Chief Commercial Officer

Carl Zeiss AG; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 240,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Dental

401k Matching

Employee Assistance Programs

Vacation and sick pay

Job summary

ZEISS in the United States seeks a Chief Commercial Officer to lead the development and execution of the go‑to‑market strategy for the US lens business. You will drive revenue growth, optimize commercial functions, and align product, operations, and finance to deliver profitable growth and an exceptional customer experience.

Strategic oversight includes defining a 3–5 year revenue plan, leading sales, marketing, pricing, and customer success, and building a high‑performing, cross‑functional team

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field.
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• 12–20 years of progressive commercial leadership experience with P&L responsibility.
• Experience leading sales, marketing, pricing, and customer success teams with multi-channel GTM.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the US lens go-to-market vision and 3–5 year revenue plan.
• Own revenue targets, forecast accuracy, and quota setting.
• Lead and optimize sales, marketing, and customer success motions.
• Architect multi-channel sales approaches (direct, indirect, partner, and digital).
• Drive pricing, packaging, and discounting strategies.

Skills

Leadership

GTM strategy

Sales

Marketing

Pricing

Customer success

Forecasting

CRM (Salesforce)

Data analytics

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing/Economics

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

Salesforce

HubSpot

Marketo

Job description

About Us:

How many companies can say they’ve been in business for over 179 years?! Here at ZEISS, we certainly can! As the pioneers of science, ZEISS handles the everchanging environments in a fast-paced world, meeting it with cutting edge of 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!

What’s the role?

As Chief Commercial Officer is responsible for the development and execution of the company’s go-to-market strategy to drive sustainable revenue growth, maximize customer lifetime value, and optimize all commercial functions (sales, marketing, pricing, channel, and customer success) for the US lens market. The CCO ensures alignment across product, operations, and finance to deliver profitable growth and a best‑in‑class customer experience.

Strategy and leadership

Define and execute the company’s commercial vision, go-to-market strategy, and 3–5 year revenue plan for the US lens business. Translate market insights into differentiated value propositions and scalable revenue growth. Prioritize investments across sales, marketing, pricing, and partnerships to hit top‑line and profitability targets.

Revenue growth and performance

Own revenue targets, pipeline generation, forecast accuracy, and quota setting. Lead and optimize sales, marketing, and customer success motions to maximize acquisition, retention, and expansion. Develop and manage pricing, packaging, and discounting strategies to improve margin and competitiveness.

Go‑to‑market execution

Architect multi‑channel sales approaches (direct, indirect, partner, and digital) and oversee lens channel strategy. Oversee demand generation, branding, product marketing, and enablement programs. Drive a cohesive customer lifecycle with a focus on adoption, expansion, and advocacy.

Customer and partner ecosystem

Build and manage strategic partnerships, alliances, and ecosystem programs. Ensure a superior customer experience across pre‑sale, onboarding, support, and renewals. Establish strong governance for customer insights to influence product and service offerings.

Operations, analytics, and governance

Implement data‑driven processes for planning, budgeting, and performance tracking. Oversee CRM, analytics, and reporting to sales, marketing, and customer success leadership. Collaborate with Product, Finance, Legal, and Compliance to ensure scalable and compliant commercial practices.

People and culture

Recruit, mentor, and retain top commercial talent; foster a high‑performance, inclusive culture. Align incentives, recognition, and development programs with company goals. Promote cross‑functional collaboration and a culture of accountability.

Dimensions / Key Data

• Revenue growth and revenue mix by product/region
• Sales pipeline velocity, conversion rates, and quota attainment
• Gross margin and overall profitability of go‑to‑market programs
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC) and either lifetime value (LTV) or payback period
• Net revenue retention (NRR) and expansion rate
• Customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS) and time‑to‑value
• Channel partner performance and partner profitability
• Forecast accuracy and go‑to‑market ROI
• Employee engagement and turnover within commercial teams

Do you qualify?

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred ABO Certification desirable. 12–20 years of progressive commercial leadership experience, including P&L responsibility. Demonstrated track record of delivering top‑line growth and improving margins in a B2B or B2B2C environment. Experience leading sales, marketing, pricing, and customer success teams, ideally with multi‑channel/go‑to‑market strategies. Strong data analytics, forecasting, and CRM systems experience (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo). International experience and comfort working across multiple regions and cultures. Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive stake holding skills. Change management and talent development capabilities. Strategic thinker with a hands‑on, execution‑focused mindset. Customer‑obsessed and data‑driven decision maker. Collaborative leader who builds trust and drives cross‑functional alignment. Resilient, adaptable, and able to manage ambiguity in a fast‑paced environment.

Working Environment:

Travel up to 90% as required. Occasional evening/weekend work aligned with global teams and key events.

The annual pay range for this position is $240,000 - $300,200. 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.

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!

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Debra Ann Rybolt, Lindsay Walker Goodman 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).

Diversity is a part of ZEISS.

We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.

Step out of your comfort zone, excel and redefine the limits of what is possible. That’s just what our employees are doing every single day – in order to set the pace through our innovations and enable outstanding achievements. After all, behind every successful company are many great fascinating people. In a spacious modern setting full of opportunities for further development, ZEISS employees work in a place where expert knowledge and team spirit reign supreme. All of this is supported by a special ownership structure and the long‑term goal of the Carl Zeiss Foundation: to bring science and society into the future together.