Senior Relationship Manager

Firstunion; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Firstunion is seeking a senior strategist to lead the development of strategic partnerships with major US vape and tobacco players. You will drive growth by positioning Firstunion as a compliant, high-quality manufacturing partner capable of meeting top-tier client requirements.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams across Product Management, Regulatory, Quality, Operations and Commercial teams to execute customer programs from qualification through commercialization, while navigating

Qualifications

• 8+ years in strategic sales, business development or acct mgmt.
• Experience with large US enterprise accounts.
• Familiarity with FDA/PMTA processes is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic account development with top US vape and tobacco clients.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure project execution.
• Translate customer needs into actionable product, regulatory and operational plans.
• Negotiate and structure high-value strategic partnerships.
• Monitor US market trends and regulatory developments.

Skills

Strategic account development

Regulatory awareness

Cross-functional leadership

Travel readiness

Executive communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Location: United States (Remote with travel)

Role Purpose

Lead the development and expansion of strategic partnerships with leading US vape and tobacco companies. Drive business growth by positioning the company as a trusted, compliant, and high-quality manufacturing partner capable of meeting the stringent requirements of top-tier clients. Act as liaison for strategic customer programs by coordinating cross-functional execution, gathering market insights, and facilitating engagement on regulatory matters throughout the customer lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Account Development

• Target and develop relationships with the largest legal US vape and tobacco players key employees.
• Build and execute account strategies for large, complex organizations.
• Navigate multi-level stakeholders across procurement, R&D, regulatory, legal, quality, operations and executive leadership.
• Convert opportunities into long-term, high-value strategic partnerships.
• Develop trusted advisor relationships with key decision makers and influencers.

2. Strategic Customer Project Leadership

• Act as the local project lead for key customer development programs from opportunity qualification through commercialization.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams both internally and at customer including Product Management, R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain and Operations to ensure successful project execution.
• Input on project milestones, risks, dependencies and customer deliverables, escalating issues proactively where needed.
• Ensure customer commitments are translated into clear internal action plans with defined & detailed ownership and timelines.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities and product launches.

3. Trusted Partner to Multinationals

• Position the company as a credible, innovative alternative to incumbent suppliers.
• Translate customer requirements into actionable product, technical and operational plans.
• Ensure alignment with customer expectations regarding product quality and reliability, regulatory readiness (FDA, PMTA and applicable US requirements), supply chain resilience, and speed of execution and innovation.

4. Regulatory Engagement

• Develop productive working relationships with customers' regulatory, scientific and compliance teams.
• Support commercial discussions involving FDA, PMTA and product compliance considerations in close collaboration with internal Regulatory Affairs specialists.
• Help customers understand the company's regulatory capabilities, quality systems and product development approach.
• Gather customer feedback on regulatory expectations, emerging requirements and compliance challenges to help shape business priorities.
• Represent the organization during customer regulatory meetings and technical discussions as appropriate.

5. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as the voice of the customer internally and the voice of the company externally.
• Work closely with Product Management, Project Management, Regulatory Affairs, R&D, Quality, Global Sales and Operations teams.
• Drive alignment across functions to deliver customer commitments on time and with high quality.
• Continuously monitor the US nicotine and tobacco market, including competitors, customers, technologies and regulatory developments.
• Gather commercial, technical and regulatory insights through customer engagement, industry events and market interactions.
• Identify emerging customer needs, whitespace opportunities and market trends.
• Provide strategic recommendations to Product Management, Commercial Team and leadership on portfolio development, pricing, innovation priorities and go-to-market strategies.
• Share competitive intelligence to support business planning and strategic decision-making.

7. Negotiation & Deal Structuring

• Contribute to high-value commercial negotiations with sophisticated procurement and executive teams.
• Support structuring agreements considering pricing, supply terms, intellectual property, development costs, quality, regulatory responsibilities and long-term partnership objectives.
• Protect company interests while enabling sustainable business growth.
• Proven track record developing and growing strategic accounts within large US enterprises.
• Strong business development mindset with the ability to originate and close complex opportunities.
• Skilled in managing long-cycle, high-value negotiations and strategic partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional customer programs without direct authority.
• Strong project planning, prioritization and execution skills.
• Ability to manage multiple strategic opportunities simultaneously while maintaining excellent customer communication.

Industry & Regulatory Understanding

• Good understanding of or ability to learn quickly about the US vape and tobacco industry and FDA/PMTA landscape.
• Ability to engage credibly with customers on regulatory topics while partnering effectively with Regulatory Affairs experts.

Strategic Thinking

• Balances immediate commercial objectives with long-term partnership development.
• Understands platform versus customized product strategies.
• Uses market insights to identify growth opportunities and influence business direction.

Stakeholder Management

• Executive presence and credibility with multinational customers.
• Excellent influencing, communication and relationship-building skills across technical, commercial and executive audiences.
• Comfortable working across global, multicultural organizations.

Experience & Background

• 8–15+ years of experience in strategic sales, business development or account management, preferably within vaping, tobacco or nicotine products, consumer electronics, medical devices or other highly regulated industries.
• Proven success managing large US accounts and multinational customers.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional commercial projects from opportunity through commercialization.
• Familiarity with FDA/PMTA processes and experience working alongside regulatory and technical teams is highly desirable.
• Willingness to travel regularly within the US as required