Head of Strategic Marketing

ZEISS in India

ZEISS in India is headquartered in Bengaluru and present in the fields of Industrial Quality Solutions, Research Microscopy Solutions, Medical Technology, Vision Care and Sports & Cine Optics.

ZEISS India has 3 production facilities, R&D center, Global IT services and about 40 Sales & Service offices in almost all Tier I and Tier II cities in India. With 2200+ employees and continued investments over 25 years in India, ZEISS’ success story in India is continuing at a rapid pace. 

Further information at ZEISS India.

The Head of Strategic Marketing & Professional Education will lead the market-shaping agenda for ZEISS Ophthalmology in India.

The role owns portfolio marketing strategy, customer segmentation, clinical advocacy, key opinion leader (KOL) engagement, professional education, digital demand generation, and new product launch excellence. Working closely with Sales, Business Management, Clinical, and Global teams, the incumbent will convert ZEISS’ clinical leadership into sustainable commercial growth and market share expansion.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Marketing & Portfolio Leadership

• Develop and execute the long-term marketing strategy for ZEISS Ophthalmology in India.
• Define portfolio positioning, value propositions, and customer segmentation strategies across cataract, refractive, surgical, diagnostic, and digital workflows.
• Identify growth opportunities across customer segments, channels, and care pathways.
• Lead annual marketing planning, budgeting, and performance reviews.
• Ensure all marketing investments are linked to measurable commercial outcomes.

2. KOL Strategy & Clinical Advocacy

• Build and lead a structured national KOL engagement and advocacy program.
• Develop relationships with leading ophthalmologists, academic institutions, societies, and clinical influencers.
• Identify and nurture emerging KOLs to strengthen ZEISS’ future influence network.
• Drive generation and dissemination of India-specific clinical evidence and success stories.
• Measure advocacy impact through surgeon engagement, influence, and commercial outcomes.

3. Professional Education & ZEISS Academy

• Lead ZEISS Academy India as a strategic platform for surgeon development and clinical excellence.
• Design and execute national education programs including wet labs, masterclasses, fellowships, simulation training, and digital learning initiatives.
• Build scalable education models that strengthen surgeon capability, loyalty, and preference for ZEISS technologies.
• Establish ROI measurement frameworks for all education initiatives.
• Lead congress and scientific engagement strategy across national and regional ophthalmology forums.

4. Product Launch & Market Development

• Lead end-to-end new product introduction and launch excellence.
• Conduct market assessments, opportunity sizing, and launch planning.
• Develop differentiated go-to-market strategies for new technologies and workflows.
• Ensure launch readiness across Sales, Clinical, Service, Operations, and Global stakeholders.
• Accelerate adoption and commercial success of newly launched products and services.

5. Demand Generation & Customer Engagement

• Develop integrated B2B, B2B2C, and patient-awareness programs that support business growth.
• Create initiatives that enhance patient awareness and premium procedure adoption.
• Partner with hospitals, eye-care chains, and key accounts to drive workflow utilization and patient conversion.
• Develop customer journey programs that improve awareness, consideration, adoption, and advocacy.

6. Digital Marketing & Commercial Enablement

• Lead digital marketing strategy and marketing automation platforms.
• Drive lead generation, nurturing, and conversion programs in partnership with Sales.
• Utilize digital channels, webinars, social media, content marketing, and marketing automation to drive demand.
• Establish performance dashboards and analytics frameworks to continuously improve ROI.

7. Customer & Market Insights

• Build a robust market intelligence capability covering customer needs, competitive activity, market trends, and emerging opportunities.
• Translate insights into actionable business strategies and growth initiatives.
• Support portfolio planning, product development, and commercial decision-making through data-driven recommendations.

8. Team Leadership

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing marketing and professional education organization.
• Create a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Develop future marketing leaders through coaching, mentoring, and capability-building initiatives.
• Foster strong partnerships across Sales, Clinical, Service, Finance, and Global teams.

9. Governance & Budget Management

• Own the strategic marketing and professional education budget.
• Ensure effective resource allocation and return on investment.
• Maintain compliance with ZEISS policies, healthcare regulations, and ethical standards.
• Provide regular business reviews and performance updates to leadership.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences, Engineering, Healthcare, or related field.
• MBA preferred.

Experience

• 12–15 years of progressive experience in healthcare, medical technology, or life sciences marketing.
• Experience in ophthalmology, surgical devices, diagnostics, or premium healthcare markets preferred.
• Demonstrated success in strategic marketing, product launches, KOL engagement, and demand generation.
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams.

Critical Success Factors

• Strategic marketing and portfolio leadership
• Clinical advocacy and KOL management
• Professional education program development
• Product launch excellence
• Digital marketing and demand generation
• Commercial acumen and business impact orientation
• Stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Leadership and talent development

Key Performance Indicators

• Revenue growth and market share expansion
• Portfolio adoption and premium mix improvement
• New product launch performance
• Marketing-generated pipeline and conversion
• KOL engagement and advocacy outcomes
• Professional education effectiveness and reach
• Digital campaign ROI
• Team engagement, capability development, and retention

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