Strategic Account Director (Remote)

Cengage; Illinois; On-site; USD 77,100 - 100,200; Full time

Job summary

Cengage is seeking a Strategic Account Director to lead complex account strategies and executive-level negotiations within the North America Higher Education Sales Group. You will own multi-year account plans, forecast revenue, and drive renewals and expansion across CU, EA, and IA models.

Travel 35–50% is expected as you engage senior academic leaders, finance, and procurement, coordinating with cross-functional teams to align institutional goals with Cengage’s strategic priorities and outcomes.

Qualifications

• BA or BS degree in a relevant field.
• 5+ years in educational or enterprise-level sales.
• Proven ability to own and complete strategic account plans.
• Strong background in high-level negotiations.
• Strong analytical, written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Deep understanding of higher-education institutional financial and academic decision-making structures.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Salesforce.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex contract negotiations with senior academic and administrative leaders.
• Own the overall account strategy and forecast for each institution within the assigned territory.
• Develop multi-year growth, retention, and expansion plans.
• Strategically identify and capitalize on high-impact institutional opportunities, ensuring alignment with customer objectives.
• Develop financial models and arguments that align Cengage Unlimited benefits with the institution’s budgets to demonstrate ROI.
• Spearhead new business development opportunities at executive level through sales engagement, market research, and outreach.
• Drive revenue growth and CU renewals by managing renewal timelines and upsell/expansion with Solutions Specialists.
• Clearly articulate the value proposition of Cengage products and services to institutional priorities.

Skills

Strategic account planning

High-level negotiations

Analytical skills

Written and verbal communication

Presentation skills

Higher education decision-making

Education

BA or BS degree

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

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 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.

Strategic Account Director

As a key member of the Cengage North America Higher Education Sales Group, the Strategic Account Director serves as a senior, customer‑facing role with strategic accountability for account-level revenue and relationships. This role blends new business development with deep post‑sale ownership, focusing on long‑term partnership success, customer value realization, and sustained revenue growth across all accounts including Cengage Unlimited Institutional Access (CU), Equitable Access (EA), and Inclusive Access (IA) business models.

Operating as the point of strategic ownership for assigned accounts, the Strategic Account Director leads forecasting, multi‑year account planning, contract strategy, renewals, and expansion efforts while serving as a trusted advisor to senior academic and administrative stakeholders. The role collaborates closely with Regional District Managers, Specialists, Customer Success, Channel Partners, and cross‑functional internal teams to align institutional goals, data insights, and execution across complex customer environments.

Geographic Eligibility

• Southern California
• Arizona
• Colorado
• New Mexico
• Kansas
• Nebraska
• Oklahoma
• Mississippi
• Alabama
• Louisiana
• Arkansas
• Iowa
• Missouri
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Vermont
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island

Travel Requirements

Travel required to key customers for in‑person negotiations, on‑campus meetings, attendance at key conferences, and Cengage partner events. 35–50% travel encouraged.

Direct Sales & Strategic Account Ownership

• Lead complex contract negotiations with senior‑level academic and administrative leaders, including provosts, chief academic officers, finance, and procurement collaborators.
• Own the overall account strategy and forecast for each institution within the assigned territory. Develop multi‑year growth, retention, and expansion plans. Ensure they align with institutional priorities and Cengage business objectives.
• Strategically identify and capitalize on high‑impact institutional opportunities, ensuring alignment with customer objectives and improved student outcomes.
• Develop financial models and arguments that align Cengage Unlimited (CU) benefits with the institution’s specific budgetary and retention goals to demonstrate the return on investment.
• Spearhead new business development opportunities at an executive level through personal sales engagement, networking, market research, and targeted outreach.
• Drive institutional revenue growth and CU renewals by proactively managing renewal timelines and upsell, expansion, and conversion opportunities in partnership with Solutions Specialists.
• Clearly articulate the value proposition of Cengage products and services in support of institutional priorities such as affordability, equity of access, student persistence, and academic achievement.

Institutional Account Strategy, Leadership & Program Success

• Own IA/EA/CUI data management and analysis, leveraging enrollment, usage, pricing, and adoption insights to inform account strategy, forecast performance, and guide decision‑making.
• Lead institutional change management efforts, navigating the cultural and political shifts required to move faculty and administration toward digital access models.
• Manage and deepen customer relationships through program kickoffs, onboarding support, executive‑level success reviews, and ongoing strategic engagement.
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to institutional collaborators, using data‑driven insights to optimize programs and strengthen long‑term outcomes.
• Partner closely with sales, channel, customer success, marketing, and operations teams to ensure cohesive execution and accountability across institutional programs.
• Champion disciplined pipeline, opportunity, and account management within CRM systems (Salesforce).

Thought Leadership & Collaboration

• Exhibit thought leadership within the institutional sales process by positioning oneself as a subject‑matter authority on Cengage institutional business models and account strategy.
• Foster collaborative, high‑trust relationships across internal teams to support seamless execution and customer satisfaction.
• Serve as a critical market feedback loop, synthesizing executive‑level insights and institutional trends to help Cengage leadership refine product strategy and business model.

Skills You'll Need Here

• BA or BS degree.
• 5+ years of successful experience in educational or enterprise‑level sales.
• Proven ability to own and complete strategic account plans with long‑term revenue accountability.
• Strong background in high‑level negotiations.
• Strong analytical, written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Deep understanding of higher‑education institutional financial and academic decision‑making structures.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM platforms, preferably Salesforce.

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 during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation, 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

• Base pay: $77,100.00 - $100,200.00 USD.
• 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. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

Learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.