Strategic Account Director

Hitachi; Zürich; Hybrid; CHF 138,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

Hitachi Europe Ltd. seeks a Strategic Account Director to lead growth within major regional accounts, driving cross-BU opportunities and multi-year account plans.

You will orchestrate executive engagements, align digital, industrial, energy, and mobility solutions, and manage complex negotiations to deliver measurable revenue gains. You will build senior customer relationships, deliver CXO-level value propositions, and ensure governance, accuracy, and momentum across the sales lifecycle while

Qualifications

• 8-15+ years’ experience in strategic account management, solution selling or sales leadership in complex B2B environments.
• Proven track record in driving strategic partnerships, cross-BU orchestration and closing cross/up-sell deals.
• Strong sector experience (preferred): CI/Industrial - robotics, manufacturing, semiconductors, industrial automation - and digital/AI transformation.
• Established senior customer relationships and networks in DACH, Nordics and/or Iberia (preferred).
• Demonstrable ability to lead executive engagements, develop customer-centred value propositions and convert workshops into revenue.
• Commercial acumen, negotiation skills and experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Degree in Engineering, Business, IT or equivalent; MBA advantageous.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel (approx. 30-50%) and be onsite with customers as required.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive One-Hitachi growth within assigned strategic accounts by defining and executing medium-to-long-term account strategies.
• Lead account planning workshops, executive briefings and strategy sessions that translate customer priorities into measurable account plans and revenue opportunities.
• Shape, prioritise and convert high-value solution opportunities across Business Units (Digital, CI/Industrial, Energy, Mobility).
• Act as the central orchestrator for cross-BU solution positioning and delivery, ensuring unified messaging and coordinated execution.
• Lead executive engagements and prepare concise CXO narratives and value propositions.
• Own account pipeline, forecasting and order intake; prioritise pursuits, structure complex deals and lead negotiations within delegated authority.
• Capture market and competitor intelligence; translate customer insights into actionable strategies and account playbooks.
• Ensure post‑engagement momentum: define next steps, owners and opportunity pathways to convert interactions into commercial outcomes.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by capturing best practices and helping build a repeatable One-Hitachi engagement model
• Building and sustaining executive relationships and stakeholder maps across customer organisations.
• Ensuring high customer satisfaction and timely resolution of escalations in coordination with BU delivery teams.
• Delivering measurable expansion beyond BAU and protecting account retention.
• Establishing and maintaining account governance cadence (weekly tactical, monthly performance, quarterly EBRs).
• Delivering against agreed 90-day milestones and longer-term account KPIs.

Skills

Strategic account management

Solution selling

Sales leadership

Executive engagements

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Travel willingness

Education

Degree in Engineering/Business/IT

MBA advantageous

Job description

Strategic Account Director

Location: Düsseldorf, Germany, (HEU) Madrid, (HEU) Zurich, (HEU) Ditton Park

Remote Type: Hybrid

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Job ID: R0148848

Date Posted: 2026-10-29

Company Name: HITACHI EUROPE LTD.

Profession (Job Category): Sales, Marketing & Product Management

Job Schedule: Full time

Remote: No

Job Description:

Our Company

Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT(Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi aims to be a global leader in continuously transforming social infrastructure through digital, contributing to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates worldwide across four sectors - Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries - as well as a Strategic SIB Business Unit focused on new growth areas. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi creates value by combining data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) totaled 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 290,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com

About Hitachi EMEA

Hitachi EMEA drives One-Hitachi growth across the region, focusing on Climate Change Innovation, Industrial AI & digital transformation, e-mobility and resilient digital infrastructures. The Regional Growth Centre of Competence partners with Business Units to scale cross-BU solutions and deliver sustainable outcomes for strategic customers. Some examples of our contribution to Climate Change Innovation include:

• Grid modernisation & renewable integration: enabling resilient, decarbonised energy systems through HVDC, grid automation, energy storage and digital energy management, nuclear and SMR.

• E-mobility: advancing rail decarbonisation through electrification, battery technologies, signalling and intelligent mobility solutions (e.g. HMAX).

• Industrial AI & digital transformation: combining IT, OT, data and AI to improve productivity, resilience and sustainability across critical and heavy industries.

• Data Centres: enabling sustainable, resilient digital infrastructure through energy hubs, on-site power generation, modular data centres and advanced cooling solutions.

Hitachi EMEA represents all the businesses in the Hitachi Group and drives growth by taking a regional approach, focusing on opportunities where 'One Hitachi' can help accelerate growth across the region.

What you'll be doing

Hitachi EMEA has an opportunity for a proven leader to join and drive the opportunities that exist when we work as One Hitachi.

This role reports to the President of Hitachi EMEA and is responsible for ensuring Hitachi optimises wallet share with the region’s most strategic customers. You will also identify and work closely with other Hitachi Business Units (BUs) to help define business requirements and guide the development of new solutions for cross-selling.

The role will also be responsible for.

• Own and drive One-Hitachi growth within assigned strategic accounts by defining and executing medium-to-long-term account strategies.
• Lead account planning workshops, executive briefings and strategy sessions that translate customer priorities into measurable account plans and revenue opportunities.
• Shape, prioritise and convert high-value solution opportunities across Business Units (Digital, CI/Industrial, Energy, Mobility), ensuring governance gates and BU interlocks are met.
• Act as the central orchestrator for cross-BU solution positioning and delivery, ensuring unified messaging and coordinated execution.
• Lead executive engagements and prepare concise CXO narratives and value propositions.
• Own account pipeline, forecasting and order intake; prioritise pursuits, structure complex deals and lead negotiations within delegated authority.
• Capture market and competitor intelligence; translate customer insights into actionable strategies and account playbooks.
• Ensure post‑engagement momentum: define next steps, owners and opportunity pathways to convert interactions into commercial outcomes.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by capturing best practices and helping build a repeatable One-Hitachi engagement model
• Building and sustaining executive relationships and stakeholder maps across customer organisations.
• Ensuring high customer satisfaction and timely resolution of escalations in coordination with BU delivery teams.
• Delivering measurable expansion beyond BAU and protecting account retention.
• Establishing and maintaining account governance cadence (weekly tactical, monthly performance, quarterly EBRs).
• Delivering against agreed 90-day milestones and longer-term account KPIs.

What You bring to the Team

We're looking for a team player who is motivated by delivering great work and the Hitachi vision. The role will be a mixture of remote-hybrid work with days in the Hitachi Office (Ditton / regional offices) and customer sites.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and background:

• 8-15+ years’ experience in strategic account management, solution selling or sales leadership in complex B2B environments.
• Proven track record in driving strategic partnerships, cross-BU orchestration and closing cross/up-sell deals.
• Strong sector experience (preferred): CI/Industrial - robotics, manufacturing, semiconductors, industrial automation - and digital/AI transformation.
• Established senior customer relationships and networks in DACH, Nordics and/or Iberia (preferred).
• Demonstrable ability to lead executive engagements, develop customer‑centred value propositions and convert workshops into revenue.
• Commercial acumen, negotiation skills and experience managing multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Degree in Engineering, Business, IT or equivalent; MBA advantageous.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel (approx. 30-50%) and be onsite with customers as required.

Desirable

• We need experienced individuals with strong customer relationships in similar roles who can drive strategic partnerships.
• Preferred market segments: candidates with mature experience in the CI (