Director, KOLS & Events

Henry Schein

6d•$144,235 - $206,436

About The Position

This position is responsible for the strategic development, planning, execution, and optimization of Henry Schein Dental’s national events, trade shows, conventions, regional meetings, and Key Opinion Leader (KOL) programs. The Director leads overall events and KOL strategy while ensuring operational excellence across event marketing initiatives. The role partners with cross-functional business teams, sales leadership, supplier partners, finance, and external stakeholders to deliver event experiences that support business growth, customer engagement, education, and brand visibility. It oversees event strategy, budget management, marketing execution, KOL engagement, and team leadership in alignment with organizational goals and sales objectives. The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and hands-on leader, effective at executive and executional levels. The Director develops and executes the annual events strategy, evaluates the event calendar, oversees event marketing and logistics, and leads KOL and speaker programs. The role manages budgets, forecasts, performance analytics, contracts, vendors, operational processes, and risk planning. It also leads, coaches, and develops events and marketing team members and cross-functional teams.

Requirements

Typically 12 or more years of increasing responsibility and complexity in applicable professional experience.
At least 5 years of management experience.
Extensive experience leading large-scale trade shows, conventions, and corporate events.
Experience developing and executing integrated event marketing strategies.
Strong understanding of marketing KPIs, lead generation, ROI measurement, and campaign analytics.
Experience managing KOLs, speaker programs, or clinical partnerships within healthcare, dental, or related industries.
Proven experience negotiating contracts and managing external vendor relationships.
Experience working in a direct selling environment and supporting national sales organizations.
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Outstanding management and leadership skills, including attracting, retaining, motivating, developing, mentoring, and coaching team members.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills and ability to resolve disputes effectively.
Outstanding presentation and public speaking skills.
Expert independent decision-making, analysis, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to understand, interpret, and act on financial information and external trends that contribute to business profitability.
Ability to plan and manage complex projects, including developing timelines and budgets, understanding available resources, and assigning responsibilities.
Ability to lead teams toward company goals and solve complex business issues creatively and effectively.
Expert planning and organizational skills and techniques.
Ability to communicate effectively with senior management and key stakeholders.
Excellent negotiating skills and ability to manage internal and external relationships.
Ability to influence, build relationships, understand organizational complexities, manage conflict, and navigate organizational politics.
Broad professional and managerial skills and a full understanding of industry practices and company policies and procedures.
Ability to lead and develop virtual teams.
Expertise in multiple technical and business skills.
Strategic planning skills.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or global equivalent in a related discipline.
Master’s degree or global equivalent is a plus.
Preferred experience in event marketing, trade show/event management, KOL management, or related disciplines.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the annual strategic plan for events, trade shows, conventions, and regional programs.
Evaluate and rationalize the annual events calendar to align with company priorities, sales goals, and market opportunities.
Identify new event concepts, educational programs, and customer engagement experiences.
Establish and maintain partnerships with associations, industry organizations, and supplier partners.
Lead cross-functional collaboration with sales, marketing, education, finance, and business leadership teams.
Oversee planning, logistics, and execution of national, regional, and supplier partner events.
Manage pre-event, onsite, and post-event marketing strategies.
Oversee booth experiences, digital signage, presentation schedules, lead generation, attendee engagement, and related event activities.
Ensure consistent brand representation and adherence to corporate brand standards.
Direct attendee communications across email, social media, texting campaigns, websites, landing pages, and promotional materials.
Oversee continuing education event strategy, registration processes, and educational programming support.
Develop templates, tools, and scalable resources for regional event teams.
Lead the strategy, development, and management of the Key Opinion Leader program.
Build and maintain relationships with KOLs, clinical champions, speakers, and industry influencers.
Oversee KOL recruitment, contracting, utilization, and review processes.
Identify and cultivate speaker relationships that support business objectives and educational initiatives.
Align KOL activities with event and marketing strategies in collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Develop and manage event budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting with finance teams.
Track, analyze, and communicate event performance metrics, ROI, lead generation effectiveness, and marketing KPIs.
Develop sales attribution models, tracking parameters, and reporting processes to measure event success.
Identify process improvements, operational efficiencies, and enhanced data governance practices.
Negotiate contracts with venues, vendors, agencies, suppliers, and external partners.
Manage vendor relationships and consolidate supplier partnerships when appropriate for efficiency and cost containment.
Develop contingency plans and proactively address operational risks.
Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the events and marketing team.
Foster accountability, innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Support sales-team training on onsite event processes, lead generation, and event tools.
Lead and develop virtual and cross-functional teams across multiple business units.