Account Operations Manager - Pharma

The Account Operations Manager is a meeting and event industry professional who leads the planning, coordination, and flawless delivery of pharmaceutical Congresses, globally. Operating within the specialized world of life-sciences meetings and events, this role serves as a strategic partner to Account Executives—ensuring seamless management of client relationships, financial oversight, and operational excellence across every program.

Internally, the Account Operations Manager leads, coaches, and develops meeting planners, project managers and registration managers (along with members of technology and finance teams), guiding them to deliver exceptional service at every stage of the customer journey. Externally, this role is responsible for maintaining and growing revenue by effectively managing contracts, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and ensuring alignment between client needs and internal operations.

With a strong focus on process efficiency and standard operating procedures (SOPs), this role plays a critical part in optimizing the client experience, ensuring smooth program execution, and fostering long-term business success. The Account Operations Manager exercises discretion and independent judgment that directly impacts customer engagement and retention.

Responsibilities:

High Payoff Activities

• Grow target accounts through leading, guiding, and consulting, and by ensuring delivery of stellar service.
• Consistently look for operational efficiencies, recommend solutions, and share best practices with other Account Operations Managers.
• Stay current on client company changes, evolution, and new key players—always with an eye on outstanding service and reinforcing compliance with SOPs.
• Collaborate with the Account Executive, internal department managers, and team members to ensure a consistent and seamless experience for client accounts.

Partner with Account Executive(s) to Maintain/Grow Client Relationships

• Partner with Account Executives and others to maintain and improve client deliverables by participating in sales calls, helping assess client needs and expectations, providing cost and labor information, reviewing project scopes and SOWs, and helping design programs when necessary.
• Consistently inform the Account Executive of client status on a bi-weekly basis, including challenges encountered and solutions deployed, as well as structure and leadership changes.
• Identify opportunities for updating MSA rate cards and ensure profitability.
• Help penetrate the client account for additional business opportunities.
• Look for opportunities for the AE and senior leadership to have meaningful engagement with client contacts.
• Ensure accuracy of Salesforce data, input of new business and updates, maintaining the integrity of the data.

Client Relationships

• Maintain healthy relationships with assigned accounts that exceed their business objectives and result in increased revenue while maintaining Creative Group’s brand reputation.
• Stay relevant in the client business and grow the client relationship while keeping the AE informed and engaged at key points.
• Develop a partnership with key client contacts so that all activities are closely aligned with the customer’s business case and strategy, allowing the full potential of the client’s brand to be realized.
• Identify and escalate key customer-service-related needs and manage customer expectations on an ongoing basis.
• Proactively resolve client issues that may put the account at risk.
• Ensure client KPIs and SOPs are communicated internally and understood, and that SOPs are adhered to.
• Function as the point of escalation with the client. Anticipate and resolve client issues.
• Actively seek opportunities to expand business within existing accounts.
• Qualify business opportunities by understanding program scope and assessing client needs and expectations.
• Look for ways to lead, guide, and consult the client, and create efficiencies.
• Lead business review meetings. Track and record best practices on a program/account basis to share with clients, gather relevant data from various sources, and perform in-depth analysis to identify patterns, trends, and correlations within the data.

Lead and Oversee the Client Experience by Engaging Internal Teams

• Coach, lead, and develop meeting planners, registration managers, sourcing, design, and program operations teams to deliver a menu of services based on the customer’s journey stage, with a strong emphasis on customer needs and pain points.
• In partnership with Department Managers, be accountable for effective program communication and operation within the project team.
• Participate in the development and implementation of operational strategies for your account, resulting in process improvement; standardize processes as much as possible and adapt these to meet clients’ expectations; monitor compliance with processes and procedures.
• Scope each project to engage the right internal team members and lead the project team through the pre-sale phase of the client journey.
• Work in collaboration with department managers to align the right internal team members.
• Prepare the internal Transition Meeting document in partnership with Sourcing and request operational resources, including Event Technology Project Manager requests.
• Schedule and lead the Transition Meeting (the EDSM will schedule and lead if Sourcing is involved), to include a recap of the client’s KPIs and reference the SOP library and client-specific templates.
• Design content and lead the introduction of the account overview to the internal team, if applicable. Maintain and update the account overview content.
• Support internal team members by mentoring at a program level to develop skills and ensure client success.
• Manage and resolve project issues and risks.
• Monitor the internal workflow through company channels for quality and consistency in stakeholder relationships, including SharePoint documentation, and provide timely, clear feedback directly to team members.
• Take a hands-on approach for limited-service programs, to include project management, financial management, and project team leadership.
• Provide oversight and ensure program debriefs are conducted and focused on identifying actionable insights and strategic client discussions.

Financial

• Create the SOW budget proforma when there is no sourcing or if services are limited, and route for approval.
• Create the SOW, process it through the contract team for signature, ensure receipt of the fully executed SOW from the client, and upload to SharePoint.
• Request and process client invoices; track invoice payments.
• Ensure receipt of the client PO and upload to SharePoint.
• Oversee all financial budget proforma and final wrap-up.

Client Reporting

• Ensure we provide cost savings for every program to show our value, when applicable, and aggregate that information for business reviews.
• Create and maintain tracking documents for KPIs.
• Prepare content and actively participate in client business reviews to present the status of KPIs to the client.
• Identify if any new scope of work should be added to the rate card, initiate addendums for client signature, and maintain addendums going forward.
• Ensure data integrity in the client’s instance of Cvent is kept up to date, when applicable (e.g., Gilead, Genentech, and Toyota).
• Proactively plan for the expiration of the MSA in advance and take the actions necessary to ensure a valid MSA is always in place.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

• Ability and willingness to work extended workdays and possible weekends.
• Accessibility during core business hours.
• Travel expectations – potential of 20% annually.
• Frequent use of a computer and other office equipment.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Frequent seating, standing, and walking.

Preferred Qualifications

• Operational experience in medical Congresses within the meeting and event industry is strongly preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience as a Program Manager or in a comparable meeting and event management role.
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business Administration, or a related field, or a combination of education and experience.
• In-depth knowledge of program operations in both domestic and international locations.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing meeting planners and registration managers is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with event technology platforms such as Cvent, and with registration management, is a plus.
• Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Models behavior reflective of our organization’s Vision and Values.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with clients, adapt to different personalities, and work effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks and ensure programs are executed on time.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to communicate effectively both internally and externally.
• Excellent presentation skills to participate in client presentations as needed.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to participate in the creation of departmental strategic plans, oversee client budgets for accuracy, maximize profit for the company, evaluate problems, and develop and implement logical, effective solutions.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or efforts associated with the position.