[Hiring] Senior Key Account Manager @Forward Air

Role Description

The Senior Key Account Manager serves as a strategic advisor for the organization's most complex, high-value customer relationships, driving long-term retention, growth, innovation, and enterprise-level business outcomes. They develop and lead multi-year account strategies that align customer objectives with organizational capabilities while maximizing customer value and portfolio performance. They build influential relationships with executive stakeholders, identify transformational growth opportunities, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional operational and financial results. Serving as the primary executive sponsor for assigned accounts, they proactively mitigate risk, resolve complex business challenges, and champion continuous improvement initiatives.

Success in this role requires deep expertise in supply chain, logistics, transportation, and distribution solutions, combined with exceptional commercial acumen, executive presence, and strategic leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive multi-year account strategies that drive customer retention, revenue growth, profitability, and long-term strategic partnerships.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships across customer organizations, serving as a trusted advisor and primary strategic contact for senior decision-makers.
• Lead executive business reviews, strategic planning sessions, and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to evaluate performance, align priorities, and identify opportunities for expansion and innovation.
• Partner with customers to develop growth roadmaps, transformation initiatives, and continuous improvement strategies that create measurable business value.
• Identify, qualify, and drive complex expansion opportunities across services, business units, geographies, and solution offerings.
• Serve as executive sponsor for assigned accounts, ensuring alignment between customer objectives and organizational priorities.
• Own customer performance metrics and KPIs, providing actionable insights and recommendations that improve operational, financial, and strategic outcomes.
• Lead the resolution of highly complex business challenges, balancing customer requirements, contractual obligations, and organizational objectives.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Finance, Solutions Design, IT, Engineering, and Implementation teams to ensure successful customer outcomes and strategic alignment.
• Influence internal business planning by translating customer goals, industry trends, and market opportunities into actionable strategies and investment priorities.
• Champion digital transformation, automation, analytics, and technology-enabled solutions that increase customer value and operational efficiency.
• Monitor account health and executive stakeholder engagement while identifying retention risks and implementing proactive mitigation strategies.
• Drive account forecasting, revenue planning, contract strategy, and long-term growth initiatives for enterprise-level customer portfolios.
• Represent the organization in executive sponsor programs, customer strategy sessions, business reviews, industry events, and other high-visibility engagements.
• Mentor and provide guidance to Key Account Managers and other customer-facing team members, sharing best practices and helping elevate organizational account management capabilities.
• Provide market intelligence, industry insights, and competitive feedback to support solution development and strategic business planning.
• Promote a customer-centric culture by influencing and aligning cross-functional stakeholders around account objectives, customer commitments, and long-term partnership goals.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

• Education: Undergraduate degree in a related field from an accredited college or university required; advanced degree preferred.
• Certification/Licensure: Professional certifications such as CSCMP, APICS/ASCM, PMP, or similar credentials preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic account management, enterprise customer success, business development, supply chain consulting, or related customer-facing leadership roles.
• Proven success managing complex customer portfolios with annual revenues exceeding $25M-$100M+ while consistently achieving retention, growth, and profitability objectives.
• Deep expertise in logistics, transportation, supply chain management, contract logistics, warehousing, distribution, or related industries.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing enterprise account strategies that drive revenue expansion, customer retention, operational excellence, and long-term partnership growth.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build credibility with C-suite executives and senior leaders internally and externally.
• Experience leading and influencing cross-functional teams while driving alignment across Sales, Operations, Finance, IT, Solutions Design, Engineering, and Implementation functions.
• Experience supporting customers in complex industries such as life sciences, aerospace, automotive, high-tech, industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, or related sectors preferred.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, presentation, relationship management, and strategic planning skills with a consultative approach to problem solving.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop account management professionals while contributing to organizational capability building.
• Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
• Technical: Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.).
• Environment: Remote; must be comfortable with travel for related meetings/events.