Bring your experience as an account executive or lab / brand sales consultant in the medical, pharma, or optical industries to a strategic role where you’ll use your training, communication, and business development skills. Quick question for you - click here The role of Strategic Initiative Specialist offers compelling opportunities, as you will:

• Play a key role on a newly developed national team that serves as the bridge between exciting corporate growth initiatives and execution in the field.
• Enjoy wide visibility and influence supporting the field where you’ll work within a strategic framework while helping to develop this role, making your mark, and coming up with ideas to help drive the business forward.
• Join a growing global industry leader. Our 2018 merger with Luxottica made us the world's largest player in the eyewear industry.
• Have the opportunity to shape and influence your role. We promote entrepreneurship and encourage team members to leverage the full range of their talents and stretch beyond their job descriptions. In this new role, your strong ideas will be welcomed and appreciated.
• Join an organization driven by a threefold mission: Improving lives by improving sight, Innovating for better vision, and Reaching the 2.7 billion underserved.

We have two Strategic Initiative Specialist roles available, one in the Northeast and one in the West region, so please share this information with your network of qualified peers.

Improving Lives By Improving Sight. Essilor of America, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of eyeglass lenses in the United States, employs more than 10,000 people and operates the largest and most comprehensive optical laboratory network in the U.S. Essilor of America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, and other brands, and our products are worn by one billion people daily. Essilor has been on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Innovative Companies every year since 2010, and we ranked #62 out of 700 corporations awarded the title "Diversity Leader 2020" by the Financial Times.

To meet the basic qualification for this role, you will have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship. In addition, to be a good fit for the Strategic Initiative Specialist opportunity, you will have:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a similar field, or equivalent experience Quick question for you - click here
• 3+ years of experience as an Account Executive, or Lab / Brand Sales Consultant role, ideally with a background in eyecare industry sales or sales management, or experience in a similar industry Quick question for you - click here
• Customer-facing experience and consistent urgency to follow through on all internal and external commitments and communication
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Computer proficiency including experience with Microsoft Office programs
• An understanding of financial concepts and how sales activities impact the P & L and other financial measures
• Demonstrated ability to work both through and alongside front-line salespeople, but independent enough to work alone and directly with customers where needed
• The ability to travel throughout your region about 40-50% of your time Quick question for you - click here

Preferred but not required:

• Some Sales Management experience preferred

Reporting to the National Manager of the Managed Vision Care Program, you will partner with Account Executives, Sales Managers, and influence key customers directly to support the region with our biggest corporate initiatives. You will act as a sales consultant to develop the potential in our partnership programs, engage in training, and work on continuous improvement, all in the service of driving growth. This is a field support role, so you will spend about 50% of your time traveling throughout your region. Though you will not have any direct reports, you’ll need a leadership mentality to ensure program compliance and help the teams get the most out of the initiatives.

Your goal will be to challenge, encourage, work with, and support the field teams to be better at what they do. The work is based around our corporate programs, so you’ll conduct trainings, workshops, calls, one-on-ones, and any support needed to help customers maintain compliance. You’ll be in constant communication with customers, as well as interacting with the rest of the teams and collaborating to find the best ways to help the business grow.

Some of your specific tasks will be to:

• Conduct seminars and presentations for customers as requested by the Account Executive to market the current initiatives, such as Essilor Experts and Smartbook.
• Works closely with the Strategic Account Directors, VPGMs, Sales Managers and Account Executives across channels.
• Perform a minimum of monthly business reviews with manager. A minimum of quarterly business reviews with Sales Managers across channels.
• Both assist and leverage the Sales broader organization to align efforts and strategic initiatives that are in place with our largest, national customers.
• Work to assist the marketing department by accumulating competitive information. Support Marketing in gathering information required to calculate clear ROIs on marketing investments made.
• Attend industry trade shows, team meetings, customer meetings and conferences as needed.
• Ensure that customers' needs are represented in leadership meetings within the Regional Business reviews.
• Focus on developing strong working relationships with corporate internal customers to ensure ability to maximize and deliver on opportunities with their assigned external customers.
• Document in a timely and detailed manner all customer interactions, commitments and meaningful communication via the company-approved CRM system.
• Complete all requested and required administrative tasks such as Travel and Entertainment expenses, monthly reports, Account Plans and other requests on time and complete.

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Impact and visibility
This is a leadership position where the region will look to you to help drive and develop people to execute in their own roles. You’ll have the opportunity to work with many cross-functional team members, developing a network and building your visibility throughout the organization.

Professional development
Though you could be happy and challenged in this role for years to come, success in the role could also set you up to pursue advancement in Sales, Marketing, or other areas. You’ll develop skillsets in leadership, management, influencing, marketing, and more, allowing you to build your own path with plenty of avenues for growth. At Essilor, we support our employees' professional growth and development.

Autonomy and support
Your manager’s style is to sit back, get out of your way, and let you do your job. At the same time. You'll enjoy the autonomy to take ownership of your role and excel. At the same time, you will have strong support and mentorship. Your manager is always available to answer questions, strategize, and help you succeed. We'll ensure you have the training, tools and support to get started, as well as plenty of support along the way.

Great environment
This is a team environment where we believe in ensuring everyone feels part of the family and part of something greater. We ask questions and challenge each other, and though you'll have plenty of autonomy, you’ll also be part of a team that will have your back. Our team includes dedicated, sharp and mutually supportive professionals. Our culture is entrepreneurial and fresh, backed by 170 years of success.

Truly living our values
At Essilor, we believe everyone deserves to see life and all its detail with the best vision possible. That's why, in addition to designing, manufacturing and distributing quality vision care solutions worldwide, we invest in raising awareness of the importance of good vision, support eye care professionals, invent new technologies and products, and support philanthropic initiatives. We also are committed to robust standards for environmental sustainability. These are just a couple of reasons we were one of the 52 companies named to Fortune magazine's 2019 Change the World list.

Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive salary, we offer an exceptional mix of first-rate benefits, including medical, dental and vision plans; a 401(k) plan with company match; tuition reimbursement; comprehensive training through Essilor University; lens and frame benefits for you and your family; an employee stock purchase plan with company match; and more.

Video: As part of the #DifferenceMakers campaign, Essilor chose four eyecare professionals and three Essilor employees to participate in a mission trip to Southeast Asia in March 2019.

To excel in this role you will need to understand how to work within the framework provided by corporate and see the big picture, while also finding continuous improvement opportunities on a smaller scale. You’ll need to be a proactive self-starter who is also great at collaborating with the team and getting things done through influence. You’ll have lots of information, and will need to apply it where needed, such as to leverage our programs with the right audiences, or to ensure everyone is kept in the loop on a development.

The pace here is fast and change happens frequently. Those who excel at Essilor truly enjoy the dynamic environment and remain agile and able to pivot. In addition, in order to be an outstanding Strategic Initiative Specialist, you will:

• Take full ownership of your responsibilities, following them through to their conclusion
• Be naturally inquisitive; listen for answers; think on your feet
• Effectively train your audience; simultaneously asking key questions, gathering data and analyzing outcomes
• Pay close attention to detail, while also grasping the bigger picture
• Bring strong energy, drive and goal orientation
• Combine analytical skills with creativity in solving problems
• Work individually and also as a strong team player
• Keep a constant eye out for ways to improve processes and efficiencies

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity, and you meet the minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply!