Director - Strategic Thought Leader Engagement

OUR COMPANY
Dermsquared^® is the leading education, information, and services platform for dermatology professionals to elevate patient care. We serve our community of HCPs by providing practical clinical and non-clinical content through digital and in-person connections​. We provide our community with solutions to serve their patients through onsite and digital educational content based on the newest and best therapies and techniques from respected thought leaders in the field of dermatology as well as services to enhance their career trajectories. Our offerings have been proven to enhance clinician confidence, demonstrated by our exceptional audience and partner retention rates for our ecosystem.  For more details on our clinician offerings and continuing medical education, please visit our portfolio companies on the hcesquared.com website. Our conferences can be viewed at www.dermsquared.org

WHY JOIN HCESQUARED®?
At HCEsquared®, our mission is simple: elevate patient outcomes by elevating the people who deliver care. When you join us, you become part of a team that blends healthcare expertise, educational excellence, and a shared commitment to making a measurable impact.

Meaningful Work
Your contributions directly strengthen the skills and performance of healthcare professionals. Your work ultimately improves patient lives.

Growth-Driven Culture
We develop our people through coaching, stretch assignments, and opportunities to lead. Your professional growth isn’t a perk, it’s a priority.

Values-Led Teamwork
You’ll collaborate with high-performing colleagues who care about integrity and continuous improvement.

Empowered Innovation
We encourage new ideas and give you the autonomy to innovate and improve processes.

Flexibility With Accountability
Remote work creates the flexibility you need while maintaining the high expectations for performance, communication, and ownership.

THE ESSENTIALS

This role is best suited for individuals who thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and bring a proven track record of delivering results through strong partnership and influence.

• Vision – the ability to zoom out, define what “good” looks like, and clearly communicate that direction across and beyond the organization.
• Strategic problem solving – the ability to translate vision into action by breaking complex opportunities or challenges into simple, executable strategies.
• Grounded Leadership – the ability to lead with confidence in direction while demonstrating humility in execution, taking ownership, seeking input, and adapting as new information emerges.
• Accountability and collaboration – the ability to take ownership of outcomes while motivating others to work effectively across the organization and setting clear expectations.
• Grit – the willingness and ability to overcome challenges, move beyond ideas, and consistently drive results.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Director, Strategic Thought Leader Engagement  
Reporting to: Head of Strategic Marketing 
Location: Remote (Eastern or Central U.S.)
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. HCEsquared® does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Director, Strategic Thought Leader Engagement is responsible for building, nurturing, and managing a dynamic network of key opinion leaders (KOLs), rising experts, and clinical influencers in the field of dermatology. This individual will develop and maintain the connective tissue between leading voices in dermatology and our internal teams, ensuring that our programs, solutions, and strategic projects are informed, inspired, and driven by real-world expertise.

The role will serve as a “player-coach,” requiring agility to build an overall KOL engagement strategy for the business and operationalize it on the ground as we grow this capability. This role will focus on how Dermsquared at scale can foster long-term partnerships with experts, co-create meaningful opportunities for collaboration, and cultivate a vibrant thought leader community that shapes the future of dermatology and continues to make Dermsquared the indispensable resource for the dermatology community. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Community Building & Expert Engagement Strategy

• Develop and refine an overall strategic KOL community engagement plan to have a playbook to scale deep and meaningful relationships with KOLs and other experts. 
• Craft meaningful value propositions for KOLs to contribute their insights, grow their influence, and connect with peers.
• Map, tier, and segment the dermatology expert landscape to ensure holistic representation across sub-specialties, regions, and perspectives.
• Facilitate strategic touchpoints with experts, including roundtables, expert panels, fireside chats, podcasts, and networking opportunities.

KOL Identification & Relationship Building

• Proactively identify and engage established and emerging voices in dermatology across academic institutions, private practice, professional societies, and digital platforms.
• Create personalized engagement plans for high impact thought leaders to involve them in editorial projects, educational initiatives, and thought leadership activities.
• Build and maintain trusted, ongoing relationships with KOLs and experts to foster a collaborative, inclusive network that supports the company’s mission.

Content Strategy Support

• Partner with editorial, medical, and digital teams to integrate KOL insights into the planning and development of content—such as articles, video series, interviews, newsletters, and social campaigns.
• Help shape editorial themes and topic pipelines based on ongoing conversations with the expert community and key trends in dermatology.
• Serve as a clearinghouse of experts by facilitating introductions and connections between KOLs and internal content creators, editors, and strategists. Partner with internal teams to match KOLs with company needs.

Congress and Event Activation

• Attend major dermatology meetings to deepen relationships, identify rising experts, and gather insights on evolving topics.
• Organize and support KOL-driven activities at events, such as expert meetups, interviews, commentary, or post-conference discussions.
• Act as a visible representative of the company within the dermatology community. 

Internal Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with business development, content creation, product, and marketing teams to align KOL engagement with broader company initiatives and brand goals.
• Share regular updates, feedback, and insights from the field to inform internal strategy and planning.

QUALIFICATIONS

Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, health communication, or related field; advanced degree (e.g., PhD, MD, PA/NP, PharmD, or Master’s) is a plus.
• 3+ years of experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical publishing, healthcare engagement, or a similar role involving relationship-building with healthcare professionals, such as professional affairs.
• Experience strategizing, developing, and managing enterprise-level plans
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a talent for building genuine, lasting professional relationships.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively across departments in a fast-paced, content-rich environment.
• Willingness to travel (up to 50%) for events, meetings, and expert engagements.

Preferred Attributes

• Strong familiarity with the dermatology landscape—including clinical trends, influential voices, and key issues shaping the field.
• Deep curiosity about dermatology and healthcare education.
• Established network of contacts in dermatology (academic, clinical, or influencer circles).
• Experience working with physicians, researchers, and other clinicians in content, communications, or education settings.
• Comfortable speaking and collaborating with senior clinical experts and rising thought leaders alike

SALARY & BENEFITS

This is an opportunity to do meaningful work, grow your impact, and continue developing your expertise within a high-performing, mission-driven organization.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. HCEsquared® offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, flexibility, and professional growth of our team, including:

• Fully remote work environment with a flexible time off policy
• Dedicated professional development support, including reimbursement for approved learning and development activities.
• Comprehensive wellness benefits, including medical, vision, and dental coverage, with a significant portion of premiums subsidized for employees and eligible dependents, as well as access to HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care FSA plans
• Employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching
• Cell phone reimbursement for business use
• Home office stipend to support a productive remote setup