Account Director II - Public Sector

Cision•New York, NY

About The Position

At Cision, we believe in empowering every individual to make an impact. Here, your voice is heard, your ideas are valued, and your unique perspective fuels our collective success. As part of our global team, you'll thrive in an environment that champions curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, all while making meaningful contributions to the brands we accelerate. Join us in shaping the future of communication and building authentic connections that matter. Whether you're solving complex problems or driving bold innovations, your growth is our success, and together, we’ll create the conversations of tomorrow. Empower your impact at Cision. Be seen, be understood, be you. We are a leading provider of media intelligence, narrative analytics, and strategic communications solutions supporting organizations across the public and private sectors. Our services brings together earned, owned, and social media insights to help organizations understand the information environment, shape narratives, and make informed decisions in real time. Within the public sector, we partner with government agencies and public institutions to support mission-critical use cases—including media monitoring, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement, and performance measurement. Our solutions are designed to operate in complex, high-stakes environments where clarity, speed, and accuracy matter. We take a platform + partnership approach, combining technology with expert support to deliver outcomes. By integrating data, analytics, and advisory services, we help our clients move from reactive monitoring to proactive, intelligence-driven communications strategies. Our team operates at the intersection of technology, media, and public sector mission—working closely with clients and partners to solve complex challenges and drive measurable impact. The Account Director is responsible for driving new business growth and shaping pipeline across government accounts, with a focus on identifying, qualifying, and closing strategic opportunities across agencies and public sector organizations. This role is expected to build and maintain 3–5x pipeline coverage and consistently exceed annual new business targets. This role operates as a hunter with a capture mindset—developing early-stage opportunities, aligning solutions to mission requirements, and positioning the organization for success across RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, and partner-led opportunities. The Account Director partners cross-functionally (Solutions Engineering, Insights, Product, Legal, Leadership, and external partners) to deliver differentiated, mission-aligned solutions. While the primary focus is new logo acquisition and expansion within target accounts, the role also maintains a select portfolio of existing customers, ensuring continuity, renewal, and targeted growth within those relationships.

Requirements

5–7+ years of quota-carrying sales experience, with a strong emphasis on public sector business development and net new growth
Demonstrated success in building pipeline, shaping opportunities, and closing deals within government environments
Familiarity with government procurement processes, contract vehicles, and partner ecosystems (or the ability to quickly ramp)
Proven ability to sell into complex, multi-stakeholder organizations and navigate long, competitive sales cycles
Strong proficiency with sales tools (e.g., Salesforce, Office 365, sales engagement platforms)
Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills—especially in mission-driven and technical sales conversations
Strategic mindset with the ability to align solutions to agency priorities and operational outcomes
Understanding of Earned, Owned, and Social media landscapes
Willingness to travel to client locations 20% - 40% for in-person meetings and relationship development

Responsibilities

Own pipeline creation and revenue growth across a defined set of government accounts
Identify, qualify, and shape net new opportunities through proactive outreach, market intelligence, and partner engagement (e.g., resellers, integrators, contract vehicles)
Execute a capture-oriented sales approach—influencing requirements early, aligning to mission priorities, and positioning ahead of formal procurement
Lead full sales lifecycle execution including discovery, stakeholder mapping, solution alignment, pricing strategy, negotiation, and close
Build and maintain relationships with key decision-makers and influencers across Communications, Public Affairs, Digital, Procurement, and Executive Leadership
Position and sell across the full portfolio of solutions, aligning capabilities to use cases such as media monitoring, narrative intelligence, crisis communications, and audience engagement
Develop and manage a robust, qualified pipeline with clear progression across stages and accurate forecasting
Partner with internal teams to deliver compelling proposals, technical solutions, and responses to RFIs/RFPs
Leverage and expand partner ecosystem relationships (e.g., Carahsoft, Four Inc., SHI, and other contract vehicle partners) to accelerate deal velocity and access
Maintain awareness of government procurement processes, including federal (FAR/DFARS) and state/local purchasing frameworks
Support renewal and expansion efforts within assigned existing accounts, ensuring retention and identifying upsell opportunities
Maintain disciplined execution across pipeline hygiene, forecasting, account planning, and sales activity metrics