Strategic Account Manager

About the Role Ascend Learning is looking for a Strategic Account Manager to serve as the lead point of contact for strategic, high-value accounts. The role blends relationship management with business acumen to align Ascend’s nursing education solutions with client goals and drive mutual growth. What You'll Do

• Serve as the lead point of contact for strategic account matters; build and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with key stakeholders including executive sponsors.
• Identify stakeholders (champions, users, technical teams, economic buyers) and develop trusted advisor relationships.
• Manage retention and loyalty, including annual account reviews and reporting.
• Nurture the sales pipeline with timely follow-ups and progress updates.
• Uncover client objectives and pain points; build strategic roadmaps to drive outcomes and provide guidance.
• Develop account growth strategies, collaborate with category leadership, leverage market insight, manage territory, identify cross-sell opportunities.
• Prepare compelling sales strategies, messaging and presentations; negotiate and close deals; collect implementation details.
• Ensure timely delivery of Ascend’s solutions and exceed customer expectations.
• Prepare and present regular reports on opportunities, forecasts, tailwinds/headwinds to management.
• Maintain CRM with prospect info and account data; stay current on industry trends to identify new opportunities. What We're Looking For
• Bachelor’s degree required; 6+ years of relevant sales experience.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders up to executive level; strong negotiation skills.
• Track record delivering tailored solutions and managing multiple projects with precision.
• Excellent written communication for proposals and contracts.
• Ability to build trust and proactively upsell and cross-sell.
• Strong analytical skills for sales data interpretation and strategy.
• History of quota-based sales achievement with multi-year, multimillion-dollar contracts.
• Nursing education knowledge or healthcare/higher education experience preferred.
• Proficient in CRM software (Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot) and MS Office, especially Excel.
• Up to 50% travel. Nice to Have
• Nursing education industry knowledge; healthcare or higher education experience preferred. Compensation & Benefits
• Flexible and generous paid time off; medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; 401(k) with employer match; parental leave.
• Wellness resources, charitable matching, on-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington), and tuition reimbursement.