VP, Strategic Client Partnerships

About The Opportunity

A new kind of post-sale leadership. Norstella's Real World Data business is standing up a dedicated commercial customer success function to own the full subscription lifecycle across RWD, IHD Platform, and IHD Insights as a Service. This is a net-new team - and this VP role is its cornerstone.

The VP, Strategic Client Partnerships will build and lead a team of Strategic Client Directors and a Renewal Operations Specialist, with a mandate to drive value realization, identify expansion opportunities, and ensure every renewal is earned well before the contract anniversary. This is a commercially-focused leadership role: you will be measured on net revenue retention, expansion ARR, and renewal rate - not on delivery metrics.

Responsibilities

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

• Build and lead the team. Hire, develop, and manage four Strategic Client Directors and a Renewal Operations Specialist. Define the operating model, playbooks, and escalation protocols that keep the team commercially focused.
• Own key executive relationships. Personally hold senior relationships at the most strategic accounts across RWD, IHD Platform, and IHD IaaS. Maintain visibility at the decision-making level throughout the contract year - not just at renewal.
• Drive value realization. Ensure every client can articulate what Norstella RWD delivers for their business. Lead structured quarterly business reviews that translate data usage into clear ROI narratives.
• Identify and develop expansion opportunities. Surface upsell signals - new data modules, seat expansions, adjacent Norstella products - and route them to Sales and Pre-Sales Solutioning with enough context to convert.
• Ensure smooth renewals. Renewals should be a formality, not a negotiation. Partner with the Renewal Operations Specialist to ensure contracting is closed 30 or more days before expiry, and that pricing conversations happen from a position of demonstrated value.
• Coordinate, not absorb. When delivery issues arise, route them to Data Ops, LinQ Support, or Engagement Management - and follow through. This team escalates and advocates; it does not own delivery resolution.
• Feed the commercial loop. Create a consistent feedback mechanism between this team and Sales, Pre-Sales Solutioning, and Consulting so expansion signals are captured and acted on quickly.

Commercial KPIs

How Success Is Measured

• Net Revenue Retention: Primary health metric. Target above 110%, reflecting growth from existing accounts.
• Expansion ARR: New revenue from existing accounts - upsells, cross-sells, and seat expansions.
• Gross Renewal Rate: Percentage of ARR renewed on time, at or above contract value.

Escalation Model

COORDINATE, DON'T ABSORB - CLEAR OWNERSHIP BOUNDARIES THIS ROLE MUST PROTECT

• Product & Support Issues: LinQ Support and Product own resolution. This team escalates and tracks.
• New Implementation Work: Engagement Management and Delivery own new builds. This team coordinates access.
• Consulting Engagements: Consulting owns scoping and delivery. This team identifies the need and connects the teams.
• Commercial Negotiations: The Renewal Specialist manages contracting. The VP provides strategic direction and approves terms.

Essential Requirements

• Proven client leadership experience in a post-sale, commercially-focused role - ideally within life sciences data, healthcare, or biopharma
• Demonstrated ability to manage and grow a team of senior client-facing professionals
• Strong executive presence with experience building and maintaining C-suite relationships
• Track record of meeting or exceeding NRR, expansion ARR, or equivalent commercial targets
• Experience leading multi-year renewal negotiations and complex contracting processes
• Deep understanding of real world data, healthcare data, or adjacent life-sciences data products
• Ability to set clear boundaries, protect team scope, and prevent role accumulation
• Strong communicator and cross-functional collaborator - Sales, Delivery, Product, Consulting

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with Salesforce or equivalent CRM for pipeline and renewal tracking
• Experience building a new post-sale function from scratch
• Background in RWD, IHD, or Norstella product lines specifically
• Experience designing and running QBR programs at scale

Guiding Principles

At Norstella

• 01: Bold, Passionate, and Mission-First
• 02: Integrity, Truth, and Reality
• 03: Kindness, Empathy, and Grace
• 04: Resilience, Mettle, and Perseverance
• 05: Humility, Gratitude, and Learning

Benefits

• Medical and Prescription Drug Benefits
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Dental & Vision Benefits
• Basic Life and AD&D Benefits
• 401k Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Company Paid Short & Long-Term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Time Off & Company Holidays