As a key member of the Cengage North America Higher Education Sales Group, the Strategic Account Director serves as a senior, customer-facing role with strategic accountability for account-level revenue and relationships. This role blends new business development with deep post-sale ownership, focusing on long-term partnership success, customer value realization, and sustained revenue growth across all accounts including Cengage Unlimited Institutional Access (CU), Equitable Access (EA), and Inclusive Access (IA) business models. Operating as the point of strategic ownership for assigned accounts, the Strategic Account Director leads forecasting, multi-year account planning, contract strategy, renewals, and expansion efforts while serving as a trusted advisor to senior academic and administrative stakeholders. The role collaborates closely with Regional District Managers, Specialists, Customer Success, Channel Partners, and cross-functional internal teams to align institutional goals, data insights, and execution across complex customer environments. For the Strategic Account Director position, we are targeting specific geographies due to territory alignment and travel expectations. To be considered, candidates must be based in one of the following areas: - Southern California - Arizona - Colorado - New Mexico - Kansas - Nebraska - Oklahoma - Mississippi - Alabama - Louisiana - Arkansas - Iowa - Missouri - Illinois - Indiana - Massachusetts - New Hampshire - Vermont - Connecticut - Rhode Island Travel Requirements - Travel required to key customers for in-person negotiations, on-campus meetings, attendance at key conferences, and Cengage partner events 35-50% travel encouraged Direct Sales & Strategic Account Ownership - 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. Ensure they 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 - Develops 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. Institutional Account Strategy, Leadership & Program Success - Own IA/EA/CUI data management and analysis, leveraging enrollment, usage, pricing, and adoption insights to inform account strategy, forecast performance, and guide decision-making - Lead institutional change management efforts, navigating the cultural and political shifts required to move faculty and administration toward digital access models. - Manage and deepen customer relationships through program kickoffs, onboarding support, executive-level success reviews, and ongoing strategic engagement - Act as a trusted strategic advisor to institutional collaborators, using data-driven insights to optimize programs and strengthen long-term outcomes - Partner closely with sales, channel, customer success, marketing, and operations teams to ensure cohesive execution and accountability across institutional programs - Champion disciplined pipeline, opportunity, and account management within CRM systems (Salesforce) Thought Leadership & Collaboration - Exhibit thought leadership within the institutional sales process by positioning oneself as a subject-matter authority on Cengage institutional business models and account strategy - Foster collaborative, high-trust relationships across internal teams to support seamless execution and customer satisfaction - Serves as a critical market feedback loop, synthesizing executive-level insights and institutional trends to help Cengage leadership refine product strategy and business model. Skills You'll Need Here - 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 Salesforc Compensation At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment 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. The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range. $77,100.00 - $100,200.00 USD