Director, Strategic Accounts

Thermo Fisher Scientific • Cincinnati, OH

7d • $155,000 - $210,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Strategic Accounts leads a global team of Strategic Account Leaders and is accountable for the strategy, growth, profitability, and customer experience of a portfolio of Pharma Services Group (PSG) strategic accounts. The role sets direction for enterprise account planning and ensures customer insights are translated into coordinated, cross-divisional strategies that expand Thermo Fisher Scientific’s presence, increase share of spend, and build durable strategic partnerships.

The Director is part of the Biopharma Strategic Accounts leadership team and partners with Business Unit Presidents and leaders across Commercial, Business Management, Strategic Relationship Management, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Strategy, and Commercial Operations. The role aligns customer priorities with governance, investment choices, commercial models, and execution across PSG, and personally engages senior and C-suite customer stakeholders on key opportunities, risks, and partnership topics.

The position also owns select strategic-account relationships and performance, develops client-specific value propositions and growth plans, and leads group-level commercial processes and governance. Success requires strong people leadership, commercial and financial acumen, customer insight, strategic planning, stakeholder influence, and negotiation skills in complex global biopharma environments. The role requires approximately 20–30% domestic and international travel.

Requirements

• 10 or more years of progressive commercial, strategic account, key account, or relationship management experience in pharmaceutical services, CDMO, CRO, biotech, life sciences, or related industries, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Proven success leading strategic account or commercial teams and delivering growth across large, complex global customer portfolios.
• Ability to develop enterprise account strategies, translate customer pipeline and portfolio insights into commercial priorities, and capture business across multiple divisions or service lines.
• Extensive experience building trusted relationships with and influencing senior executives and C-suite stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Ability to lead through a highly matrixed organization, align diverse stakeholders, and drive cross-business execution without relying solely on direct authority.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including forecasting, profitability, strategic pricing, complex deal structuring, contracting, portfolio management, and investment prioritization.
• Outstanding negotiation, influencing, communication, and presentation skills, with strong analytical judgment, resilience, and a bias to action.
• Demonstrated people leadership capability, including performance management, coaching, talent development, succession planning, and inclusive leadership for senior commercial talent.
• Proficiency in Salesforce and other CRM or sales management systems.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 20–30%.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced scientific degree.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a global team of Strategic Account Leaders, setting expectations for account strategy, growth, customer experience, and execution.
• Own and manage select strategic-account relationships and performance, delivering growth for key Pharma Services Group customers.
• Develop client-specific value propositions and growth plans that enable growth, resolve issues, reduce costs, and improve performance.
• Build deep client relationships and use customer insights to lead group-level commercial processes that drive strategic growth and profitability.
• Partner with sales and corporate accounts teams to open and close new molecules and services.
• Lead group-level governance as the overall PSG relationship owner for assigned accounts, monitor relationship health, and expand existing business through a harmonized client experience.
• Drive new and existing business growth, profitability, share of spend, and strategic growth objectives.
• Contribute to account AOP target setting, pipeline reviews, and performance management across strategic accounts.
• Coach Strategic Account Leaders in building influential senior and C-suite relationships and in preparing growth plans, negotiation strategies, and partnership discussions.
• Implement and continuously improve standardized processes and templates for financial reporting, governance meetings, growth plans, performance metrics, escalations, and dispute resolution.
• Identify enterprise synergies, portfolio whitespace, bundles, incentives, rebates, and other commercial approaches to create and expand cross-divisional opportunities.
• Influence business and functional leaders to align customer growth priorities with capacity, investment, pricing, contracting, and enterprise priorities.
• Manage performance, coach employees, plan succession, and attract, retain, and develop high-performing strategic account talent.
• Define annual goals, targets, and career development priorities for the team.

Benefits

• Choice of national medical and dental plans and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs.
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement.
• At least 120 hours of paid time off (PTO) and 10 paid holidays annually.
• Paid parental leave: 3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave.
• Accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy.
• Competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan.
• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), offering eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount.
• Potential eligibility for a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director