Director, Strategic Accounts, California (Remote)

Cengage Group•Virtual US CA, CA

1d•$117,100 - $152,200•Remote

About The Position

The Regional Director, Strategic Accounts is a senior regional sales leader responsible for ~$90M in annual revenue and the strategy that drives growth across a high‑visibility territory. Reporting to the VP, Strategic Accounts, this leader turns enterprise strategy into disciplined regional execution—elevating forecasting accuracy, pipeline health, and Salesforce rigor. Leading a team of Strategic Account Directors, the Regional Director shapes high‑impact account strategies, guides complex institutional pursuits, and strengthens partnerships with academic and executive leaders. In close collaboration with Solutions Sales, Product Consultants, and Customer Success, this leader advances the Institutional Sales motion, accelerates CU adoption, and builds the operational and data excellence needed to unlock sustained regional growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, education, or a related field.
7–10+ years of progressive sales experience in B2B, higher‑education, publishing, SaaS, or enterprise-level account management roles.
3–5+ years of direct sales leadership experience, managing quota‑carrying Account Executives/Strategic Account Directors with full revenue accountability.
Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi‑stakeholder institutional sales cycles, including executive‑level customer engagement.
Strong commercial acumen, including experience with pricing strategy, discount governance, negotiation frameworks, and contract execution.
Exceptional communication, executive presence, and the ability to inspire confidence with senior institutional leaders.
Strong operational rigor with experience driving consistent processes, accountability rhythms, and performance management.
Track record of developing high-performing, diverse teams with a focus on talent development, succession planning, and coaching excellence.

Nice To Haves

Strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to translate organizational direction into actionable regional plans.
Executive communication and presence, with strong data driven storytelling skills for institutional leaders.
High proficiency in Salesforce and data interpretation, using insights to guide decision making and improve execution.
Strong commercial acumen, including pricing, negotiation, and contract strategy.
Talent development approach, with the ability to mentor and elevate a hard-working team.
Deep understanding of higher education institutional needs, decision making structures, and value drivers.

Responsibilities

Own regional revenue performance and overall account strategy, ensuring growth, retention, and execution of strategic priorities across the assigned territory.
Translate the VP, Strategic Accounts’ vision into regional operating plans with clear goals, expectations, and processes for consistent execution.
Drive forecast accuracy and pipeline rigor through regular inspection, strong operating cadence, and data-validated forecasting for operational viability
Lead development and execution of strategic account plans that leverage analytics, market trends and program performance to prioritize high‑value department, cohort, and institution‑level opportunities.
Guide complex deal strategy; align cross‑functional resources and assist in high‑value negotiations to accelerate growth.
Coach Strategic Account Directors on negotiation excellence and commercial rigor—including pricing strategy, discount/approval guardrails, executive‑level contracting, and close‑plan quality ensuring consistent, high‑standard execution across the region.
Advance Inclusive Access (IA), Equitable Access (EA), and Cengage Unlimited (CU) execution and data fluency (enrollment, usage, pricing, adoption, renewals) and require these insights in planning, risk mitigation, and forecasting.
Cultivate channel and bookstore partnerships for IA, EA and CU accounts, ensuring alignment on pricing, process, implementation, and program performance.
Build strong partnerships with Solutions Sales, Solutions Engineering, and Customer Success leadership to ensure cohesive pre‑sale strategy and post‑sale execution.
Model strategic clarity and alignment, ensuring the team understands and accomplishes the vision, priorities, and operating standards set by the VP, Accounts.
Develop and empower a high‑performing, inclusive team through regular coaching, clear expectations, proactive skill development, and trust‑based team dynamics.
Foster a culture of accountability, setting high standards for forecast accuracy, CRM rigor, operational excellence, and consistent follow‑through.
Set the tone for customer‑centricity, modeling consultative engagement, and elevating institutional relationships through data‑driven, value‑based conversations.
Build a culture of continuous improvement, finding opportunities to strengthen sales processes, streamline workflows, and mature the Institutional Sales motion.
Ensure consistency and alignment across the region by reinforcing standards for account planning, sales methodology, commercial guardrails, and institutional engagement within the field.
Lead with transparency and communication, providing clear updates on performance, risks, opportunities, and market signals to the team and VP, Accounts.