Senior Account Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Description :

As a Senior Account Manager at Wayside Publishing, you will play a critical role in managing and nurturing relationships with key clients and driving strategic growth within your assigned territory. This position blends deep account management responsibilities with mentorship, collaboration, and thought leadership across the sales team. As a Senior Account Manager, you will act as a trusted advisor to both clients and internal teams, helping guide customers through the sales process while fostering long-term partnerships and advocating for their needs. You will spend a significant amount of time outside the office, meeting with clients, conducting sales presentations, and building strong relationships with customers face-to-face.

Territory : Washington, Oregon, and Northern California - The candidate must reside within the territory.

Who We Are

Wayside Publishing is a progressive developer of world language programs, resources, and materials for middle and high schools across the United States. We partner with educators to craft transformative texts and digital tools that engage students and foster successful communication and understanding across cultures.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic account plans for key customers within your territory, identifying opportunities for expansion, retention, and long-term partnership.
• Understand client goals, district initiatives, budgetary constraints, and timelines to offer tailored solutions aligned with customer success.
• Maintain deep familiarity with district procurement processes, funding cycles, and state-specific adoption requirements.
• Collaborate with the adoptions team to monitor legislation, market trends, and best practices that impact client decisions and procurement cycles.
• Build and nurture strategic relationships with clients through regular communication, site visits, and stakeholder meetings.
• Serve as a trusted advisor, helping clients navigate challenges and ensuring their satisfaction with Wayside Publishing’s products and services.
• Act as a subject matter expert and mentor to junior Account Managers.
• Lead by example in customer engagement, opportunity management, and strategic account planning.
• Share insights, best practices, and lessons learned from the field to help shape team knowledge and approach.
• Work cross-functionally with Marketing, Product Development, Customer Support, and Adoptions teams to ensure alignment and success for assigned accounts.
• Facilitate feedback loops and advocate for client needs to influence product offerings and company strategy.
• Conduct face-to-face meetings with prospective and existing clients. Schedule appointments, perform cold calls, and present Wayside’s world language product offerings in person.
• Prepare and present detailed proposals that outline solutions, timelines, and pricing.
• Negotiate terms and handle objections to close sales with mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Maintain accurate records of client interactions, sales activity, and performance metrics using Salesforce.
• Generate reports and analyze trends to assess territory growth, client retention, and pipeline health.
• Represent the voice of the customer internally, ensuring feedback and evolving needs are communicated to product and leadership teams.
• Advocate for customer success throughout the lifecycle of the account.
• Identify new business opportunities within both existing and potential accounts to drive revenue growth and market share.
• Travel approximately 50% of the time, adhering to the company’s travel guidelines.
• Other Duties as Assigned

Requirements :

What We Offer

We believe that traditional hiring policies can hurt the most marginalized people in society, including people of color, people from working-class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQ people. Because we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

Wayside Publishing is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

When submitting your application, please include a concise cover letter that speaks to your experience and why this role is the next best step in your career.

NO PHONE CALLS OR RECRUITERS PLEASE.