Senior Key Account Manager - Diagnostics (Gauteng)

Karebo Lighting; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Cepheid, a Danaher Company, seeks a Senior Key Account Manager based in Gauteng to accelerate growth across South Africa’s healthcare ecosystem. You will lead strategic engagement with key accounts, drive adoption of molecular diagnostic solutions, and partner with distributors to meet revenue targets.

The role demands strong relationship building, executive communication, and expertise in complex sales cycles within B2B healthcare markets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in diagnostics, medical devices, or healthcare industries.
• Demonstrated success in managing key accounts and developing long-term relationships.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen within B2B healthcare markets.

Responsibilities

• Achieve or exceed revenue targets by managing and growing strategic accounts in the region.
• Design and execute tailored account strategies to drive market share and long-term partnerships.
• Lead participation in tenders, contracts, and pricing strategies for commercial and public health markets.
• Serve as primary contact for healthcare institutions, commercial laboratories, and distributor partners.
• Drive growth across Commercial Labs, Hospitals, Clinics, and Alternative Care Settings.
• Engage clinicians, lab directors, and procurement leaders to position Cepheid as a diagnostics partner.
• Collaborate with Marketing on demand generation campaigns and customer events.
• Support distributor partners by evaluating performance and training, ensuring CPTK adherence.
• Maintain sales forecasting with Salesforce and provide visibility on pipeline and market trends.
• Work with Customer Care, Service, and Technical teams to ensure high service quality and instrument uptime.
• Champions DBS and funnel management to drive process excellence.

Skills

Key account management

Sales strategy

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Healthcare market knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or related field

Job description

Senior Key Account Manager - Gauteng

Job Title: Senior Key Account Manager - Gauteng

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Business Unit: Cepheid, a Danaher Company

Reports To: Country Manager, South Africa

Position Summary

At Cepheid, we are united by our mission to enable access to fast, accurate, and actionable diagnostic insights that improve lives. As a Senior Key Account Manager based in Gauteng, you will play a critical role in accelerating our commercial growth across South Africa's healthcare ecosystem.

You will lead strategic customer engagement, driving adoption of Cepheid's molecular diagnostic solutions across both the commercial and public health sectors, including HBDC. You will be responsible for managing key accounts directly and supporting distributor activities, while delivering on sales targets and business expansion plans. This high-impact role requires a customer-centric mindset, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to influence complex stakeholder environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Achieve or exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets by managing and growing strategic accounts in the region.
• Design and execute tailored account strategies to drive market share, increase test menu utilization, and secure long-term partnerships.
• Lead participation in tenders, contracts, and pricing strategies aligned with both commercial and public health market dynamics.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for healthcare institutions, commercial laboratories, and regional distributor partners.
• Drive business growth across key private and public healthcare providers, including Commercial Labs, Hospitals, Clinics, and Alternative Care Settings.
• Conduct regular engagements with clinicians, lab directors, procurement leads, and policy makers, positioning Cepheid as a trusted diagnostics partner.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team on demand generation campaigns, scientific workshops, and customer events, ensuring execution excellence.
• Support distributor partners by evaluating performance, facilitating training, and ensuring adherence to the Channel Partner Toolkit (CPTK) process.
• Maintain strong sales forecasting discipline using Salesforce (SFDC), providing visibility on pipeline, funnel activity, pricing, and market trends.
• Work cross-functionally with Customer Care, Service, and Technical teams to ensure high service quality and instrument uptime for your accounts.
• Champion the Danaher Business System (DBS) and funnel management principles to continuously drive process excellence and performance.

Training Responsibilities

• Complete all assigned training modules on time and ensure compliance with Cepheid and Danaher policies.
• For team leaders: Ensure timely and full training completion for all direct reports.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Medical Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in the diagnostics, medical device, or healthcare industry.
• Demonstrated success in managing key accounts and developing long-term business relationships.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, especially within B2B healthcare markets.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to lead complex sales cycles, manage multiple stakeholders, and influence buying decisions.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills in both clinical and commercial environments.
• Adept at cross-functional collaboration