Senior Director, Live Programs

Based in San Diego, California, Eyes On Eyecare is a technology and healthcare information company shaping the future of eyecare. Through brands like Eyes On Eyecare, Glance, and npiQ, we deliver web applications, accredited education, and data products to tens of thousands of eyecare professionals. Our mission is to support the people who care for vision with the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to do their best work.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an independent, organized, and highly motivated Senior Director, Live Programs to make our live programs happen. More of our clients are asking us to put their brand in a room with the right doctors, and this individual will be the one who makes those rooms worth being in.

The Senior Director, Live Programs will report to our VP of Client Services and will own every live program our sales team sells, from kickoff to final report. Doctor dinners, advisory boards, KOL roundtables, speaker programs, and programs built around the major eyecare meetings are at the center of the role, with some hybrid and digital programs delivered alongside our client services team. The Senior Director will work directly with clients and KOLs, manage venues and vendors, and work closely with our marketing, content, and client services teams to execute effectively.

What you'll own

The program. Once a client signs, the program is yours end to end, from the kickoff call through the last attendee follow-up, the budget reconciliation, and the results report that sets up the renewal. Whatever the mix of live and digital, every program has one owner after the sale, and that is you.

The room. The doctors we invite are busy and get asked to a lot of dinners. You'll build target attendee lists from our audience and npiQ data, own attendance goals for every program, and make sure the right doctors are in the seats. A full room of the wrong doctors does not count.

The client relationship. You'll run kickoffs to lock objectives, audience, and success measures, lead status calls, and be the single point of contact for every change. When the format a client asks for will not get them what they want, you'll tell them and show them what will.

KOLs and clinical partners. You'll build close, ongoing relationships with KOLs and other influential figures in eyecare through coffees, dinners, and informal conversations, not just when a program needs faculty. You'll bring new program ideas forward from those conversations and shape them into concepts our sales team can take to market.

Budget and vendors. You'll build and manage every program budget, negotiate with venues and vendors, and reconcile the budget when the program closes.

Results and renewal. You'll track attendance against target, the right doctors against the target list, and attendee feedback, then deliver a results report and debrief the client. You'll use those results to recommend the next program and hand Sales a clear read on where the account can grow.

What will you be doing?

Strategy and design

• Turn the client's business objective into the right event format, audience, faculty, and agenda.
• Review conference agendas and recommend dates, times, and locations that do not compete with the sessions our target doctors will not miss.
• Build target attendee lists from our audience and npiQ data based on the client's prescriber or practice profile.
• Spot what doctors are talking about and where clients could show up, and shape those ideas into concepts our sales team can take to market.

Planning and logistics

• Source venues, negotiate rates and terms, and manage contracts with venues, caterers, AV, transportation, photographers, video-production companies, and other vendors.
• Coordinate faculty and KOL participation, including scheduling, travel, briefing materials, and honoraria.
• Run invitations, RSVPs, reminders, and confirmations so the right doctors are in the seats on the day.
• Work with our design and content teams on invitations, signage, slides, and printed materials, and make sure everything arrives on time.
• Build the event plan for each program, with schedules, contacts, KOL bios, run of show, and onsite assignments.

Onsite execution

• Be the person in charge onsite, managing staff, vendors, faculty, and the client, and solving problems before anyone else notices them.
• Specify and brief any additional staff a program needs, whether internal or contracted.

Hybrid and digital programs

• Run hybrid programs end to end, coordinating venue AV, streaming, and remote faculty so doctors joining online get the same program as the doctors in the room.
• Plan and run virtual advisory boards, webinars, and virtual roundtables, including platform setup, faculty prep, and attendee management.
• Extend live programs into digital, such as pre-event promotion, recorded content, and post-event recap pieces that reach doctors who were not in the room.
• Coordinate with client services so live and digital deliverables in the same contract run on one timeline and report as one program.

Production logistics

• Own the logistics when we film doctors on location, such as a client summit that brings many KOLs together, while our content team owns everything on camera.
• Source and book studio space, hotel suites, and other shoot locations, and manage those contracts.
• Coordinate KOL scheduling, travel, lodging, catering, and ground transportation for shoot days, and build the day's schedule with the content team.
• Be onsite as logistics lead for large film shoots, complex productions, and multi-KOL days.

Program and project management

• Review each signed contract, translate it into a program plan, and make sure everything we promised is delivered.
• Keep every program in ClickUp so timelines, owners, and communication are documented and anyone can see where things stand.
• Lead status calls, send recaps, and manage every change through to the final results report.

Internal event coordination

• Plan and run our own team dinners, company events, and off-sites, from venues and travel to agenda logistics.
• Host informal KOL gatherings that build relationships and give us candid feedback on how we are doing.

Travel and event coverage

Travel: up to 50% of your time, including evenings and weekends around the major eyecare meetings like AAO, AOA, ASCRS, SECO, and Vision Expo. Most of the work is in person, and you will be onsite running the programs you own, not handing them off.

This is a real part of the job, not a footnote. It's also where the work actually happens: the venue that double books the room at 5pm while the client is on their way, and the KOL flying in Thursday whose dietary restriction you still remember. If planning an event and handing it off is what you want, this role will wear on you. If being the person in the room sounds like the interesting part, you'll do well here.

You won't be doing it alone. Our marketing team supports every program with invitations, promotion, design, and event materials, our client services team delivers the digital pieces alongside you, and our content team owns the creative on anything we film. As your program load grows, we will resource additional administrative and onsite support so your time goes to the client and the room, not the paperwork.

What are the required qualifications?

• 5+ years of experience planning and running live events, with at least 3 in healthcare, pharma, medtech, or a healthcare agency
• Direct experience running HCP programs such as doctor dinners, advisory boards, or speaker programs
• A track record of owning client relationships and program budgets, not just executing someone else's plan
• Strong vendor negotiation and contracting experience
• Able to travel up to 50%, including evenings and weekends
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Top candidates will also have:

• Experience in ophthalmology or optometry, and existing relationships with eyecare KOLs
• Familiarity with the major eyecare meetings and how they run
• Experience with virtual advisory board, webinar, and hybrid event platforms
• Experience coordinating logistics for video shoots or on-location productions
• Comfort with ClickUp or a similar project management tool

A note on qualifications:

Not all applicants will have skills that match a job description exactly. Eyes On Eyecare values diverse experiences in other industries, and we encourage everyone who meets the required qualifications to apply. While having experience with these exact job duties makes for a strong candidate, we encourage applicants with alternative experiences to also apply. If your career is just starting or hasn't followed a traditional path, don't let that stop you from considering this role. We are always looking for people who will bring something new to the table.

What is it like to work for Eyes On Eyecare?

We've built an organization where everyone is passionate about where they work and what they do, and we think the greatest benefit of working at Eyes On Eyecare is the freedom to define your role and the ability to make critical decisions that have a direct impact on the success of the company.

Of course, we also offer:

• Comprehensive health insurance (90% silver plan coverage)
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401(k)
• Annual Profit Share
• Paid Time Off, Sick Time, and Paid Holidays, Flex Time, Bonus Time Off

And some other cool perks…

• Remote: All employees work 100% remotely!
• Volunteer Time Off
• Quarterly team events
• MacBook (Apple equipment)