Associate Director, Thought Leader Liaison – Eye Care

Role Summary

Associate Director, Thought Leader Liaison – Eye Care. This role leads regional engagement with key opinion leaders, healthcare organizations, and professional societies to support the Eye Care portfolio strategy, build advocacy, gather insights, and drive execution of marketing initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead regional engagement with KOLs, HCOs, and professional societies to support the Eye Care portfolio strategy.
• Build advocacy, gather insights, and drive execution of marketing initiatives, including speaker bureau development, peer education, and brand presence at congresses and advisory boards; ensure field insights inform headquarters strategy and cross-functional alignment.

Thought Leader Engagement & Advocacy

• Develop and manage regional KOL engagement plans aligned with brand strategy.
• Serve as the primary contact for KOLs and professional societies in assigned geography.
• Build long-term relationships with Ophthalmology and Optometry leaders to drive advocacy and education.

Strategic Marketing Execution

• Implement marketing plans tailored to regionally-focused market dynamics.
• Represent the brand at national and regional congresses, symposia, and advisory boards.
• Collaborate with internal teams to support educational initiatives, including product theaters and peer exchanges.

Speaker Bureau & Educational Programming

• Identify, contract with, and manage promotional speakers.
• Serve as moderator or faculty for peer-to-peer educational events.
• Monitor speaker performance and provide coaching to ensure alignment and compliance.

Insight Generation & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Capture and share actionable insights from KOLs to inform brand strategy and messaging.
• Partner with Medical Affairs, Sales, Market Access, and Training for cohesive customer engagement.
• Support commercial advisory boards, including advisor identification and content development.

Compliance & Operational Excellence

• Ensure all activities comply with legal, regulatory, and company standards.
• Manage budgets, timelines, and logistics with accuracy and accountability.
• Model a culture of ethics, integrity, and compliance.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 8-10 years of relevant professional experience; Master’s degree preferred. Experience in pharmaceutical roles involving Thought Leader or Center of Excellence engagement and Sales/Field training is required.
• Cross-functional experience in Ophthalmic specialties.
• Strong knowledge of Ophthalmic disease states and Ophthalmology/Optometry practice dynamics.
• Ability to travel up to 80% (including evenings and weekends).
• Financial and budget management experience.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills with internal teams and external partners.
• Ability to plan and execute tactical initiatives and lead without formal authority.
• Comfort initiating and managing challenging conversations with KOLs.
• Disease state education and product launch experience in specialty pharmaceuticals preferred.
• Experience in competitive or fast-paced therapeutic markets preferred.
• English language proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking.