Strategic Account Manager

Strategic Account Manager – Life Sciences

Salas O'Brien is looking for a strategic, relationship-driven leader to grow and strengthen some of our most important client partnerships within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences markets.

As a Strategic Account Manager, you'll own and expand key client relationships, uncover new business opportunities, and connect clients with the right expertise across Salas O'Brien. You'll work with executive stakeholders, technical leaders, project teams, and business leaders to build long-term partnerships and drive measurable account growth.

What You'll Do

• Own and grow strategic client relationships across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences sectors.
• Develop account strategies that drive revenue growth, profitability, retention, and expansion.
• Build trusted relationships with senior client decision-makers and key stakeholders.
• Identify and advance new opportunities across service lines, markets, and geographies.
• Lead cross-selling and account expansion efforts by connecting clients with capabilities across Salas O'Brien.
• Develop and maintain strategic account plans, pipelines, forecasts, and growth strategies.
• Partner with technical, operational, and project leaders to ensure a strong and consistent client experience.
• Lead pursuit strategies for major opportunities, including positioning, relationship development, teaming, and proposal strategy.
• Stay closely connected to client priorities, capital programs, business challenges, and emerging needs.
• Help position Salas O'Brien as a long-term strategic partner rather than simply a project-based service provider.

What We're Looking For

• Significant experience in strategic account management, client development, business development, engineering, consulting, professional services, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success growing large, complex client accounts and developing long-term relationships.
• Strong ability to build credibility with executive-level stakeholders and influence decision-makers.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary or matrixed organizations.
• Strong commercial instincts, including account planning, pipeline management, forecasting, and opportunity development.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, architecture, construction management, or a related field.

Life Sciences Experience

Experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CDMO/CMO, or other regulated manufacturing environments is strongly preferred. Familiarity with areas such as cGMP, process and facility design, CQV, clean utilities, automation and controls, packaging systems, and facility infrastructure is highly valuable.

Travel

This is a highly client-facing role, with travel expected for client meetings, site visits, industry events, and internal collaboration. Travel may average up to 50%.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means growing strategic accounts, expanding Salas O'Brien's presence within client organizations, strengthening executive relationships, generating repeat business, and bringing the full capabilities of One Salas O'Brien to our clients.

Compensation & Benefits:

Compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location. This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive U.S. based benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
• Professional development support

For more information, visit our full benefits overview here.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Salas O'Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O'Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.

Third-Party Agency Notice Salas O'Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.