Director, Institutional Sales & Education – Ophthalmology & Optometry

Thea Pharma Inc. • Waltham, MA

3h • Remote

About The Position

The Director of Institutional Sales & Education will lead the strategic development and execution of sales and educational initiatives targeting ophthalmology residency programs, fellowship programs, as well as optometry schools and associated residency programs across the U.S. This senior leadership role blends high-level business development with impactful educational programming, ensuring the company’s eye care portfolio is positioned as a preferred choice among future ophthalmologists, optometrists, academic leaders, and key opinion leaders (KOLs).

The ideal candidate has a proven record of success in institutional pharmaceutical or medical device sales, deep relationships in the academic medical and optometric communities, and the ability to translate scientific data into compelling clinical and economic value narratives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, MD, OD) preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of pharmaceutical or medical device sales experience, with at least 5 years in institutional/academic sales or medical education leadership.
• Ophthalmology, optometry, eye care, or surgical sales experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in building KOL relationships and influencing decision-making in academic and optometric environments.
• Deep understanding of residency/fellowship program structures in ophthalmology and optometry, and the academic adoption cycle.
• Proven ability to design and implement educational programs that impact adoption and engagement.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a national institutional sales strategy for academic medical centers, ophthalmology residency programs, optometry schools, optometry residency programs, and fellowship sites.
• Drive portfolio adoption within teaching hospitals, academic eye institutes, and optometry colleges by aligning strategies with overall brand objectives.
• Build and sustain relationships with Program Directors, Chiefs of Service, Deans, faculty members, and procurement leaders in both ophthalmology and optometry.
• Partner with commercial and medical teams to secure formulary access, pathway alignment, and product adoption in training environments.
• Use data analytics to identify high-impact ophthalmology and optometry programs that influence future clinical practice trends.
• Oversee the design and delivery of residency, fellowship, and optometry educational programs in collaboration with the Medical Education team.
• Partner with faculty to create hands-on wet labs, clinical workshops, and peer-to-peer training on the eye care portfolio.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory standards while maximizing product exposure and early clinical experience.
• Build future prescriber loyalty by establishing product familiarity during ophthalmology and optometry training years.
• Close cooperation with the commercial field team facilitating the hand-off of new MDs and ODs transitioning to private practice.
• Work closely with marketing to adapt messaging for both academic medical and optometric settings.
• Provide academic market insights from ophthalmology and optometry to inform R&D priorities and pipeline strategy.

Benefits

• Thea offers a full suite of employee benefits, including employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance; a generous schedule of paid time off (PTO); life and disability insurance; paid parental leave; and a competitive 401(k) company match.
• Thea is a flexible and entrepreneurial work environment where you will enjoy an inclusive culture and the opportunity to have your voice and ideas directly shape the future of the company.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director