Senior Director, Academic & Education Sales

HuFriedyGroup; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

HuFriedyGroup in the United States seeks a Senior Director of Academic & Education Sales to lead nationwide education sales efforts, build relationships with dental schools, hygiene programs, and allied education programs, and drive revenue growth.

You will manage Clinical Education Managers, translate market insights into opportunities, and partner with marketing, product development, and customer success to strengthen product adoption and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, Marketing, or Healthcare discipline or a related field or equivalent experience
• Dental hygienist (RDH) license required
• At least 12 years of progressive sales and/or marketing experience with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role preferably within academic or education sales
• Ability to travel up to 50%
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets in the education sector
• Strong understanding of the academic market landscape
• Proven leadership and teambuilding skills, including demonstrated success in setting direction and managing others to achieve goals utilizing sales leadership practices
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated success in managing large, geographically dispersed sales teams
• Familiarity with CRM software and data-driven sales management tools

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic sales plans targeting academic institutions and educational organizations to achieve revenue and growth objectives
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of sales professionals, setting clear goals and providing ongoing coaching to maximize performance
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key decision-makers in educational institutions to understand their needs and tailor solutions accordingly
• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, product development, and customer success teams to align sales strategies with product offerings and market demands
• Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer feedback to continuously refine sales approaches and identify new business opportunities

Skills

Sales leadership

CRM software

Negotiation

Interpersonal skills

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, Marketing, or Healthcare discipline or related field

Master's degree in Business Administration, Education Leadership, or related discipline

Job description

Join Our Team at HuFriedyGroup – Innovating Excellence in Dental Instrument Manufacturing

HuFriedyGroup is a leading manufacturer of dental instruments and infection prevention products. Our 10,000-plus products, hand-crafted by highly skilled artisans, are known for their precision, performance, longevity, reliability, and quality. To help dental professionals be The Best in Practice, HuFriedyGroup provides a unique combination of world class products, value-added services, clinical education, and dental community platforms that result in superior clinician performance and enhanced safety for dental professionals and their patients. Working at HuFriedyGroup is so much more than a job, as every employee has a part in driving and supporting the organization’s inspirational vision to be a global force in advancing dental performance through Best-In-Practice dentistry that improves lives around the world.

This position is eligible for a Sales Incentive Compensation Plan.

About The Role

The Senior Director of Academic & Education Sales is a strategic leadership position responsible for leading and directing academic and education sales efforts to achieve revenue growth and profitability targets across the United States. This is achieved by developing strong business relationships in dental schools, dental hygiene & assisting programs, and other allied dental education programs. The Senior Director manages selling activities of the Clinical Education Managers to support the achievement of annual sales objectives. This individual must be able to achieve results through direct and indirect reports, customer contacts, and other sales and marketing individuals and support activities. By leveraging deep industry knowledge and market insights, this position will identify new business opportunities and partnerships that enhance the company's product adoption and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic sales plans targeting academic institutions and educational organizations to achieve revenue and growth objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of sales professionals, setting clear goals and providing ongoing coaching to maximize performance.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key decision-makers in educational institutions to understand their needs and tailor solutions accordingly.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, product development, and customer success teams to align sales strategies with product offerings and market demands.
• Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer feedback to continuously refine sales approaches and identify new business opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, Marketing, or Healthcare discipline or a related field or equivalent experience
• Dental hygienist (RDH) license required
• At least 12 years of progressive sales and/or marketing experience with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role preferably within academic or education sales.
• Ability to travel up to 50%
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets in the education sector
• Strong understanding of the academic market landscape
• Proven leadership and teambuilding skills, including demonstrated success in setting direction and managing others to achieve goals utilizing sales leadership practices
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Education Leadership, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated success in managing large, geographically dispersed sales teams.
• Familiarity with CRM software and data-driven sales management tools.

Skills

The Senior Director will utilize advanced leadership and strategic planning skills daily to guide the sales team toward achieving ambitious goals while adapting to the evolving educational landscape. Strong communication and negotiation skills are essential for building trust and securing partnerships with diverse academic stakeholders. Analytical skills will be applied to interpret market data and customer insights, enabling informed decision-making and targeted sales strategies. Proficiency with CRM and sales analytics tools will support effective pipeline management and performance tracking. Additionally, the ability to collaborate cross-functionally ensures alignment between sales initiatives and product development, enhancing overall customer satisfaction and business growth.

Equal Employment Opportunity & Accessibility Statement

HuFriedyGroup is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, disability status, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

If you require reasonable accommodations to apply for a position, participate in the recruitment process, or perform essential job functions, please contact us at 773-868-5534. We are committed to supporting you throughout your journey with HuFriedyGroup!