Key Account Manager - (Observatory, Wc)

Srg Recruitment; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical aid & retirement contributions

Professional development opportunities

Dynamic work environment

Hybrid work model

Job summary

LexisNexis Legal & Professional is seeking a Key Account Manager in Johannesburg to drive sustainable revenue, growth, and partnerships in higher education. The hybrid role blends new business development with strategic account management, retaining and expanding accounts while pursuing new opportunities.

You will advise academic institutions, faculty, librarians, authors, and decision-makers, driving product adoption, customer satisfaction, and digital transformation with AI-enabled sales

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Education, or a related field.
• Proven experience in sales, business development, account management, or customer success, preferably in education, publishing, information services, or technology.
• Strong understanding of the academic and higher-education market.
• Demonstrated ability to manage strategic accounts while developing and securing new business.
• Experience using CRM platforms and digital sales tools.

Responsibilities

• Market analysis and strategic planning to identify needs, competitors, trends, and growth opportunities.
• Develop and maintain annual territory and account plans covering revenue objectives and growth opportunities.
• Use AI-driven insights to improve territory planning, prioritisation, and product positioning.
• Manage a portfolio of academic accounts to support retention and sustainable revenue growth.
• Expand accounts through greater adoption of existing products and introduction of value-added solutions.
• Deliver successful renewals for allocated customer agreements and contracts.
• Build trusted relationships with faculty, librarians, procurement teams, department heads, authors, and decision-makers.
• Maintain regular virtual and in-person engagement, providing responsive, high-quality service.

Skills

Key Account Management

Sales & Business Development

AI fluency

Customer engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing/Education

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Location & Working Hours

Johannesburg

Full time

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About the Role

The Key Account Manager drives sustainable revenue growth, market penetration, and strategic partnerships within higher education. This hybrid role combines new business development with strategic account management, focusing on retaining and expanding existing accounts while securing new opportunities.

You’ll serve as a trusted advisor to academic institutions, faculty, librarians, authors, and decision-makers, driving product adoption, customer satisfaction, and digital transformation. AI fluency is essential to enhance sales effectiveness, customer engagement, and business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Market Analysis & Strategic Planning
• + Conduct market research to identify customer needs, competitor activity, emerging trends, and growth opportunities.
• + Develop and maintain annual territory and account plans covering revenue objectives, account priorities, stakeholder strategies, and growth opportunities.
• + Use market intelligence and AI-driven insights to improve territory planning, account prioritisation, and product positioning.
• Strategic Account Management
• + Manage a portfolio of academic accounts to support customer retention, satisfaction, and sustainable revenue growth.
• + Expand accounts through greater adoption of existing products and introduction of value-added solutions.
• + Deliver successful renewals for allocated customer agreements and contracts.
• + Identify and mitigate retention risks while strengthening long-term customer partnerships.
• Product Adoption & Stakeholder Engagement
• + Retain, grow, and secure product adoptions across academic institutions.
• + Build trusted relationships with faculty, librarians, procurement teams, department heads, authors, and key decision-makers.
• + Maintain regular virtual and in-person customer engagement, providing responsive, high-quality service.
• + Promote customer success, product utilisation, and long-term account advocacy.
• Business Development & Revenue Growth
• + Identify, qualify, and pursue new opportunities within existing and prospective accounts.
• + Build pipeline through proactive prospecting, networking, and stakeholder engagement.
• + Deliver tailored product demonstrations, presentations, and proposals.
• + Negotiate and close new contracts, renewals, and commercial agreements.
• + Achieve assigned new-business, retention, and revenue-growth targets.
• AI Enablement & Digital Fluency
• + Use AI-powered tools to enhance customer engagement, sales planning, forecasting, pipeline management, and productivity.
• + Identify opportunities for AI-enabled solutions that support digital transformation in academic institutions.
• + Stay current with emerging AI trends in education, research, and academic publishing.
• Collaboration & Performance Reporting
• + Partner with Marketing, Product, Customer Success, Editorial, and Support teams to deliver tailored customer solutions.
• + Share customer and market insights that inform product development and innovation.
• + Maintain accurate CRM records and monitor account health, product adoption, pipeline, and renewal performance.
• + Provide regular sales forecasts, performance updates, and strategic recommendations.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Education, or a related field.
• Proven experience in sales, business development, account management, or customer success, preferably in education, publishing, information services, or technology.
• Strong understanding of the academic and higher-education market.
• Demonstrated ability to manage strategic accounts while developing and securing new business.
• Experience using CRM platforms and digital sales tools.

About Our Team

LexisNexis Legal & Professional serves customers in more than 150 countries and employs 11,800 people worldwide. As part of RELX, we use AI and advanced technologies to improve productivity and transform the business and practice of law. Our teams develop, test, and validate solutions in line with RELX Responsible AI Principles.

About the Business

LexisNexis Legal & Professional provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers increase productivity, improve decision-making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world.

Work in a Way That Works for You

We support a healthy work-life balance through wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance, and sabbaticals. This hybrid role offers flexible working hours to help you work when you’re most productive.

Working for You

• Medical Aid, a Retirement Plan with risk benefits covering disability, critical illness, life and funeral cover, modern family benefits including adoption and surrogacy, and study leave.

We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. Click here ( to access benefits specific to your location.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with performance-based incentives and bonuses.
• Comprehensive medical aid and retirement fund contributions.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• A dynamic work environment within a leading industry player.
• Potential for flexible working arrangements within the hybrid model.
• Access to industry-leading tools and resources.

We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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