Director of Clinical Education

About the Company

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 Dry Eye, 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.

Visionary Medical Education (VME) is our accredited independent medical education partner, delivering continuing education programming for optometrists and ophthalmologists across the United States that is accredited by the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) and works with partner organization's to deliver ACCME accredited education.

About the Role

The Director, Clinical Education is the clinical and scientific backbone of VME's educational programming. You own the educational product end to end, from needs assessment and curriculum architecture through faculty selection, learning design, program execution, and outcomes measurement. You are the reason Medical Affairs teams trust that an accredited grant translates into rigorous, independent, high-quality education.

This role is built for a clinician or clinical educator with deep ophthalmic or optometric expertise who has moved into medical education and wants to build something substantial. You bring strong research and analytical instincts, working fluency across the full clinical landscape of eyecare, and the ability to translate complex science into rigorous, practical education that changes how clinicians think and practice.

You will work closely with the Director, Grant Revenue and Supporter Relations to develop educational concepts that address documented practice gaps. You serve as the scientific and educational lead throughout the program lifecycle, from gap analysis through curriculum delivery and outcomes reporting. Educational content, faculty selection, and learning objectives are determined independently of commercial supporters, and protecting that independence is part of the work.

Key Responsibilities

Educational Strategy and Curriculum Development

• Lead the design and development of accredited continuing education programming for optometrists and ophthalmologists across the full clinical landscape of eyecare, including anterior segment, cornea and ocular surface, dry eye and meibomian gland disease, glaucoma, retina, refractive, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatrics, and emerging therapeutic areas.
• Conduct rigorous needs assessments using peer-reviewed literature, survey data, claims data, publication trends, and clinician feedback to identify genuine clinical practice gaps.
• Develop measurable learning objectives that meet educational design standards and align with ACCME and COPE accreditation requirements.
• Select and justify educational formats based on identified gaps and audience needs, including live symposia, enduring online modules, hybrid programs, case-based learning, and other delivery models.
• Translate clinical evidence and emerging science into clear, actionable educational experiences that move learners toward competence and performance change.

Program Design and Educational Materials

• Lead the design and build of educational assets across program types, including slide decks, faculty briefing documents, case studies, panel and roundtable formats, enduring materials, and live program flow and structure.
• Set and enforce visual, narrative, and scientific quality standards across all VME educational materials.
• Partner with content and design teams to ensure that the look, structure, and learner experience of every program reflects the rigor of accredited education.
• Oversee the development of speaker materials, pre-work, learner guides, post-program resources, and any other materials that support the educational objectives of a given program.

Research and Clinical Evidence

• Maintain working fluency across the breadth of clinical eyecare and deep expertise in one or more therapeutic areas, with the ability to read, evaluate, and synthesize the primary literature.
• Lead the scientific underpinning of every VME program by sourcing, vetting, and integrating the strongest available evidence into needs assessments, learning objectives, and content.
• Track emerging clinical evidence, regulatory developments, and standard of care evolution across major therapeutic areas in eyecare.
• Translate complex clinical research into rigorous educational design without losing scientific accuracy.

Faculty and Key Opinion Leader Relationships

• Build and maintain a strong network of key opinion leaders (KOLs) and clinical faculty across optometry and ophthalmology.
• Identify, vet, and manage faculty for accredited programs in compliance with ACCME and COPE independence standards.
• Support faculty in developing scientifically rigorous, clinically relevant content that is free of commercial bias.
• Represent VME at ophthalmic society meetings, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the American Optometric Association (AOA), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and others.

Outcomes Measurement and Reporting

• Design and implement outcomes measurement strategies up to Levels 4 and 5, including pre and post knowledge assessments, competence measures, and performance change tracking.
• Collaborate on outcomes data analysis to produce evidence-based reports for supporters and accrediting bodies.
• Continuously improve evaluation frameworks so that data collection is meaningful, rigorous, and aligned with accreditation requirements.
• Contribute to the scientific quality and narrative integrity of all educational outcomes reports.

Compliance, Accreditation, and Educational Integrity

• Serve as the internal expert on COPE accreditation standards for optometric continuing education and ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence for continuing medical education.
• Maintain the firewall between educational content development and commercial supporter influence in every aspect of the work.
• Oversee faculty disclosure management, conflict of interest review, and content independence processes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Director, Grant Revenue and Supporter Relations to develop educational concepts grounded in clinical evidence and aligned with identified practice gaps.
• Contribute clinical and scientific expertise to grant proposals, including needs assessments, learning objectives, and outcomes frameworks.
• Collaborate with VME events and technology teams on program delivery and learner experience for accredited programming.
• Provide clinical review and quality oversight for all accredited educational content.

Who This Role Is For

This role is the right fit if you:

• Are a clinician or clinical educator who wants to build a credible, rigorous medical education function and is ready to make that the center of your professional life.
• Read and synthesize primary clinical literature regularly and treat research strength as a core part of the job.
• Hold deep expertise in one or more therapeutic areas of eyecare and have working fluency across the full clinical landscape.
• Take real pride in the craft of educational design, including the structure of a program, the quality of a slide deck, and the experience of a learner.
• Have a strong network of clinical thought leaders and enjoy building and maintaining those relationships.
• Understand and respect the ACCME and COPE frameworks and view educational independence as a feature of the work.
• Operate well in an entrepreneurial environment where playbooks, templates, and quality standards are still being built.

Who This Role Is Not For

This role is not the right fit if you:

• Want to remain primarily in clinical practice with education as a secondary interest.
• Are uncomfortable working alongside a grant funding function and engaging with industry Medical Affairs teams within the bounds of accredited independence.
• Prefer the structure of a traditional academic or institutional setting over the pace of an entrepreneurial environment.
• Lack familiarity with ACCME or COPE standards and have no interest in becoming the internal expert.
• Do not enjoy networking with and developing relationships with key opinion leaders.

Required Qualifications

• Must be a resident of one of the following states:  CA, CO, CT, FL, IL, KS, KY, MA, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, OH, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, and WA.
• Doctor of Optometry (OD), Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), or PhD in a health sciences field, with active or recent clinical or research experience in optometry or ophthalmology.
• Three or more years of experience in independent medical education, continuing education program development, or clinical faculty and curriculum development roles.
• Working knowledge of COPE accreditation standards. Familiarity with ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence is required as well.
• Demonstrated experience developing needs assessments, learning objectives, and educational curricula for optometrists or ophthalmologists.
• Strong research skills, including the ability to read, evaluate, and synthesize the primary clinical literature.
• Working fluency across the full clinical landscape of eyecare with deeper expertise in one or more therapeutic areas.
• Demonstrated ability to lead the design of educational materials, including slide decks, faculty briefings, learner guides, and program flow.
• Established network of clinical colleagues and thought leaders in optometry or ophthalmology.
• Strong scientific writing and communication skills, including the ability to translate clinical evidence into clear educational narratives.
• Experience with outcomes measurement design and post-activity evaluation frameworks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active relationships with ophthalmic key opinion leaders and faculty who have participated in accredited continuing education programs.
• Experience as a course director, continuing medical education committee member, or faculty developer at AAO, AOA, ASCRS, or a state optometric or ophthalmic society.
• Familiarity with Level 3 through Level 5 outcomes measurement methodology in continuing medical education and continuing optometric education.
• Experience reviewing or scoring grant proposals from the accredited provider or clinical reviewer side.
• Background as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) or clinical educator who has worked closely with independent medical education program development.
• Experience with survey-based gap analysis and educational needs assessment methodology.
• Track record of producing well-designed educational materials, including slide decks and learner-facing content.
• Comfort working in a fast-moving, technology-forward healthcare media or education company.