Sr Director, Strategic Accounts, California (Remote)

Cengage; California (MO); On-site; USD 117,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Cengage is seeking a high-impact leader to own regional revenue performance and account strategy across the assigned territory. You will translate the VP’s strategic vision into actionable regional plans, drive forecast rigor, and coordinate cross‑functional teams to ensure successful execution.

You will lead complex multi‑stakeholder institutional sales cycles, coach senior directors on negotiation and pricing, and foster strong partnerships with academic institutions and bookstores.

Qualifications

• Strategic and analytical thinking with ability to translate direction into regional plans.
• Executive communication and presence for institutional leaders.
• Strong data-driven storytelling and CRM data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Own regional revenue performance and account strategy for assigned territory.
• Translate the VP’s vision into regional operating plans with clear goals and processes.
• Drive forecast accuracy and pipeline rigor with data-validated forecasting.
• Lead development and execution of strategic account plans leveraging analytics and market trends.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams for high-value negotiations and growth.
• Coach directors on negotiation excellence and pricing strategy, ensuring execution quality.
• Advance IA, EA, and CU execution with data fluency in planning and forecasting.
• Cultivate channel and bookstore partnerships and align on pricing and program performance.
• Build partnerships with Solutions Sales/Engineering/Customer Success for cohesive strategy.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical thinking

Executive communication

Sales leadership

CRM data analysis

Operational rigor

Talent development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, education, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Cengage's Higher Education business, Cengage, supports learning and student success by providing materials and digital solutions to faculty and students enrolled in two-year, four-year and vocational programs. We currently serve more than 10 million of the 18 million students in US higher ed. Setting a new standard of service for our customers, we deliver quality, easy-to-use course materials from textbooks and eBooks to courseware such as MindTap and WebAssign. In the US, we offer Cengage Unlimited and Cengage Unlimited for Institutions. We help instructors be better teachers, we help institutions solve problems and we empower students to leverage the power and joy of learning to transform lives.

Our culture values inclusion, engagement, and discovery

Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well‑being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-belonging/.

What You'll Do Here

• Own regional revenue performance and overall account strategy, ensuring growth, retention, and execution of strategic priorities across the assigned territory.
• Translate the VP, Strategic Accounts’ vision into regional operating plans with clear goals, expectations, and processes for consistent execution.
• Drive forecast accuracy and pipeline rigor through regular inspection, strong operating cadence, and data-validated forecasting for operational viability
• Lead development and execution of strategic account plans that leverage analytics, market trends and program performance to prioritize high‑value department, cohort, and institution‑level opportunities.
• Guide complex deal strategy; align cross‑functional resources and assist in high‑value negotiations to accelerate growth.
• Coach Strategic Account Directors on negotiation excellence and commercial rigor—including pricing strategy, discount/approval guardrails, executive‑level contracting, and close‑plan quality ensuring consistent, high‑standard execution across the region.
• Advance Inclusive Access (IA), Equitable Access (EA), and Cengage Unlimited (CU) execution and data fluency (enrollment, usage, pricing, adoption, renewals) and require these insights in planning, risk mitigation, and forecasting.
• Cultivate channel and bookstore partnerships for IA, EA and CU accounts, ensuring alignment on pricing, process, implementation, and program performance.
• Build strong partnerships with Solutions Sales, Solutions Engineering, and Customer Success leadership to ensure cohesive pre‑sale strategy and post‑sale execution.

Leadership Expectations

• Model strategic clarity and alignment, ensuring the team understands and accomplishes the vision, priorities, and operating standards set by the VP, Accounts.
• Develop and empower a high‑performing, inclusive team through regular coaching, clear expectations, proactive skill development, and trust‑based team dynamics.
• Foster a culture of accountability, setting high standards for forecast accuracy, CRM rigor, operational excellence, and consistent follow‑through.
• Set the tone for customer‑centricity, modeling consultative engagement, and elevating institutional relationships through data‑driven, value‑based conversations.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement, finding opportunities to strengthen sales processes, streamline workflows, and mature the Institutional Sales motion.
• Ensure consistency and alignment across the region by reinforcing standards for account planning, sales methodology, commercial guardrails, and institutional engagement within the field.
• Lead with transparency and communication, providing clear updates on performance, risks, opportunities, and market signals to the team and VP, Accounts.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to translate organizational direction into actionable regional plans.
• Executive communication and presence, with strong data driven storytelling skills for institutional leaders.
• High proficiency in Salesforce and data interpretation, using insights to guide decision making and improve execution.
• Strong commercial acumen, including pricing, negotiation, and contract strategy.
• Talent development approach, with the ability to mentor and elevate a hard‑working team.
• Deep understanding of higher education institutional needs, decision making structures, and value drivers.

(Required)

Skills You’ll Need Here:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, education, or a related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive sales experience in B2B, higher‑education, publishing, SaaS, or enterprise‑level account management roles.
• 3–5+ years of direct sales leadership experience, managing quota‑carrying Account Executives/Strategic Account Directors with full revenue accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi‑stakeholder institutional sales cycles, including executive‑level customer engagement.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience with pricing strategy, discount governance, negotiation frameworks, and contract execution.
• Exceptional communication, executive presence, and the ability to inspire confidence with senior institutional leaders.
• Strong operational rigor with experience driving consistent processes, accountability rhythms, and performance management.
• Track record of developing high‑performing, diverse teams with a focus on talent development, succession planning, and coaching excellence.

Optional KPIs & Operating Cadence

Team quota attainment, forecast accuracy, pipeline coverage and quality (creation, conversion, velocity), win rate, cycle time, discount adherence, CU adoption and conversion rate, renewal retention, and data hygiene (Salesforce & program analytics).

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [e-mail].

About Cengage

Cengage, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Compensation

At Cengage, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.

In this position, you will be eligible to participate in the company’s variable Sales incentive compensation program.

$117,100.00 - $152,200.00 USD

Target Variable Compensation

85,000.00 USD Annual: Individual Target

annually

Actual incentive earnings are not guaranteed and may be more or less than the target amount based on achievement of performance goals and the terms of the applicable incentive compensation plan.