Account Director - GERMAN speaking - (m/w/d)

The role

The Account Director, Strategic Accounts is responsible for retaining, expanding, and strategically developing a portfolio of large Enterprise and Government accounts across DACH and Central Europe.

This role owns the commercial relationship, drives significant ARR expansion, delivers strong NRR performance, and develops multi-year account growth strategies. The Account Director acts as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders, leads complex renewal and expansion negotiations, and orchestrates cross-functional resources to maximize customer value and business outcomes.

Success in this role requires exceptional executive presence, strategic account planning expertise, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to navigate complex buying environments involving procurement, legal, compliance, communications, marketing, and technology stakeholders.

Duties and responsibilities

The role is defined, but not limited to, the following:

Strategic Account Ownership

• Own and manage a portfolio of strategic Enterprise and Government accounts.
• Develop and execute comprehensive multi-year account plans aligned with customer business priorities.
• Build trusted relationships with executive sponsors and key decision makers across business, communications, marketing, procurement, legal, and technology functions.
• Maintain executive stakeholder maps and account growth strategies.
• Lead quarterly and annual account reviews with internal and customer leadership teams.

Revenue Growth & Expansion

• Own and deliver expansion ARR targets and renewal performance across assigned accounts.
• Identify, qualify, and execute upsell, cross-sell, and strategic growth opportunities.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of expansion opportunities.
• Execute complex commercial negotiations involving multiple stakeholders and business units.
• Develop business cases and value-based proposals that align with customer priorities and measurable outcomes.

Renewals & Commercial Management

• Lead strategic renewal planning and negotiation processes.
• Proactively manage renewal risk and pricing strategies to maximize NRR performance.
• Manage commercial discussions through procurement, legal, security, and compliance reviews.
• Ensure accurate forecasting, pipeline management, and CRM hygiene.
• Maintain inspection-ready account plans and opportunity management processes.

Executive Engagement & Strategic Selling

• Lead advanced discovery and strategic conversations with C-suite and senior business stakeholders.
• Understand customer business strategies, market challenges, and transformation priorities.
• Position solutions based on business value and strategic impact.
• Facilitate executive business reviews and strategic planning workshops.
• Leverage MEDDPICC methodologies to qualify, advance, and close opportunities.

Enterprise & Government Account Management

• Navigate complex procurement and regulatory frameworks.
• Manage long sales cycles and multi-stakeholder buying processes.
• Coordinate responses to RFPs, tenders, security reviews, and compliance requirements.
• Partner with internal teams to align expansion opportunities with delivery capabilities and product roadmap priorities.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead a team-based approach across Customer Success, Professional Services, Solutions Consulting, Product, Marketing, Insights, and Support.
• Drive account planning discipline and strategic account governance.
• Provide customer and market feedback to support product innovation and go-to-market strategies.

Essential Skills and Experience

• 7+ years of experience in Enterprise Account Management, Strategic Account Management, Enterprise Sales, Business Development, Customer Experience or Insights Consulting.
• Proven success managing large, complex Enterprise or Government account portfolios.
• Demonstrated ability to consistently achieve renewal, expansion, and revenue growth targets.
• Strong experience leading complex negotiations involving executive stakeholders, procurement, legal, and compliance functions.
• Proven track record developing and executing strategic account plans.
• Experience managing long sales cycles and multiple buying centers.
• Strong forecasting discipline and commercial rigor.
• Executive presence and strong stakeholder management skills.
• MEDDPICC or comparable enterprise sales methodology experience.
• Strong written, presentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to influence across complex organizations.
• Experience working with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
• Industry experience in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing Technology (MarTech), Digital Marketing, Media Intelligence or Social Media Analytics
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Fluent German and English.
• Willingness to travel as required for client and internal meetings.

What We Offer

Upon joining Cision, you will immediately have access to a range of benefits that are fully or partially funded by the company and form part of your overall benefits package. These benefits include:

• Capital-forming benefits and a pension fund
• Flexible working hours and mobile work
• Commuter card subsidy
• Subsidy for our partner EGYM Wellpass to access 7,500 premium fitness and wellness options
• New and modern office in Gateway Gardens, Frankfurt
• Professional development in a modern and globally leading company
• Insights into the international media landscape
• A dynamic global team
• Work independently and self-driven in an innovative environment
• Value-driven culture and team-oriented working
• Work from abroad for a determined timeframe

If this opportunity feels like the right fit for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please note that for this role, we are only able to consider candidates who are already based in the country of employment.

**Day-to-day preferred language with colleagues will mostly be German, however, please bear in mind that Cision is a global company, and so is our Talent Acquisition team, so please apply using a CV written in English so we can review your application**