Senior Manager, Academic and Industry Relations Manager

The Aspen Group (TAG) is one of the largest and most trusted retail healthcare business support organizations in the U.S. and has supported over 20,000 healthcare professionals and team members with close to 1,500 health and wellness offices across 50 states in four distinct categories: dental care, urgent care, medical aesthetics, and animal health. Working in partnership with independent practice owners and clinicians, the team is united by a single purpose: to prove that healthcare can be better and smarter for everyone. TAG provides a comprehensive suite of centralized business support services that power the impact of five consumer-facing businesses: Aspen Dental, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, WellNow Urgent Care, Chapter Aesthetic Studio, and Lovet Pet Health Care. Each brand has access to a deep community of experts, tools and resources to grow their practices, and an unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality consumer healthcare experiences at scale.

As a reflection of our current needs and planned growth we are very pleased to offer a new opportunity to join our dedicated team at Aspen Dental as a Senior Manager, Academic and Industry Relations Manager.

Overview: The Senior Manager, Academic and Industry Relations Manager, General Dentist, is responsible for generating quality leads through strategic engagement with dental schools, residency programs, industry events, and academic partnerships and associations. This role assesses fit and readiness, and ensures effective handoffs to the Talent Acquisition team, playing a critical role in filling the top of the recruiting funnel and driving long-term pipeline growth. In addition to the core responsibilities, Senior Manager, Academic & Industry Relations lead and support a team of individual contributors by providing coaching and performance management, strategic vision and direction, and operational leadership to ensure team success and program effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Recruitment Strategy Execution:

Develop and execute academic recruitment strategies, including planning, hosting, and attending events at hygiene schools and industry conferences nationwide to build brand presence and generate candidate leads.

• Candidate Engagement & Handoffs:

Engage and prescreen student candidates, nurture leads, and facilitate handoffs of top prospects to the hygiene recruiting team with a focus on driving through to hire. Supports year-round hiring activity by cultivating relationships with students & industry partners, reactivating interest to bring back into the funnel, and aiding the Talent Acquisition Manager in converting hires.

• Collaboration & Communication:

Partner with Talent Acquisition, Hygiene Support, Operations, and field dentists to align strategy & priority, communicate upcoming events, and support shared goals.

• Event Management:

Coordinate all aspects of school and industry events, including logistics, communication, and post-event lead conversion.

• CRM and Documentation:

Maintain and collect accurate data and timely records of candidate activity and engagement through Phenom and surveys, ensuring visibility and transparency across the recruitment funnel.

• Faculty & Industry Relationship Management:

Build and sustain strong relationships with faculty and industry partners. Regularly document the “temperature” of faculty engagement and school openness, knowledge of community & student population, and insights on school history/demographics.

• Budget Stewardship:

Submit timely expense reports and manage event budgets responsibly, allocating resources based on impact and return.

• Cross-Functional Support:

Provide backup coverage and support for teammates as needed. Proactively participate in initiatives that benefit the team and region.

• Communication & Influence:

Prepare and deliver communications to inform and influence candidates, internal teams, and external stakeholders.

• Project Management:

Apply project management skills to execute regional and team initiatives effectively using appropriate tools and platforms.

• Creative School Engagement:

Develop creative strategies to gain access to schools and overcome entry barriers or objections. Keen focus on understanding highest yield schools and uncover strategies to grow relationships.

• KPIs:

Reviews funnel efficiency and performance to ensure alignment with Key Performance Indicators. Partners with Manager to identify opportunities for improvement and deliver resu