Account Director – Strategic Accounts

Instem; Stone; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible working

Development & opportunity

Private medical (optical & dental)

Matching contributory pension

25 days leave + public holidays + buy&

Life insurance

Referral scheme

Employee assistance program

Benefits hub

Job summary

Instem, a global provider of SaaS solutions for drug discovery, seeks an Account Director – Strategic Accounts in Stone, UK. Hybrid work with 2 days onsite.

You will own a portfolio of strategic accounts, engaging across scientific, operational and executive stakeholders to drive meaningful transformation and outcomes. The role requires a track record in enterprise software sales, complex deal cycles, and expanding customer value within pharma and CRO environments.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in enterprise software sales or strategic account management.
• Proven track record in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Experience with pharma/biotech/CRO sectors and regulatory context.

Responsibilities

• Set the direction for strategic accounts with a clear understanding of customer operations.
• Lead with insight across scientific, operational, and executive stakeholders.
• Create and progress high-value opportunities by linking Instem capabilities to outcomes.
• Manage complex deal cycles and guide stakeholders to defined, high-impact outcomes.
• Expand Instem’s role by driving improvements in data integrity, workflows, and compliance.
• Coordinate internal teams to deliver successful outcomes and measurable objectives.
• Ensure ongoing value realization by maintaining close customer engagement.

Skills

Enterprise software sales

Strategic account management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Ambitious and self-driven

Job description

Account Director – Strategic Accounts

Location: Stone, Staffordshire Hybrid working, 2 days a week in our Stone Office)

Status: Permanent

Package: Competitive Salary, Flexible Working, Development & Opportunity (Personal & Technical), Private Medical (Optical & Dental options), Matching Contributory Pension, 25 Days Leave + Public Holidays + Buy and Sell Scheme, Life Insurance, Referral Scheme, Employee Assistance Program, Benefits Hub.

At Instem, you’ll empower pharmaceutical companies, CROs, government agencies, academic institutions, by providing cutting-edge SaaS solutions and consultancy services designed to help researchers make discoveries, and to accelerate and advance their research programs.

You’ll work with technology that supports over 50% of global drug discovery and is trusted by leading pharmaceutical, biotech and CRO organisations worldwide.

Reporting to the VP EMEA Sales, this is a senior, strategic role focused on driving meaningful improvement and high-value transformation across a small number of Instem’s most important customers, enabling better outcomes across drug discovery and pre-clinical development.

Strong spoken and written French and/or Italian(B2 level or equivalent) is highly desirable.

Our Culture & Work Environment.

You’ll be part of a friendly, solutions-focused environment within a global business of over 400 people. Here, you’ll experience a high-performance culture balanced with genuine flexibility – we trust you to take ownership, deliver meaningful results, and work in a way that suits you.

You’ll be encouraged to grow, share your ideas, and make a real impact. We’re passionate about creating a place where you can develop your skills, contribute confidently, and succeed in your career.

Why join us as an Account Director?

This role is about creating direction where there is ambiguity, bringing clarity to complexity, and shaping how customers approach critical decisions.

You will take ownership of a portfolio of strategic accounts and be accountable for understanding how they operate, identifying where performance can improve, and creating opportunities through insight and relevance.

This role is suited to individuals who are self-starting, highly driven, comfortable in complexity, and perform consistently at the highest level of their profession.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Set the direction for strategic accounts by developing a clear understanding of how each customer operates, where constraints exist, and where improvement will materially impact outcomes


• Lead with insight grounded in drug discovery and pre clinical realities by engaging credibly across scientific, operational, and executive stakeholders to shape better ways of working


• Create and convert high-value opportunities through relevance and insight by connecting Instem’s capabilities to improvements that materially change performance


• Take ownership of complex deal cycles and customer decisions through guiding stakeholders to defined outcomes, positioned in terms of impact and value not features and function


• Expand Instem’s role within customer environments by driving measurable improvements in data integrity, workflow efficiency, compliance, and decision making


• Orchestrate internal teams to deliver successful outcomes using influence within Solution Consulting, Product SMEs, and Delivery Experts and setting clear, measurable customer objectives


• Ensure value is realised and recognised over time by staying close to customers, reviewing outcomes, and reinforcing Instem’s relevance as transformation is delivered

What We’re Looking For

• Several years in enterprise software sales or strategic account management, with a consistent track record of success in complex, multi-stakeholder environments


• Demonstrated over-achievement by driving meaningful expansion within major accounts, through shaping opportunities, aligning stakeholders, and delivering measurable outcomes


• Experience working with pharma, biotech, or CRO organisations, with an understanding of the scientific, operational, and regulatory context they operate within

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of drug discovery and pre-clinical development, including how data, workflows, regulations and decisions interact across these environments


• Experience positioning software, services and SaaS solutions within complex operational settings


• Appreciation of solution implementation, adoption, and long-term value realisation


• Ability to engage credibly with scientific, technical, and operational stakeholders, translating between domain challenges and solution capability

Commercial and Strategic Capabilities

• Deep expertise in strategic account planning, grounded in mapping customer priorities and long-term value creation with Instem’s portfolio


• Highly capable in stakeholder mapping and influence, building alignment across diverse and often fragmented organisations


• Proven ability to create and progress opportunities through insight and relevance, rather than relying on existing demand


• Strong experience managing complex deal cycles, including structuring and navigating enterprise-level decisions

Core Attributes

• Strong commercial judgement, with a clear focus on linking capability to customer outcomes


• Ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and impact, particularly in ambiguous or high-stakes boardroom situations


• Comfortable operating with autonomy and accountability, while aligning cross-functional teams around a clear objective


• Able to operate effectively in a fast-moving, evolving organisation, where direction is shaped through action and insight

What We Offer

We invest in you because you’re at the heart of our success. Depending on your location, you’ll have access to a range of benefits, including:

• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, dental, vision, life, and more)


• Comprehensive wellbeing and support initiatives


• Clear career pathways to support you with getting to the next level


• Pro-rated and immediate vacation days


• Continuous training and development


• Generous retirement plans

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.