Key Account Executive

CBSET; Lexington, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CBSET is seeking a Key Account Executive in Lexington, MA, with hybrid/remote work options as it grows its important client portfolio. You will deepen existing relationships, identify cross-sell opportunities, and protect revenue through proactive retention, working with Proposals, Technical Sales, and operations staff.

You will lead negotiations on renewals, pricing, and MSAs, ensuring alignment of margins with long-term relationships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in business, marketing or science or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in account management or strategic accounts in life sciences services.
• Proven ability to grow revenue within existing accounts and manage complex stakeholder networks.
• Strong consultative and negotiation skills translating scientific/regulatory needs into growth strategy.
• Proficiency with Salesforce CRM and related planning tools.

Responsibilities

• Executive Relationship Management: serve as the primary commercial contact for key accounts and build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Develop deep understanding of accounts' programs and priorities to anticipate needs and identify expansion opportunities.
• Drive business reviews, site visits, and industry events related to the assigned accounts.
• Create and maintain account growth plans and target setting across CBSET's service lines.
• Collaborate with Technical Sales on expansion opportunities and provide account-level intelligence for planning.

Skills

Account management

Executive relationships

Negotiation

Salesforce

Strategic growth

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or advanced degree

Life sciences or business degree

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Commercial planning tools

Job description

REPORTS TO: Director of Client Growth / VP of Commercial Operations

LOCATION: Lexington, MA/moving to Waltham, MA Q1 2027 (hybrid/remote)

POSITION SUMMARY

The Key Account Executive owns the growth and health of CBSET’s most important existing client relationships. Rather than pursuing new customers, this role is responsible for deepening the relationships within an assigned portfolio of strategic accounts, identifying and closing cross-sell and expansion opportunities across CBSET’s service lines, and protecting revenue through proactive retention. Success in this role is measured by account growth, retention, and the strength of executive-level relationships across the portfolio, in close partnership with Proposals, Technical Sales, and CBSET’s scientific and operations staff.

Range of Base Salary: $90,000 – $130,000 per year + variable compensation. (Please note, salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, and certifications.)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive Relationship Management:

• Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for an assigned portfolio of key accounts, building trusted relationships with senior R&D, regulatory, procurement, and executive stakeholders.
• Develop a deep understanding of each account’s scientific programs, business priorities, and organizational structure to anticipate needs before they become RFPs.
• Drive preparedness for periodic business reviews, site visits, and industry events relevant to the assigned.
• Build and maintain account growth plans for each key account, identifying white space across CBSET’s service lines and setting targets against the commercial growth model.
• Partner with Technical Sales on strategic, technically complex expansion opportunities (e.g., advanced therapy, cell therapy, CNS, and orthopedic programs) within existing accounts.
• Provide account-level intelligence to Commercial Operations leadership to inform capacity and service-line planning.

Cross-Sell & Expansion:

• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand CBSET’s footprint within existing accounts across new service lines, study types, and business units.
• Partner with Proposal Development Specialists to ensure expansion opportunities are scoped and quoted accurately and quickly.
• Own the full expansion sales cycle within existing accounts: opportunity identification, scoping, pricing, negotiation, and close.

Commercial Negotiations:

• Lead contract renewals, pricing discussions, and negotiation of MSAs, SOWs, and related commercial agreements for the assigned portfolio.
• Balance win-rate, margin, and long-term relationship considerations when negotiating scope and pricing.
• Escalate non-standard commercial terms to Commercial Operations leadership as needed.

Customer Retention:

• Monitor account health and proactively address risk factors that could affect renewal or satisfaction.
• Maintain disciplined CRM hygiene in Salesforce, providing accurate account and forecasting data to support the commercial growth model.
• Serve as an internal advocate for key accounts, coordinating with Operations to resolve service issues before they affect the relationship.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree, MBA or other advanced degree in business, marketing or scientific discipline or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of account management, key account, or strategic account experience in a preclinical CRO, medical device, biopharma, or related life sciences services environment.
• Demonstrated success growing revenue within an existing account base, including managing complex, multi-stakeholder relationships.
• Strong consultative and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate scientific and regulatory requirements into a compelling account growth strategy.
• Proficiency with Salesforce CRM and commercial planning tools.

Preferred:

• Working knowledge of FDA GLPs, USDA, and EMA regulatory environments as they relate to preclinical testing and product development.
• Experience managing accounts through a period of organizational growth and transformation.
• Established relationships within CBSET’s target markets (MedTech and Biopharma).

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Relationship depth: earns and sustains trust with senior client stakeholders over the life of an account.
• Account strategy: sees the full white-space opportunity within an account, not just the next transaction.
• Negotiation judgment: protects margin and relationship equally in commercial discussions.
• Retention mindset: treats account health as an ongoing responsibility, not a renewal-week task.
• Cross-functional orchestration: coordinates Proposals, Technical Sales, and Operations to deliver for the account.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Must be able to perform duties which require talking, hearing, standing or sitting for long periods of time, entering data into a computer. May occasionally require wearing of safety equipment (PPE) according to OSHA regulations and company standards during on-site tours.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Animal facility and laboratories with moderate noise possible.
• Office working environment with quiet noise conditions.

COMMENTS:

This position may require (>20%) domestic and international travel or performing duties on weekends and/or holidays.

• The opportunity to help build a commercial organization from the ground up inside a growing, well-capitalized firm.
• Direct exposure to executive leadership and a clear line of sight to the company’s growth strategy.
• Competitive base salary plus performance-based incentive compensation, commensurate with experience.

All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities of their position. The essential duties and responsibilities listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.