Senior Account Manager

American Book Company; Tennessee; On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel opportunities

Job summary

American Book Company seeks a Senior Account Manager – Literacy to grow a portfolio of major literacy partners, including nonprofits, foundations, and school systems. You will act as a trusted strategic partner, aligning product offerings with high-impact literacy programs and driving revenue growth.

You will lead long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles, manage complex orders and funding timelines, and ensure exceptional frontline customer experience across programs and geographies.

Qualifications

• Requires 5–7 years in sales, account management, or strategic partnerships.
• Experience with complex accounts or programs and multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong alignment with literacy, education, or community-based missions.
• Proven ability to negotiate pricing, contracts, and long-term agreements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across diverse stakeholder groups.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of literacy-focused partners including nonprofits, foundations, and school systems.
• Lead complex, multi-phase sales cycles and long-term contracts.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans with cross-functional teams.
• Monitor budgets, funding cycles, and program delivery to maximize impact.
• Maintain CRM records and coordinate with production, logistics, and finance teams.

Skills

Sales

Account management

Strategic partnerships

Negotiation

Communication

CRM

Education sector knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce

SRWMS

Job description

To manage and grow a portfolio of American Book Company's largest and most complex literacy-focused partners—including nonprofit organizations, foundations, school systems, and large-scale literacy initiatives—by acting as a trusted, strategic partner.

This role is responsible for delivering an exceptional frontline customer experience while aligning American Book Company's product offerings with high-impact literacy programs. The Senior Account Manager – Literacy will lead complex, high-value partnerships, navigate multi-layered stakeholder environments, and drive both revenue growth and meaningful literacy outcomes at scale.

This position blends commercial accountability with purpose-driven impact, requiring advanced sales capability, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage sophisticated order structures, funding cycles, and long-term program relationships.

Strategic

Key measurables or activity-based leading indicators include:

• Monthly and annual sales targets for assigned literacy-focused accounts, typically nonprofit organizations, foundations, and literacy initiatives (orders of $50K-$500K+)
• Weekly analysis and projections on sales revenue for the upcoming four-week period, maintaining visibility into how accounts are tracking toward targets (by account)
• Active use of sales dashboards to monitor real-time data on pending and shipped orders
• Thoughtful account planning that balances budget constraints, program needs, and long-term partnership opportunities (by account)
• Cross-functional collaboration to ensure customers receive the right products, at the right time, for program deployment
• Contribution to quarterly EOS Rocks and ongoing personal development goals (Catalytic Coaching, 5-5-5’s)

In addition to the strategic purpose of the role, you will:

• Serve as a primary relationship manager for literacy-focused organizations such as nonprofits, foundations, and education-based charities
• Build deep organizational insight into partner structures, funding models, procurement processes, and program objectives
• Engage in outbound outreach and, when required, cold calling or lead generation efforts to develop new literacy-focused partnerships and support company growth initiatives
• Promote products and services that support early childhood literacy, family reading initiatives, school readiness programs, and community engagement
• Lead complex sales cycles, including multi-phase programs, repeat initiatives, and long-term contracts
• Close sales through consultative selling, empathy-driven communication, and strong customer advocacy
• Build long-term partnerships rooted in trust, service, and shared outcomes rather than transactional sales alone
• Manage large, multi-order programs requiring coordination across timelines, locations, and stakeholder groups
• Meet or exceed sales targets while remaining sensitive to nonprofit budget cycles and grant-based funding
• Maintain strong product knowledge with an emphasis on titles suited for literacy programs, age-specific reading levels, and diverse audiences
• Utilize American Book Company's established sales tools and systems (e.g., SRWMS) to ensure consistency and accountability
• Close sales through advanced consultative selling, balancing empathy, commercial acumen, and execution excellence
• Identify opportunities to grow impact through repeat programs, pilot initiatives, or expanded partnerships

Functional

• Maintain proactive, positive relationships to maximize customer lifetime value and mission alignment
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex client challenges, including logistics, funding timelines, and execution risks
• Track customer interactions, appointments, and sales activity accurately in CRM tools
• Lead coordination with internal teams (production, logistics, finance) to execute complex programs efficiently
• Coordinate with internal teams (production, logistics, finance) to support program timelines and partnership requirements
• Manage and execute vendor applications, contracts, and procurement processes
• Support debt collection processes with sensitivity to nonprofit funding cycles
• Domestic and international travel as required to visit partner organizations, attend literacy-related events, or support on-site initiatives
• Attend conferences, summits, or trade shows related to education, literacy, or nonprofit work
• Share product insights and literacy trends with peers to elevate team-wide market knowledge
• Other responsibilities as required

People, Values & Culture

• Live and model American Book Company's values in every interaction
• Actively contribute to American Book Company's purpose-driven culture of Getting More Books Into More Hands, with an emphasis on social impact and service
• Demonstrate empathy, emotional intelligence, and authenticity when engaging with mission-driven partners
• Champion collaboration, continuous improvement, and scalable impact
• Serve as a senior ambassador for American Book Company within the literacy and nonprofit community

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Education, Social Sciences, or related field is an asset; equivalent experience will also be considered
• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in sales, account management, or strategic partnerships, with exposure to complex accounts or programs
• Strong alignment with literacy, education, or community-based missions
• Demonstrated experience managing large accounts, complex sales cycles, and/or multi-stakeholder relationships
• Self-motivated, results-driven, and comfortable working independently within a structured sales framework
• Proven ability to negotiate pricing, contracts, and long-term agreements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across diverse stakeholder groups
• High emotional intelligence with the ability to build rapport, listen deeply, and understand complex organizational needs
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Detail-oriented with a strategic mindset
• Professional, service-oriented mindset with a natural sense of empathy and purpose