Strategic Account Manager – Aerospace & Defense (m/f/d) – REMOTE

Summary / Role Purpose 

The Strategic Account Manager (m/f/d) builds long-term strategic relationships with strategically important global customers and partners.  The Strategic Account Manager can be assigned up to 3 Strategic Accounts, and is responsible for achieving sales quota and assigned account objectives. The successful Strategic Account Manager 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.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• 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.
• Meet or exceed new business sales plan across entire portfolio at assigned accounts.
• Develop sales and technical partnerships to uncover, understand and document key technical challenges / pain points.
• Facilitate tool evaluations by identifying the appropriate Ansys Application Engineers, Product Specialists and, when required, R&D resources.
• Document customer’s before and after required capabilities along with metrics that define success to facilitate the required tool evaluations.
• Coordinate with Ansys and Customer legal (as required) to facilitate required NDAs.
• Oversee solution development and deliver (with help from account team and support function) compelling customer presentations in coordination with technical team.
• Facilitate future business with customer and identify and define solutions where ANSYS offerings can be applied by enabling that the right people in both organizations get together for activities such as management review meetings (MRMs), trainings, seminars, and info days to enhance new business opportunities.
• Define and create proposals/offers that represent maximum value to the customer and fair price for ANSYS; ensure that proposals address customer’s key issues, needs, and requirements, and align well their KBIs, Critical Success Factors, and KPIs.
• Facilitate contract negotiations and achieve a win for both the customer and Ansys.
• Provide accurate forecasts for new, renewal business, and services; maintain healthy pipeline to meet goals.
• Serve as a resource to Ansys channel partners within a designated territory by assisting with the sales process related to new and existing accounts, up to and including opportunity close.

Minimum Education/Certification Requirements and Experience

• Education & Years of Experience: Bachelor’s degree in technical, engineer, business or related field and 4+ years of experience and demonstrated success in technical sales positions OR 8+ years of experience and demonstrated success in technical sales positions
• Demonstrated understanding of engineering analysis and technology.
• Fundamental knowledge about European A&D market, including European defence projects (e.g. FCAS, MGCS)
• Ability to manage and delegate multiple opportunities and priorities while tracking progress
• Excellent communication (including at executive level), organizational skills and the ability to work collaboratively.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-building skills required.
• Fluent in German and English
• Travel: up to 50%

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Professional appearance and presentation
• 2+ years experience as a senior/key/named account manager, including excellent communication at executive level
• Experience of procurement process at MoD