Strategic Account Manager - Southeast

Role Overview

Location: Remote; Southeast U.S. preferred

Travel: Frequent local and regional travel required; occasional national travel may be required

Compensation: Eligible for commission and/or bonus

Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Political Science, Public Policy, Government, Communications, Business, or a related field preferred. Master’s degree is a plus.

Overview:

We are seeking a motivated and experienced public-sector professional to lead strategic partnerships and government affairs initiatives across the Southeast region. This role will help expand adoption of technology-enabled school bus safety solutions by combining policy expertise, stakeholder engagement, and business development support.

The ideal candidate brings strong political judgment, a business-oriented mindset, and a demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with public officials, school systems, law enforcement leaders, and other community stakeholders. Success in this role requires the ability to navigate complex public-sector environments, influence decision-makers, and help advance opportunities through lengthy, multi-stakeholder processes.

Responsibilities

• Identify, qualify, and advance priority public-sector accounts with complex political, regulatory, and procurement dynamics.
• Support the sales cycle by navigating gatekeepers, influencers, and decision-makers in school districts and local government.
• Participate in account planning, deal strategy sessions, proposal development, and other activities that connect government affairs insights to business objectives.
• Help remove political, regulatory, and stakeholder-related barriers to high-value opportunities.
• Track and report on the impact of government engagement on pipeline progression, deal velocity, and conversion.
• Develop and execute regional go-to-market and government affairs plans focused on municipal and state-level initiatives across the Southeast, with an initial focus on North Carolina and Virginia.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders, including:
• Mayors, city council members, and other municipal officials
• School superintendents, school boards, and transportation directors
• Court personnel, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies
• State legislators and legislative staff, including former chiefs of staff
• Advocate for legislative and regulatory changes that support the responsible use of technology to improve school bus safety.
• Conduct research and analysis on relevant legislation, regulations, procurement practices, and policy issues.
• Represent the organization at public hearings, conferences, association meetings, and other relevant events.
• Develop and implement grassroots and community-engagement initiatives that raise awareness of school bus safety issues.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including government affairs, sales, marketing, legal, and operations, to achieve shared objectives.
• Monitor and report on legislative, regulatory, procurement, and political developments that may affect regional priorities.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in government relations, public affairs, public-sector partnerships, business development, or a related field.
• Experience supporting public-sector sales teams or working in a business-to-government environment is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working with elected officials at the municipal and/or state level.
• Experience working with school districts, law enforcement agencies, courts, transportation agencies, or other public-sector stakeholders is a plus.
• Strong understanding of legislative, regulatory, and public procurement processes across the Southeast; familiarity with North Carolina and Virginia is preferred.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders and operate credibly in politically sensitive environments.
• Strong analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently while collaborating effectively across teams.
• Passion for public safety and a commitment to improving outcomes for children and communities.
• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Government, Communications, Business, or a related field preferred.