SUMMARY: The Strategic Account Director (SAM) serves as the primary relationship owner and business steward for Nextern's high profile strategic customers. This roll owns strategic direction, financial performance, and long-term growth of large, complex accounts carrying multi-million dollar revenue responsibility, spanning both new product development (NPD) programs and sustaining/production operations.

The Strategic Account Director builds and sustains relationships with Sr. Director, VP, and C-Suite level customer stakeholders; aligns Operations, Quality, and R&D around account priorities; and proactively identifies risk before it reaches the customer. This role owns all customer contracts and forecasts accountability and represents the customer's perspective internally without losing sight of Company's interests.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Serve as the executive-level liaison for assigned strategic accounts, ensuring a deep understanding of customer business priorities and long-term objectives.
• Develop and advance multi-level relationships with key decision-makers and influencers.
• Own the account strategy and annual plan for revenue expansion
• Lead and facilitate quarterly and annual strategic business reviews, KPI reporting, and performance alignment sessions.
• Build and maintain comprehensive multi-year account strategies, including growth, margin improvement, risk mitigation, and innovation opportunities.
• Own and manage all contracts, including terms, milestones, and renewal timelines.
• Understand the financial implications of decisions, including margin impact, resource allocation, and risk exposure.
• Maintain active ownership of the forecast relationship and hold the customer accountable to it.
• Identify opportunities and build a strategic case for vertical integration and product expansion

Executive Communication & Reporting
• Develop and present business reviews and strategic proposals to senior leadership.
• Prepare and deliver executive-level presentations to both internal and customer leadership.
• Align and mobilize Operations, Quality, and R&D teams around account priorities.
• Act as the voice of the customer in strategic planning, resource allocation, and operational prioritization discussions.

Project & Development Support
• Monitor the overall status of product development and manufacturing transfer programs to ensure customer expectations are met.
• Identify program risks early, drive resolution plans, and present mitigation strategies to both internal leadership and customers.

Other Duties
• Actively assist with escalations related to customer performance obligations.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by management.

Requirements
• Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of customer-facing account management experience preferably working with large OEM customers in a CDMO/CMO or Medical Device contract manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience managing complex, strategic customer accounts with multi-level stakeholder engagement.
• Proven ability to build and sustain relationships with Sr. Director, VP and C-Suite level customer stakeholders.
• Experience spanning both new product development (NPD) programs and sustaining operations.
• Working knowledge of commercial contracts, SOWs, and milestone-based agreements in a manufacturing services context.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and lead cross-functional teams.
• Strong business acumen; ability to analyze financials, forecasts, and KPIs.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including executive-level presentations.
• Skilled in strategic planning, problem solving, and managing competing priorities.
• High level of initiative, ownership, and accountability.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• This position does not directly supervise staff but may provide mentorship and guidance to Account Managers and other Customer Success team members.

COMPETENCIES:
• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Analytical - Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data.
• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Works well in group problem solving situations.
• Project Management - Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress.
• Technical Skills -Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• External Working Relationships - Develops and maintains courteous and effective working relationships with clients, vendors and/or any other representatives of external organizations.
• Business Acumen - Aligns work with strategic goals.
• Business Necessity - The needs of the employer may be dependent on responding to and anticipating rapidly changing external and internal demands in all aspects of how business is conducted. This may include, but is not limited to, organization structure, finances, goals, personnel, work processes, technology, and customer demands. Therefore, it may become necessary to make modifications to how business is conducted, and work is accomplished, with minimal or no advanced notice to employees. Accordingly, the employee must be capable of adapting, with minimal or no advanced notice, to changes in how business is conducted, and work is accomplished, with no diminishment in work performance.
• Safety and Security -All employees are responsible for observing safety and security procedures as applicable and reporting potentially unsafe conditions to management.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIORNMENT:
• Frequently required to stand, sit and walk.
• Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
• Occasionally required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl
• Continually required to talk or hear
• While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• The employee must occasionally lift and /or move up to 40 pounds/ frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds

Benefits

Nextern offers excellent benefits to fuel you in building a fulfilling life & career:

• Employer subsidized health insurance and dental insurance for employees
• Employer HSA contribution
• 401k plan with a company match
• 9 paid holidays (including your birthday!) + PTO and Personal days
• Employee Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, and AD&D Life Insurance

Salary Range for This Position: $170,000 - $195,000 + Bonus