Commercial Excellence Director - Surgical and Refractive

About Us:

How many companies can say they have been in business for over 178 years?!

Here at ZEISS, we certainly can! As the pioneers of science, ZEISS handles the ever-changing environments in a fast-paced world, meeting it with cutting edge technologies and continuous advancements. ZEISS believes that innovation and technology are the key to a sustainable future and solutions for global change. We have a diverse range of portfolios throughout the ZEISS family in segments like Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. We are a global company with over 42,000 employees and have over 4,000 in the US and Canada alone! Make a difference, come join the team!

Location: Dublin, CA

What’s the role?

The Commercial Excellence Director – Surgical & Refractive is responsible for developing and executing the Commercial Excellence strategy for the U.S. Surgical (SUR) and Refractive (REF) businesses. This role serves as the primary link between Commercial, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Leadership teams to drive market share growth, sales effectiveness, profitability, forecasting accuracy, and strategic execution. The Director will lead business planning, sales analytics, market analysis, compensation strategy, pricing excellence, sales force effectiveness, commercial operations, and business model deployment. The position is responsible for implementing commercial strategies designed to accelerate consumables growth, increase market penetration, improve profitability, and support achievement of the company’s long-term strategic objectives, including doubling vitreoretinal business performance over five years. This position requires strong business acumen, analytical capabilities, leadership skills, and the ability to influence across multiple functions and levels of the organization.

Sound Interesting?

Here’s what you’ll do:

Commercial Excellence Leadership

• Develop and implement Commercial Excellence strategies for the U.S. Surgical business.

• Lead annual business planning and strategic deployment activities.

• Translate organizational priorities into measurable commercial initiatives and performance objectives.

• Support long-range strategic planning and growth initiatives.

Sales Performance & Analytics

• Develop and maintain comprehensive sales performance analytics.

• Conduct entitlement analysis and identify growth opportunities.

• Perform deep-dive customer performance assessments to identify opportunities for increased revenue and share of wallet.

• Analyze product portfolio performance and identify commercial gaps.

• Develop growth strategies for vitreoretinal (VR) packs and consumables businesses.

• Drive instrument utilization and cross-selling initiatives.

• Develop executive-level dashboards and reporting tools to support decision making.

Geography & Market Analysis

• Monitor overall U.S. market share performance and regional market share performance across all sales regions.

• Establish processes to monitor, track, and report market share trends and growth opportunities.

• Develop strategies to support long-term objectives, including achieving significant growth in the vitreoretinal business.

KPI Management & Commercial Reporting

• Establish and maintain key performance indicators for commercial performance.

• Develop regular business reviews and performance reporting processes.

• Provide actionable recommendations based on business performance data.

• Present business insights and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Compensation Strategy & Sales Effectiveness

• Develop end-to-end compensation strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Partner with Human Resources and Finance to ensure compensation plans drive desired commercial outcomes.

• Design and implement sales effectiveness programs and supporting tools.

• Lead regular business review sessions with commercial leadership to monitor progress and performance.

Commercial Growth Strategy

• Drive customer growth initiatives through:

• Protect – retain and maximize existing customer relationships.

• Penetrate – increase share of wallet within existing accounts.

• Grow – acquire new customers and expand strategic account opportunities.

• Identify and implement best practices to improve commercial execution.

Commercial Operations Management

• Lead Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) activities in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.

• Lead product optimization, key product stock level management and make necessary decisions for business growth.

• Own monthly forecasting processes and performance reviews.

• Drive forecasting accuracy and accountability throughout the commercial organization.

• Support and coordinate new product launches from a commercial readiness perspective.

• Partner with Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations teams to optimize business performance.

Business Model Development & Training

• Develop and deliver training programs supporting the Surgical business vision and growth strategy.

• Provide tools and frameworks that enhance sales force effectiveness.

• Implement and drive adoption of commercial business models and selling methodologies.

• Support capability development across commercial teams.

Expansion into Refractive Business

• Translate successful Surgical Commercial Excellence practices into the Refractive organization.

• Develop and implement the “Razor Razor-Blade” commercial model within the Refractive business.

• Partner with Refractive leadership to deploy growth strategies and performance management processes.

Commercial & Finance Partnership

• Serve as primary liaison between Commercial and Finance organizations.

• Drive pricing excellence initiatives.

• Improve average selling prices (ASP) through strategic pricing and product mix management.

• Identify opportunities to increase commercial profitability and operating performance.

• Support financial planning and business case development activities.

Note: Essential functions may not be limited to the tasks and responsibilities listed within this section. Ordering of essential functions does not necessarily reflect importance of item.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support special projects and strategic business initiatives.

• Participate in leadership meetings and strategic planning sessions.

• Benchmark industry best practices and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Provide coaching and consulting support to commercial leaders and sales managers.

• Complete all required company reporting, compliance, and administrative responsibilities in a timely manner.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Reports to Head of US Sales - Ophthalmic Device. Works closely with:

• Surgical Leadership Team

• Refractive Leadership Team

• Regional Directors

• Finance

• Sales Operations

• Marketing

• Human Resources

• Commercial Operations

• Supply Chain

• Global Business Partners

• Executive Leadership Team

• The role serves as a strategic advisor to commercial leadership and acts as a critical connector between business, operational, and financial functions.

Do you qualify?

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• MBA or advanced business degree preferred.

Experience:

• 8–12+ years of progressively responsible experience in Commercial Excellence, Sales Operations, Business Strategy, Finance, Commercial Analytics, or related functions.

• Medical device or healthcare industry experience preferred.

• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional business initiatives.

Skills:

• Advanced analytical and strategic planning capabilities.

• Strong business and financial acumen.

• Expertise in commercial analytics, forecasting, and business performance management.

• Experience designing compensation and incentive programs.

• Strong executive presentation and communication skills.

• Proficiency with CRM, BI, reporting, and analytics platforms.

• Superior problem-solving and project management skills.

• Ability to influence senior leaders and drive organizational change.

The annual  pay range for this position is $145,300 - $181,680.

The pay offered for this role may be influenced by factors such as job location, scope of role, qualifications, education, experience, & complexity/specialization/scarcity of talent.
  
This position is eligible for a Performance Bonus. 

ZEISS also offers robust benefits, including medical plans, retirement savings plan and paid time off.

We have amazing benefits to support you as an employee at ZEISS!

• Medical
• Vision
• Dental
• 401k Matching
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Vacation and sick pay 
• The list goes on! 

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of requirements, duties, or responsibilities. The Company reserves the right to interpret, amend, or otherwise modify, in whole or in part, any job description at any time, at its sole discretion. 

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Jo Anne Mittelman

Zeiss provides Equal Employment Opportunity without unlawful regard to an Applicants race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizen status, sexual orientation, pregnancy (includes childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical condition), genetic predisposition, carrier status, gender expression or identity, including transgender identity, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law of the employee (or the people with whom the employee associates, including relatives and friends).