Director, Strategic Accounts

Verdesian Life Sciences; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Verdesian Life Sciences seeks a Strategic Account Leader to own and grow key strategic accounts, including cooperatives, distributors, and retail partners, aligning account strategies with Verdesian growth goals.

You will lead joint business planning, forecast performance, collaborate across Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Finance, Product Development, and Legal, and travel nationally up to 50%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Business, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in strategic account management, business development, commercial leadership, or agricultural sales.
• Proven success managing complex customer relationships and driving profitable growth.
• Experience developing joint business plans with agricultural retailers, cooperatives, distributors, or similar partners.
• Demonstrated success negotiating commercial agreements, including private label, co-formulation, and strategic partnership arrangements.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and strategic planning skills.
• Experience collaborating with field sales teams to drive customer adoption and market growth.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to travel nationally up to 50%.
• Valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Own and grow relationships with key strategic accounts, including agricultural cooperatives, distributors, and retail partners.
• Develop and execute account strategies aligned with customer objectives and Verdesian growth goals.
• Lead joint business planning, quarterly business reviews, and long-term account development initiatives.
• Build relationships with executive, commercial, technical, and category management stakeholders.
• Identify decision-makers and influencers to accelerate new program adoption and business growth.
• Drive revenue growth through new product placement, program expansion, private label, co-formulation, and white-label opportunities.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, including pricing, volume commitments, exclusivity arrangements, and marketing support.
• Develop strategies to increase product adoption and displace competitive offerings.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Agronomy teams to enhance customer engagement and grow market share.
• Implement pull-through initiatives that increase grower adoption and product movement.
• Coordinate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Finance, Product Development, and Legal teams to deliver customer commitments.
• Advocate internally for customer needs and ensure alignment on product, supply, and pricing decisions.
• Support the development and execution of structured commercial partnerships and strategic agreements.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and customer needs, providing actionable market insights to leadership.
• Develop accurate sales forecasts and communicate risks and opportunities to leadership.
• Track key performance indicators, including revenue growth, program adoption, and account profitability.
• Maintain account plans, CRM records, pipelines, and opportunity tracking.
• Provide regular updates on account performance, growth opportunities, and strategic initiatives.

Skills

Strategic account management

Business development

Sales leadership

Negotiation

CRM proficiency

Communication

Strategic planning

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Business, or related field

MBA preferred

Tools

CRM platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

• Own and grow relationships with key strategic accounts, including agricultural cooperatives, distributors, and retail partners.
• Develop and execute account strategies aligned with customer objectives and Verdesian growth goals.
• Lead joint business planning, quarterly business reviews, and long-term account development initiatives.
• Build relationships with executive, commercial, technical, and category management stakeholders.
• Identify decision-makers and influencers to accelerate new program adoption and business growth.

Revenue Growth & Business Development

• Drive revenue growth through new product placement, program expansion, private label, co-formulation, and white-label opportunities.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, including pricing, volume commitments, exclusivity arrangements, and marketing support.
• Develop strategies to increase product adoption and displace competitive offerings.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Agronomy teams to enhance customer engagement and grow market share.
• Implement pull-through initiatives that increase grower adoption and product movement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Finance, Product Development, and Legal teams to deliver customer commitments.
• Advocate internally for customer needs and ensure alignment on product, supply, and pricing decisions.
• Support the development and execution of structured commercial partnerships and strategic agreements.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and customer needs, providing actionable market insights to leadership.

Forecasting & Performance Management

• Develop accurate sales forecasts and communicate risks and opportunities to leadership.
• Track key performance indicators, including revenue growth, program adoption, and account profitability.
• Maintain account plans, CRM records, pipelines, and opportunity tracking.
• Provide regular updates on account performance, growth opportunities, and strategic initiatives.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Account Leadership

• Own and grow relationships with key strategic accounts, including agricultural cooperatives, distributors, and retail partners.
• Develop and execute account strategies aligned with customer objectives and Verdesian growth goals.
• Lead joint business planning, quarterly business reviews, and long-term account development initiatives.
• Build relationships with executive, commercial, technical, and category management stakeholders.
• Identify decision-makers and influencers to accelerate new program adoption and business growth.

Revenue Growth & Business Development

• Drive revenue growth through new product placement, program expansion, private label, co-formulation, and white-label opportunities.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, including pricing, volume commitments, exclusivity arrangements, and marketing support.
• Develop strategies to increase product adoption and displace competitive offerings.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Agronomy teams to enhance customer engagement and grow market share.
• Implement pull-through initiatives that increase grower adoption and product movement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Finance, Product Development, and Legal teams to deliver customer commitments.
• Advocate internally for customer needs and ensure alignment on product, supply, and pricing decisions.
• Support the development and execution of structured commercial partnerships and strategic agreements.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and customer needs, providing actionable market insights to leadership.

Forecasting & Performance Management

• Develop accurate sales forecasts and communicate risks and opportunities to leadership.
• Track key performance indicators, including revenue growth, program adoption, and account profitability.
• Maintain account plans, CRM records, pipelines, and opportunity tracking.
• Provide regular updates on account performance, growth opportunities, and strategic initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Business, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in strategic account management, business development, commercial leadership, or agricultural sales.
• Proven success managing complex customer relationships and driving profitable growth.
• Experience developing joint business plans with agricultural retailers, cooperatives, distributors, or similar partners.
• Demonstrated success negotiating commercial agreements, including private label, co-formulation, and strategic partnership arrangements.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and strategic planning skills.
• Experience collaborating with field sales teams to drive customer adoption and market growth.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to travel nationally up to 50%.
• Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing national agricultural cooperatives, large distributors, or retail networks.
• Background in crop nutrition, biologicals, seed treatments, or related agricultural inputs.
• Experience with private label, co-formulation, white-label, or toll manufacturing programs.
• Strong understanding of agricultural retail channels, cooperative structures, and dealer economics.
• Track record of securing strategic partnerships and competitive wins within the agricultural industry.
• Experience developing market adoption strategies alongside agronomy and field sales teams.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.