Strategic Account Executive

Summary / Role Purpose

The Strategic Account Executive "SAE" is responsible for building long-term, strategic relationships with assigned accounts in order to secure sustainable revenue through multi-year deals as well as identify and drive new business opportunities to maximize partnership profitability. Strategic Accounts are key global customers and/or strategically important partners as designated by leadership. The SAE is the lead account manager for high-value, complex and/or global strategic accounts. They are responsible for achieving and exceeding sales quota, consistently driving new business opportunities, establishing strong partnerships through ongoing connection and leading collaboration with internal and external partners.

The successful SAE represents the full portfolio of Ansys products and services to assigned customers, while leading the customer account planning cycle and ensuring assigned customers' needs and expectations are met by the company. They understand the customer's business priorities and usage metrics and are clearly able to articulate the value-added benefit that Ansys is providing, leading to consistent year-over-year account growth.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Performs sales activities, establishes, develops and maintains business relationships with key customer stakeholders to maintain renewal business and generate new business to meet annual sales quota.
• Understands how the competition is presenting their value proposition, set the account up to replace with Ansys software.
• Identify and define solutions where ANSYS offerings can be applied and deliver (with help from account team and support functions) compelling customer presentations in coordination with technical team to enhance new business opportunities .
• Collaborates with account teams, product specialists, ACE, remote (direct/indirect) sites, business partners and other functions within ANSYS to ensure a synergistic, companywide approach to the account.
• Facilitates regular touchpoint activities such as management review meetings (MRMs), trainings, seminars, and info days to strengthen relationships with key account stakeholders.
• Document customer's before and after required capabilities along with metrics that define success to demonstrate Ansys' ROI and enhance sale profitability.
• Develop sales and technical partnerships to uncover, understand and document key technical challenges / pain points.
• Understands customer's internal relationships, including the biases and concerns of individual decision makers and key influencers.
• Research, gather, analyze, maintain, and disseminate information about the accounts; develop exceptional knowledge of the customer and competitors and be well versed in the customer's problems, KBIs, goals, needs, and issues. Understand and document the organizational chart and sales process.

• Facilitate multiyear deal contract negotiations and create ROI-based proposals as needed to achieve wins for both the customer and Ansys.

• Maintains healthy pipeline to meet goals and accurately enters data into Salesforce.
• Completes administrative work including but not limited to quotation generation, order processing, delivery, acceptance inspection, NDA and other contract document preparation.
• Remain knowledgeable and keeps abreast of the company's new and existing products/services to facilitate sales efforts.

Minimum Education/Certification Requirements and Experience

• Education & Years of Experience: Bachelor's degree in technical, engineer, business or related field and 6+ years of experience OR 8+ years of experience
• Demonstrated success in technical sales positions
• 2+ years experience as a senior/key/named account manager
• Fluent in English and in the local language of the territory
• Travel: up to 35%

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of company's products/services and pricing practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of engineering analysis and technology.
• Knowledge of the specific territory, product line, or customer(s) a plus
• Demonstrated proficiency of sales fundamentals, independently executes 8 pillars
• Strong ability to manage multiple opportunities and priorities while tracking progress
• Works autonomously, proactive approach with managerial guidance as needed
• Ability to navigate complex sales and customer issues with little guidance
• Excellent problem solving
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Strong executive presentation and persuasion skills
• Ability to coordinate internal and external ecosystems.
• Strong networking skills, ability to drive new contacts and maintain good business relationships
• Ability to coach others