The Associate Director - Key Accounts is a full-time exempt role that supports the operational success and growth of key client accounts within the Life Sciences industry. This position reports to the VP, Key Accounts, and works closely with the Account Director to help coordinate client support, maintain alignment across internal teams, and contribute to the overall success of the account relationship.
The Associate Director - Key Accounts develops an understanding of assigned client operations, technical service needs, and business priorities. Working closely with Account Directors, Service Line Leaders, Project Managers, and Subject Matter Experts, this role helps identify opportunities with existing accounts and serves as a primary day-to-day client contact, helping coordinate project execution, support account growth, and strengthen long-term client relationships. This hybrid client-facing position combines technical project delivery with account coordination and commercial support while maintaining a meaningful level of billable utilization (60. 50%).
Expectations and Responsibilities:
Client Relationship Management & Account Growth
• Support the Account Director and commercial leadership in managing and growing key client relationships.
• • Maintain regular communication with assigned clients to understand operational priorities,upcoming initiatives, and areas where company services can provide value.
• Identify opportunities for repeat business, expanded scopes of work, and additional service offerings within existing accounts.
• Participate in client meetings, business reviews, and account planning discussions in support of the Account Director and VP, Key Accounts.
• Support account plans and growth activities aligned with client needs and the overall direction set by account leadership.
• Develop an understanding of the clients broader business objectives, capital investment priorities, organizational structure, and strategic initiatives.
Technical & Operational Account Leadership
• Develop a strong understanding of Performance Validations service offerings, methodologies, technical capabilities, and operational delivery models.
• Develop an understanding of client commissioning, qualification, and validation strategies to communicate effectively with technical stakeholders.
• Contribute to technical discussions related to validation, commissioning, qualification, engineering, quality systems, temperature mapping, cleanroom operations, and related compliance activities as needed to support client opportunities.
• Understand resource requirements, project execution considerations, and delivery risks when supporting client opportunities.
• Help align client expectations with operational capabilities to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Develop awareness of competitor activities, delivery models, and market positioning to support account strategy.
• Maintain awareness of competitor activities, delivery models, and market positioning to support account strategy. Project Delivery and Technical Execution
• Execute billable client work consistent with individual technical capabilities, qualifications, and service line needs.
• Serve as a project lead, project manager, or technical contributor on client engagements as assigned.
• Balance project delivery responsibilities with account management responsibilities. Proposal Development & Commercial Support
• Support the preparation of proposals, Statements of Work (SOWs), bid responses, and presentation materials for existing client opportunities.
• Collaborate with technical and operational teams to gather scope, resourcing, scheduling, and pricing information.
• Help ensure proposals are accurate, timely, commercially sound, and aligned with client expectations.
• Support the preparation of bid defenses, capability presentations, and client solution discussions.
• Qualify both technical and non-technical aspects of opportunities, including stakeholder alignment, procurement strategies, competitive landscape, evaluation criteria, and potential barriers to award. Operational & Service Delivery Coordination • Partner with Service Delivery and Project Leadership teams to ensure successful transition from proposal award to project execution.
• Coordinate communication of client expectations, project scope, and operational requirements to delivery teams.
• Help ensure projects and client interactions maintain alignment with company quality standards and delivery expectations.
• Develop familiarity with project execution processes, staffing models, utilization considerations, and service delivery metrics.
Strategic Client Support
• Support strategic growth initiatives for Life Sciences Manufacturing clients by helping coordinate internal resources and client needs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify client pain points and recommend value-driven solutions.
• Stay aware of industry trends, customer needs, and competitive activity to help inform account discussions and opportunity planning.
• Participate in relevant industry events or organizations, as appropriate, to support client relationships and market awareness.
Technical Skills Required:
• Working knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing, CQV, validation, engineering, or related technical disciplines.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical subject matter experts, project teams, and client stakeholders.
• Experience supporting proposals, Statements of Work (SOWs), or client-facing commercial activities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Special Skills Required:
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across technical, operational, and commercial teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of working in a dynamic client-facing environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality and professionalism.
• Intellectual curiosity and a proactive approach to understanding client organizations, industry trends, and market dynamics.
• Consultative mindset with the ability to provide strategic advice and recommendations rather than simply execute assigned tasks.
• Ability to build and nurture relationships with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Qualifications & Education Requirements:
• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Business, Management, or related technical field preferred. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Life Sciences, pharmaceutical manufacturing, consulting, account support, project coordination, or commercial support roles.
• Prior experience in a regulated cGMP environment. • Experience working within cross-functional project teams.
Additional Information
Position type: Full-time, exempt. This role reports to the VP, Key Accounts.
Location: This is an onsite position based at the client site in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Travel: Availability to travel is required.
Pay Range: $100,000 - $130,000 per year
