Strategic Account Manager

Strategic Account Manager (SAM)

The Segment Account Manager (SAM) is responsible for driving total revenue growth within an assigned industry segment. This includes personally leading new enterprise logo acquisition, enabling Account Managers and Territory Sales Managers operating within the segment, and maintaining the executive relationships and market intelligence that give SMG a structural advantage in the sector.

Segment growth is the SAM's number, and it is a team number. When an Account Manager expands a Life Sciences account or a Territory Sales Manager closes a new logo in the segment, that revenue counts toward the SAM's segment growth goal. This means the SAM's role is dual: personal pursuit of new enterprise logos and active enablement of the AM and TS team members operating in the segment. The SAM must flex between leading pursuits directly and positioning others for success depending on where the opportunity sits.

SAMs lead complex new-logo pursuits from initial engagement through close, shaping early-stage enterprise strategy and establishing strong account foundations. Once an account stabilizes and transitions into steady-state growth, the SAM formally hands ownership to the Account Manager based on defined transition criteria. Post-transition, SAMs retain responsibility for overall segment growth, market intelligence, and identifying emerging opportunities that inform GTM strategy and Line of Business development.

SAMs do not own long-term account expansion post-transition and do not independently negotiate pricing or delivery scope without LOB alignment. Their success is measured at the segment level, not the account level.

Key Responsibilities

Segment Ownership and Strategy

• Own total segment revenue growth, including personal new-logo acquisition and the collective performance of AMs and TS roles operating within the segment
• Develop and maintain a segment growth strategy aligned to SMG's GTM priorities, with current focus on Life Sciences and High Tech (Semiconductor and Data Centers)
• Track market trends, regulatory developments, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunity areas within the assigned sector
• Provide market intelligence and go-to-market input that informs Line of Business development, service line positioning, and SMG's broader growth strategy

New Enterprise Logo Acquisition

• Personally lead new enterprise logo acquisition within the assigned segment, targeting organizations with complex, multi-site safety and risk management needs
• Build and sustain executive-level relationships within target accounts, including C-suite, VP, and senior operational leadership, establishing SMG as a trusted strategic partner before a formal opportunity is defined
• Lead the full pursuit lifecycle: segment strategy, stakeholder mapping, executive engagement, solution development in partnership with LOB Directors, proposal leadership, and close
• Establish strong account foundations during the initial engagement period, ensuring clients experience early value, clear delivery expectations, and confidence in SMG's capabilities
• Execute formal account transitions to Account Managers based on defined criteria, maintaining executive relationship continuity and client confidence through the handoff

Team Enablement and Orchestration

• Enable Account Managers and Territory Sales Managers operating within the segment to succeed, recognizing that their wins count toward segment growth
• Flex between leading pursuits personally and positioning AM or TS team members for success based on account size, complexity, and stage of relationship
• Provide sector context, executive access, and strategic framing that helps AMs and TS roles compete more effectively within the segment
• Serve as the segment's senior commercial resource, available to support pursuit strategy, executive conversations, and proposal development across the team

Pipeline and Process Discipline

• Maintain a disciplined new-logo pipeline in Salesforce with clear visibility to opportunities, pursuit stage, timelines, and revenue impact across the segment
• Partner with LOB Directors to validate scope, pricing, and delivery approach prior to any client commitment
• Leverage Gong and other tools to improve pursuit effectiveness and the quality of executive client engagement

Key Milestones

0–3 Months:

• Complete onboarding across SMG systems, tools, service lines, and go-to-market processes
• Develop deep working knowledge of SMG service lines and their application across Life Sciences and High Tech environments
• Build an initial target account landscape for the assigned segment: priority logos, key stakeholders, competitive context, and TAM/SAM sizing
• Establish working relationships with LOB Directors, Account Managers, and Territory Sales Managers operating in the segment
• Establish baseline fluency in Salesforce and Gong for pipeline and engagement tracking

3–6 Months:

• Maintain an active target account list with outreach underway across priority logos in the segment
• Establish initial executive-level relationships within at least two to three priority target accounts
• Engage actively with AM and TS team members in the segment, providing sector context and pursuit support where relevant
• Manage early-stage pursuit conversations, engaging LOB Directors for solution input as needed
• Maintain accurate pipeline and activity tracking in Salesforce with clear pursuit stage visibility

6–9 Months:

• Lead active new-logo pursuits independently, coordinating across LOB Directors and Operations throughout the pursuit lifecycle
• Close initial new-logo accounts and execute first formal account transitions to Account Managers with full relationship continuity
• Deliver segment-level market intelligence that meaningfully informs GTM strategy and LOB priorities
• Demonstrate measurable segment growth contribution, including both personal wins and enabled AM and TS performance
• Establish a functioning rhythm of segment enablement: regular engagement with AMs and TS roles, shared pipeline visibility, and coordinated pursuit support

KPIs

Primary KPI

Segment Growth

Secondary KPIs

• Number of New Logos
• Service Line Adoption
• Account Transition Quality
• Market Intelligence Contribution

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise sales, strategic business development, or senior commercial leadership within Life Sciences, High Tech, industrial, or safety-related environments
• Demonstrated track record of acquiring new enterprise logos and leading complex, multi-stakeholder pursuits to close
• Proven ability to operate credibly and build trust at the C-suite and executive level, with the presence and communication skills that senior client relationships require
• Deep understanding of construction and general industry safety practices, regulatory frameworks (OSHA, ISO 45001, etc.), and the operational realities of high-hazard environments; Life Sciences or semiconductor/data center safety experience is a meaningful differentiator
• Experience enabling or leading a commercial team, with an understanding of how to create conditions for others to succeed within a segment or territory
• Experience with services-based business models and project-based delivery environments where solution design and delivery alignment are closely linked
• Familiarity with structured enterprise sales methodologies (e.g., MEDDPICC) and disciplined pipeline management practices
• Experience using CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred) and sales enablement tools (e.g., Gong)
• Bachelor's degree in business, safety, construction management, life sciences, or a related field preferred
• Relevant safety certifications (CSP, ASP, CHST, OSHA 30, etc.) are a plus and meaningfully strengthen executive credibility in target markets

Skills

• Executive presence: the ability to command the room, build trust quickly at senior levels, and represent SMG as a peer to client leadership, not a vendor
• Sector fluency: deep enough expertise in Life Sciences and High Tech environments to lead insight-driven conversations that establish credibility before a solution is ever proposed
• Hunter mentality: a genuine orientation toward finding, building, and closing new enterprise opportunities, with the discipline and resilience that long-cycle pursuit requires
• Orchestration: the ability to flex between leading personally and enabling others, knowing when to step in and when to step back so that the segment performs as a whole
• Strategic thinking: the ability to map complex organizations, identify the right entry points, shape account strategy, and align SMG capabilities to client priorities in a way that creates competitive separation
• Commercial maturity: a working command of pricing, scope, margin, and delivery alignment, and the