Key Account Manager - Higher Education

About the role

The Key Account Manager drives sustainable revenue growth, market penetration and strategic partnerships within higher education. This hybrid role combines new business development with strategic account management, serving as a trusted advisor to academic institutions, faculty, librarians, authors and decision-makers. AI fluency is essential to enhance sales effectiveness and customer engagement.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct market research and build annual territory and account plans covering revenue objectives, account priorities and stakeholder strategies, using market intelligence and AI-driven insights.
• Manage a portfolio of academic accounts, supporting retention, satisfaction and revenue growth, delivering renewals and mitigating retention risks.
• Expand accounts through greater product adoption and value-added solutions, and build relationships with faculty, librarians, procurement teams, department heads and authors.
• Pursue new business through prospecting, networking and tailored product demonstrations, presentations and proposals, negotiating and closing contracts and renewals.
• Use AI-powered tools for customer engagement, sales planning, forecasting and pipeline management, and stay current with AI trends in education and academic publishing.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Product, Customer Success, Editorial and Support teams, share customer and market insights, keep CRM records accurate and report performance and forecasts regularly.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Education or a related field.
• Proven experience in sales, business development, account management or customer success, preferably in education, publishing, information services or technology.
• Strong understanding of the academic and higher-education market.
• Demonstrated ability to manage strategic accounts while developing and securing new business.

Required skills

• Experience using CRM platforms and digital sales tools.
• AI fluency.

What we offer

• Hybrid role with flexible working hours.
• Medical aid, retirement plan with risk benefits, family benefits including adoption and surrogacy, and study leave.
• Wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave and sabbaticals.