Strategic Account Director

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead intricate contract negotiations with senior-level academic and administrative leaders.

• Own the account strategy and forecasting for institutions within the designated territory.

• Create multi-year growth, retention, and expansion strategies.

• Identify and leverage significant institutional opportunities.

• Develop financial models and arguments showcasing the return on investment of Cengage Unlimited.

• Spearhead executive-level new business development through sales engagement, networking, market research, and targeted outreach.

• Propel institutional revenue growth, renewals, upsells, expansions, and conversion opportunities.

• Clearly communicate the value of Cengage products and services in relation to affordability, equity of access, student persistence, and academic achievement.

• Oversee IA/EA/CUI data analysis utilizing enrollment, usage, pricing, and adoption insights.

• Lead institutional change management efforts towards digital access models.

• Manage customer relationships through kickoffs, onboarding support, executive success reviews, and strategic engagement.

• Provide advice to institutional collaborators utilizing data-driven insights.

• Collaborate with sales, channel, customer success, marketing, and operations teams.

• Maintain pipeline, opportunities, and accounts within Salesforce.

• Offer thought leadership on Cengage institutional business models and account strategy.

• Synthesize executive-level insights and institutional trends for Cengage leadership.

⛳️ Requirements

• BA or BS degree.

• Over 5 years of successful experience in educational or enterprise-level sales.

• Demonstrated ability to own and execute strategic account plans with long-term revenue responsibility.

• Strong experience in high-level negotiations.

• Excellent analytical, written, verbal, and presentation skills.

• Comprehensive understanding of higher education institutional financial and academic decision-making frameworks.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM platforms, preferably Salesforce.

• Willingness to travel to key customers for in-person negotiations, on-campus meetings, conferences, and Cengage partner events; 35–50% travel is encouraged.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package.

• Variable Sales incentive compensation program.

• Individual target annual incentive compensation of $57,500 USD (actual earnings may vary and are not guaranteed).

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, including during the job application process.