The role
The Account Director, Strategic Accounts is responsible for retaining, expanding, and strategically developing a portfolio of large Enterprise and Government accounts across DACH and Central Europe.
This role owns the commercial relationship, drives significant ARR expansion, delivers strong NRR performance, and develops multi-year account growth strategies. The Account Director acts as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders, leads complex renewal and expansion negotiations, and orchestrates cross-functional resources to maximize customer value and business outcomes.
Success in this role requires exceptional executive presence, strategic account planning expertise, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to navigate complex buying environments involving procurement, legal, compliance, communications, marketing, and technology stakeholders.
Duties and responsibilities
The role is defined, but not limited to, the following:
Strategic Account Ownership
- Own and manage a portfolio of strategic Enterprise and Government accounts.
- Develop and execute comprehensive multi-year account plans aligned with customer business priorities.
- Build trusted relationships with executive sponsors and key decision makers across business, communications, marketing, procurement, legal, and technology functions.
- Maintain executive stakeholder maps and account growth strategies.
- Lead quarterly and annual account reviews with internal and customer leadership teams.
Revenue Growth & Expansion
- Own and deliver expansion ARR targets and renewal performance across assigned accounts.
- Identify, qualify, and execute upsell, cross-sell, and strategic growth opportunities.
- Build and manage a robust pipeline of expansion opportunities.
- Execute complex commercial negotiations involving multiple stakeholders and business units.
- Develop business cases and value-based proposals that align with customer priorities and measurable outcomes.
Renewals & Commercial Management
- Lead strategic renewal planning and negotiation processes.
- Proactively manage renewal risk and pricing strategies to maximize NRR performance.
- Manage commercial discussions through procurement, legal, security, and compliance reviews.
- Ensure accurate forecasting, pipeline management, and CRM hygiene.
- Maintain inspection-ready account plans and opportunity management processes.
Executive Engagement & Strategic Selling
- Lead advanced discovery and strategic conversations with C-suite and senior business stakeholders.
- Understand customer business strategies, market challenges, and transformation priorities.
- Position solutions based on business value and strategic impact.
- Facilitate executive business reviews and strategic planning workshops.
- Leverage MEDDPICC methodologies to qualify, advance, and close opportunities.
Enterprise & Government Account Management
- Navigate complex procurement and regulatory frameworks.
- Manage long sales cycles and multi-stakeholder buying processes.
- Coordinate responses to RFPs, tenders, security reviews, and compliance requirements.
- Partner with internal teams to align expansion opportunities with delivery capabilities and product roadmap priorities.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead a team-based approach across Customer Success, Professional Services, Solutions Consulting, Product, Marketing, Insights, and Support.
- Drive account planning discipline and strategic account governance.
- Provide customer and market feedback to support product innovation and go-to-market strategies.
Essential Skills and Experience
- 7+ years of experience in Enterprise Account Management, Strategic Account Management, Enterprise Sales, Business Development, Customer Experience or Insights Consulting.
- Proven success managing large, complex Enterprise or Government account portfolios.
- Demonstrated ability to consistently achieve renewal, expansion, and revenue growth targets.
- Strong experience leading complex negotiations involving executive stakeholders, procurement, legal, and compliance functions.
- Proven track record developing and executing strategic account plans.
- Experience managing long sales cycles and multiple buying centers.
- Strong forecasting discipline and commercial rigor.
- Executive presence and strong stakeholder management skills.
- MEDDPICC or comparable enterprise sales methodology experience.
- Strong written, presentation, and communication skills.
- Ability to influence across complex organizations.
- Experience working with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
- Industry experience in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing Technology (MarTech), Digital Marketing, Media Intelligence or Social Media Analytics
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
- Fluent German and English.
- Willingness to travel as required for client and internal meetings.
What We Offer
Upon joining Cision, you will immediately have access to a range of benefits that are fully or partially funded by the company and form part of your overall benefits package. These benefits include:
- Capital-forming benefits and a pension fund
- Flexible working hours and mobile work
- Commuter card subsidy
- Subsidy for our partner EGYM Wellpass to access 7,500 premium fitness and wellness options
- New and modern office in Gateway Gardens, Frankfurt
- Professional development in a modern and globally leading company
- Insights into the international media landscape
- A dynamic global team
- Work independently and self-driven in an innovative environment
- Value-driven culture and team-oriented working
- Work from abroad for a determined timeframe
If this opportunity feels like the right fit for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please note that for this role, we are only able to consider candidates who are already based in the country of employment.
**Day-to-day preferred language with colleagues will mostly be German, however, please bear in mind that Cision is a global company, and so is our Talent Acquisition team, so please apply using a CV written in English so we can review your application**
#LI-Hybrid
Cision, Inc. "the Company" only communicates with candidates and extends job offers through direct channels, not third parties.
Skills Required
- 7+ years of experience in enterprise account management, strategic account management, enterprise sales, business development, customer experience, or insights consulting
- Experience managing large, complex enterprise or government account portfolios
- Track record of achieving renewal, expansion, and revenue growth targets
- Experience leading complex negotiations involving executive stakeholders, procurement, legal, and compliance
- Experience developing and executing strategic account plans
- Experience managing long sales cycles and multiple buying centers
- Strong forecasting discipline and commercial rigor
- Executive presence and strong stakeholder management skills
- MEDDPICC or comparable enterprise sales methodology experience
- Strong written, presentation, and communication skills
- Ability to influence across complex organizations
- Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
- Industry experience in public relations, communications, marketing technology, digital marketing, media intelligence, or social media analytics
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
- Fluent German and English
- Willingness to travel for client and internal meetings
Cision Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Cision and has not been reviewed or approved by Cision.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off and paid holidays, including days like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, are highlighted alongside flexible or unlimited PTO and volunteer time. Feedback suggests this breadth of leave and schedule flexibility meaningfully supports work–life balance.
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Healthcare Strength — Core medical, dental, and vision coverage are offered with FSA/HSA options, plus an EAP and dedicated mental‑health resources such as Headspace. Feedback suggests these health and wellbeing elements are a solid part of the total package.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) program is available at date of hire with traditional and Roth options administered via Fidelity, with employer matching and vesting described in plan materials. Feedback suggests this provides mainstream retirement support even if not described as market‑leading.
Cision Insights
What We Do
Cision is a leading global provider of earned media software and services to public relations and marketing communications professionals. Cision’s software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Cision has over 4,800 employees with offices in 24 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
