Senior Academic Affairs Advisor

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in New York.

📋 Description

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for U.S. academic and provider engagement that aligns with CVI's commercial goals and portfolio growth objectives.

• Identify and prioritize key institutions, residency programs, and provider networks based on their influence, graduate output, and clinical relevance.

• Position academic institutions as “Tier 0” strategic accounts within the U.S. commercial landscape.

• Provide insights to internal leadership regarding academic trends, competitive dynamics, and future risks and opportunities in the prescriber pipeline.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to introduce optometry students to CVI products and technologies through curricula, labs, and clinical training settings.

• Ensure that CVI products are available for hands-on training and patient care at student events.

• Build and nurture relationships with:

• - faculty leaders and residency directors

• - community-based clinical preceptors and provider networks

• Act as a trusted clinical advisor to essential academic and provider stakeholders.

• Establish and engage in:

• - faculty advisory boards

• - provider forums

• - academic collaborations

• Utilize these relationships to influence:

• - understanding of the CVI portfolio

• - clinical protocols

• - broader prescribing behaviors across networks

• Advance initiatives for student and resident engagement, including:

• - ambassador programs

• - externships and rotations

• - experiential training opportunities

• Collaborate with residency programs and clinical sites to incorporate CVI into specialty and advanced care pathways.

• Support the development of Centers of Excellence and high-impact training sites.

• Work with Sales, Marketing, and Professional Affairs to align academic initiatives with U.S. commercial strategies and territorial priorities.

• Create structured pathways to convert:

• - students and residents → new prescribers → active CVI customers

• Support transition strategies that reinforce early-career adoption and sustained use of the portfolio.

• Serve as a clinical and technical subject matter expert for the U.S. field sales organization.

• Provide assistance for:

• - complex product and application inquiries

• - advanced fitting and troubleshooting

• - addressing clinical objections and competitive positioning

• Deliver in-field education, customer consultations, and case support alongside sales teams.

• Contribute to the development of tools and training that enhance the clinical capabilities and effectiveness of the sales team.

• Establish feedback loops from:

• - students

• - faculty

• - residents

• - community providers

• Translate insights into recommendations for:

• - product development

• - clinical strategy

• - portfolio positioning

• Provide insights on emerging clinical trends and evolving educational needs.

• Promote CVI's reputation as the preferred manufacturer in U.S. academic and provider environments.

• Ensure consistent and impactful representation of CVI in:

• - academic institutions

• - clinical training settings

• - conferences and professional forums.

• Represent CVI as a clinical thought leader within the optometric education and practice communities.

⛳️ Requirements

• Extensive experience in:

• - the vision care/contact lens industry or a related healthcare field

• - academic engagement, professional education, or medical affairs.

• Proven success in influencing U.S. optometric schools, residency programs, and provider networks.

• In-depth understanding of:

• - the U.S. optometric education and residency landscape

• - clinical practice patterns and care pathways.

• Experience in providing clinical and technical support to field sales teams and customers.

• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and to operate across functions.

• Doctor of Optometry (OD) is required.

• Strong clinical credibility and technical expertise in contact lenses and vision care.

• Strategic thinking with a clear connection to commercial outcomes.

• Executive presence when interacting with academic and provider stakeholders.

• Ability to translate engagement into measurable business results.

• Highly collaborative with excellent communication and influencing skills.

🏝️ Benefits

• We are committed to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.

• We take pride in being an equal opportunity employer.