Introduce and embed service excellence standards and hospitality-inspired behaviours
• Train, coach, and develop practice teams to improve patient experience and communication
• Identify and implement improvements across the full patient journey and in-practice touchpoints
• Guide practices in service recovery and patient feedback handling
• Support execution of experience-related initiatives and strategic priorities at practice level
• Monitor patient experience indicators, feedback, and reviews, and drive continuous improvement

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills
• Passion for service excellence and improving how patients feel throughout their care
• Ability to influence, coach, and uplift team behaviours without micromanaging
• Service-design mindset with practical execution capability
• Relationship-builder with empathy, warmth, and cultural sensitivity
• Problem-solving skills and calm decision-making under pressure
• Organised, proactive, and committed to continuous improvement
• Competence in using digital tools, patient experience systems, or service design methods.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Relevant qualification, e.g., Hospitality, Business, Service Design, Psychology, Communications, or related field
• Proven experience in patient or customer experience, service design, hospitality, or people-centred environments
• Experience training, coaching, or uplifting teams
• Experience in healthcare or dental settings is beneficial but not essential—hospitality mindset highly valued

Key Position Terms:

• Start Date:
  January 2026
• Location:
  South Africa
• Reporting To:
  COO
• Work Style:
  Hybrid, with travel to practices

Smileway Values – Our Foundation for Excellence

At Smileway, our values are not just words – they are the principles that guide everything we do. They are our promise to each other and our commitment to revolutionising dental care in South Africa. We don't believe in micromanagement or endless rules. Instead, we trust our team to act with integrity, take ownership, and deliver exceptional results.

If these values don't resonate with you, we're probably not the right fit.

• Do what you say, and say what you do.
• We treat all people with equal openness and respect.
• We seek different opinions and resolve differences through thoughtful dialogue.
• We believe in giving feedback promptly and receiving it gratefully.
• We are obsessed about our practices and their patients and care about understanding and responding to their concerns.
• We care deeply about our people and create an environment where we expect them to take ownership and perform extraordinarily.
• We operate at the highest ethical and professional standards at all times.

Why Choose Smileway?

Impact with Purpose:
Be part of a team that doesn't just talk about making a difference – we live it. Your work will directly contribute to healthier smiles, better patient outcomes, and stronger communities.

Growth with Meaning:
Thrive in a high-performance environment that values innovation, initiative, and personal development. Your potential is our priority.

Technology-Driven Excellence:
Lead the future of dental care with Hugo Systems – our cutting-edge, cloud-based platform that empowers our team, streamlines practice management, and enhances patient care.

Flexibility with Trust:
Enjoy the freedom of a hybrid work model. Whether in-office or remote, you control your work style. We value accountability, autonomy, and impact.

A Dynamic, Diverse Team:
Join a vibrant team that celebrates diverse perspectives and backgrounds. We believe our strength lies in our people, and we are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive environment.

Supportive Team Culture:
Experience a culture built on integrity, transparency, and respect. Our values aren't just words – they are how we operate, ensuring an empowering, people-focused workplace.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you're passionate about transforming dental care and being part of a forward-thinking, purpose-driven team, we want to hear from you. Explore our website and partner practices to learn more about our ever-evolving platform.

The Smileway Team