Senior Account Director

SmartSearch; Ilkley; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday rising to 30 with each

Private Medical Insurance covering/ded

Company pension scheme

Life Assurance – 4x your annual salary

1 day paid volunteering per year

Enhanced maternity / paternity

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Access to a gym

Job summary

SmartSearch is seeking a Senior Account Director to own the strategic, commercial relationship and revenue outcomes for a portfolio of direct partner clients. These partners are enterprise-level customers with recurring revenue, renewal risk, and expansion potential.

This senior, externally facing role owns renewals, commercial negotiations, upsell and expansion with support from Customer Success, while retaining overall ownership of the partner relationships and forecasted results.

Qualifications

• Proven experience owning enterprise or strategic account portfolios to multi-million pound value.
• Accountability for retention, renewals and growth.
• Strong commercial negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable operating in senior client-facing roles.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of direct partner clients with full accountability for retention, renewal and growth.
• Protect and improve GRR; identify and mitigate commercial and relationship risk.
• Drive NRR through upsell and expansion aligned to partner value and maturity.
• Lead pricing, renewal and contract negotiations.
• Maintain accurate commercial forecasting for the partner portfolio.
• Act as senior relationship owner for partner clients.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Lead executive-level partner reviews focused on outcomes and growth.
• Handle escalations and commercial risk.
• Make clear recommendations to invest, de-prioritise or exit partner relationships.
• Own partner account strategies aligned to retention and growth.
• Manage a multi-million pound book of business.
• Prioritise time and focus based on value, risk and opportunity.
• Identify portfolio-level patterns and improvement opportunities.
• Align partner strategy with wider commercial objectives.
• Work with a Customer Success Manager responsible for day-to-day service and operational support.
• Retain accountability for overall partner portfolio performance.
• Ensure clear boundaries between commercial ownership, portfolio management and service delivery.
• Provide a joined-up, senior-led partner experience with clear accountability.

Skills

Enterprise accounts

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Senior client-facing

Strategic account management

Job description

SmartSearch’s distinctive Anti-Money Laundering verification software protects our clients by offering the most advanced and comprehensive features available from an AML provider.

SmartSearch has grown rapidly by fostering an incredibly collaborative and supportive culture. As we continue our ambitious growth plans, we will strive to remain a truly exciting, rewarding, and unique place to work.

The Senior Account Director owns the strategic, commercial relationship and revenue outcomes for a portfolio of direct partner clients. These partners are treated as enterprise-level customers with recurring revenue, renewal risk, and expansion potential.

The role is accountable for Gross Revenue Retention (GRR) and Net Revenue Retention (NRR), balancing long-term partner relationships with clear commercial outcomes.

This is a senior, externally facing role responsible for managing the strategic relationship at a senior level, and responsible for renewals, commercial negotiations, upsell and expansion, supported by Customer Success but retaining overall ownership.

Varied Day To Day Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of direct partner clients with full accountability for retention, renewal and growth.
• Protect and improve GRR; identify and mitigate commercial and relationship risk.
• Drive NRR through upsell and expansion aligned to partner value and maturity.
• Lead pricing, renewal and contract negotiations.
• Maintain accurate commercial forecasting for the partner portfolio.

Partner Relationship Leadership

• Act as senior relationship owner for partner clients.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Lead executive-level partner reviews focused on outcomes and growth.
• Handle escalations and commercial risk.
• Make clear recommendations to invest, de-prioritise or exit partner relationships.

Account Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Own partner account strategies aligned to retention and growth.
• Manage a multi-million pound book of business.
• Prioritise time and focus based on value, risk and opportunity.
• Identify portfolio-level patterns and improvement opportunities.
• Align partner strategy with wider commercial objectives.

Working Model

• Work with a Customer Success Manager responsible for day-to-day service and operational support.
• Retain accountability for overall partner portfolio performance.
• Ensure clear boundaries between commercial ownership, portfolio management and service delivery.
• Provide a joined-up, senior-led partner experience with clear accountability.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE?

• Proven experience owning enterprise or strategic account portfolios to multi-million pound value.
• Demonstrated accountability for retention, renewals and growth.
• Strong commercial negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable operating in senior client-facing roles.
• Sound judgement and prioritisation under pressure.
• Commercially minded and outcome-led.
• Confident leading difficult conversations.
• Structured, pragmatic and accountable.
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity and limited resource.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE AT SMARTSEARCH?

• We are a multi-award winning Tech company with an aspirational mentality
• Some of our most recent recognitions include: named in the renowned RegTech100 list for 2024, listed in the Top 100 Fasted Growing Tech Companies by Northern Tech Awards 2024 as well as being named Technology Provider of the Year by Corporate Finance Awards 2024
• We have been Great Place To Work Certified since 2022
• There are excellent progression opportunities due to our growth and you will have personal development goals, regular feedback and support
• We are a diverse and inclusive team committed to promoting Diversity & Inclusion and Social Responsibility. Through our DE&I group, charitable initiatives and support for local schools, we actively foster a positive Impact on our community

Company Benefits

Our comprehensive benefit package includes:

• 25 days holiday rising to 30 with each year of service
• Private Medical Insurance covering dental and optical
• Company pension scheme
• Life Assurance – 4x your annual salary
• 1 day paid volunteering per year
• Enhanced maternity / paternity offerings
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to a gym