Strategic Account Director (Remote)

About the role

We are seeking a Strategic Account Director to join our team. This role is a key member of the Cengage North America Higher Education Sales Group, responsible for serving as a senior, customer-facing role with strategic accountability for account-level revenue and relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex contract negotiations with senior-level academic and administrative leaders, including provosts, chief academic officers, finance, and procurement collaborators.
• Own the overall account strategy and forecast for each institution within the assigned territory.
• Develop multi-year growth, retention, and expansion plans that align with institutional priorities and Cengage business objectives.
• Strategically identify and capitalize on high-impact institutional opportunities, ensuring alignment with customer objectives and improved student outcomes.
• Develop financial models and arguments that align Cengage Unlimited (CU) benefits with the institution’s specific budgetary and retention goals to demonstrate the return on investment.
• Spearhead new business development opportunities at an executive level through personal sales engagement, networking, market research, and targeted outreach.
• Drive institutional revenue growth and CU renewals by proactively managing renewal timelines and upsell, expansion, and conversion opportunities in partnership with Solutions Specialists.
• Clearly articulate the value proposition of Cengage products and services in support of institutional priorities such as affordability, equity of access, student persistence, and academic achievement.

Requirements

BA or BS degree, 5+ years of successful experience in educational or enterprise-level sales, proven ability to own and complete strategic account plans with long-term revenue accountability, strong background in high-level negotiations, strong analytical, written, verbal, and presentation skills, deep understanding of higher-education institutional financial and academic decision-making structures, proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM platforms, preferably Salesforce.

Qualifications

Experience in educational or enterprise-level sales, ability to lead complex negotiations, strong analytical and communication skills, understanding of higher-education institutional financial and academic decision-making structures, proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM platforms, preferably Salesforce.

Skills

• Thought leadership within the institutional sales process
• Foster collaborative, high-trust relationships across internal teams
• Synthesize executive-level insights and institutional trends to help Cengage leadership refine product strategy and business model

Benefits

Cengage is committed to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

Pay

$77,100.00 - $100,200.00 USD

Schedule

Travel requirements: 35–50% travel encouraged