[Hiring] Strategic Account Director @Cengage Group

Role Description

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)
• 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
• Expansion efforts

The role collaborates closely with:

• Regional District Managers
• Specialists
• Customer Success
• Channel Partners
• Cross‑functional internal teams

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

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)
• 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
• Strategically identify and capitalize on high‑impact institutional opportunities
• Develop financial models and arguments that align Cengage Unlimited (CU) benefits with the institution’s specific budgetary and retention goals
• Spearhead new business development opportunities at an executive level
• Drive institutional revenue growth and CU renewals
• Clearly articulate the value proposition of Cengage products and services
• Own IA/EA/CUI data management and analysis
• Lead institutional change management efforts
• Manage and deepen customer relationships
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to institutional collaborators
• Partner closely with sales, channel, customer success, marketing, and operations teams
• Champion disciplined pipeline, opportunity, and account management within CRM systems (Salesforce)
• Exhibit thought leadership within the institutional sales process
• Foster collaborative, high‑trust relationships across internal teams
• Serve as a critical market feedback loop

Qualifications

• 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 Salesforce

Benefits

• Comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower employees
• Individual base pay varies based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location
• Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond base pay

Compensation

The full base pay range for this position is $77,100.00 - $100,200.00 USD.