Key Account Specialist – Distribution & Growth

Acdc Dynamics South Africa; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Aid

Retirement Plan

Study Leave

Job summary

LexisNexis Legal & Professional in Johannesburg is seeking a Key Account Manager to drive sustainable revenue growth across higher education accounts. This hybrid role blends new business development with strategic account management, focusing on retaining and expanding existing customers while securing new opportunities.

You will act as a trusted advisor to academic institutions, faculty, librarians, authors, and decision-makers, leveraging AI fluency to enhance sales effectiveness and customer

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' sales account management experience.
• Strong understanding of client and market dynamics.
• Proven experience managing key accounts and strategic customer relationships.
• Extensive knowledge of sales principles and processes.
• Ability to negotiate pricing and commercial agreements.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Valid unendorsed Code 8 driver's licence.
• Strong communication, presentation and relationship management skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct market research to identify customer needs, competitor activity, and growth opportunities.
• Develop and maintain annual territory and account plans covering revenue objectives and growth opportunities.
• Use market intelligence and AI-driven insights to improve territory planning and product positioning.
• Manage a portfolio of academic accounts to support retention and growth.
• Expand accounts through adoption of existing products and value-added solutions.
• Deliver renewals for allocated customer agreements and contracts.
• Identify and mitigate retention risks while strengthening partnerships.
• Retain, grow, and secure product adoptions across academic institutions.
• Build trusted relationships with faculty, librarians, procurement teams and decision-makers.
• Maintain regular virtual and in-person customer engagement and provide responsive service.
• Promote customer success and long-term account advocacy.
• Identify, qualify, and pursue new opportunities within accounts.
• Build pipeline through proactive prospecting 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.

Skills

Relationship management

Negotiation

Sales strategy

Market analysis

Planning & reporting

Problem solving

Influencing abilities

Education

Higher Certificate (NQF5)

Diploma (NQF6) advantageous

Matric

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Education, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Qualifications

• Higher Certificate or similar relevant tertiary qualification (NQF5)
• Diploma or relevant qualification (NQF6) advantageous
• Matric essential
• Additional sales or business development qualifications beneficial

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years' sales account management experience
• Strong understanding of client and market dynamics
• Proven experience managing key accounts and strategic customer relationships
• Extensive knowledge of sales principles and processes
• Ability to negotiate pricing and commercial agreements
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Valid unendorsed Code 8 driver's licence
• Strong communication, presentation and relationship management skills

KPA's

• Achieve revenue growth and sales targets across assigned key accounts
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with decision-makers within customer accounts
• Identify new business opportunities and drive growth within existing client portfolios
• Create and manage account plans to support customer objectives and business goals
• Conduct monthly and quarterly business reviews with customers
• Ensure customer retention and high levels of customer satisfaction
• Prepare and deliver compelling client proposals, presentations and RFP responses
• Manage pricing negotiations to maximise profitability
• Maintain an accurate sales pipeline and provide regular reporting on account activity
• Resolve client concerns and provide value‑added solutions to strengthen partnerships

Competencies

• Strong client relationship management skills
• Excellent negotiation and influencing abilities
• Business and financial acumen
• Results driven and target orientated
• Strong planning, organisational and reporting skills
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast‑paced environment
• Excellent problem‑solving and conflict management skills
• New business development capability

Johannesburg

Full time

R

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

Benefits in South Africa include 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.

We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact .