Account Director- Strategic Accounts

Account Director – Strategic Accounts Location: Germany, Remote Status: Permanent At Instem, you’ll empower pharmaceutical companies, CROs, government agencies, academic institutions, by providing cutting-edge SaaS solutions and consultancy services designed to help researchers make discoveries, and to accelerate and advance their research programs. You’ll work with technology that supports over 50% of global drug discovery and is trusted by leading pharmaceutical, biotech and CRO organisations worldwide. Reporting to the VP EMEA Sales, this is a strategic role focused on driving meaningful improvement and high-value transformation across a small number of Instem’s most important customers, enabling better outcomes across drug discovery and pre-clinical development. Instem works with pharma, biotech, and CRO organisations to strengthen the quality, integrity, and speed of scientific and operational decision-making in R&D—where environments are complex, regulated, and outcomes have real consequence. We are looking for individuals who can engage credibly in this environment, understanding how scientific and operational processes truly function, and connect Instem’s capabilities and value to improvements that matter for our customers. This role is about creating direction where there is ambiguity, bringing clarity to complexity, and shaping how customers approach critical decisions. You will take ownership of a portfolio of strategic accounts and be accountable for understanding how they operate, identifying where performance can improve, and creating opportunities through insight and relevance. As value is realised, growth follows. You will also own a defined territory, winning new customers through the application of insight and demonstrated value from existing strategic accounts. Our Culture & Work Environment. You’ll be part of a friendly, solutions-focused environment within a global business of over 400 people. Here, you’ll experience a high-performance culture balanced with genuine flexibility - we trust you to take ownership, deliver meaningful results, and work in a way that suits you. You’ll be encouraged to grow, share your ideas, and make a real impact. We’re passionate about creating a place where you can develop your skills, contribute confidently, and succeed in your career. Why join us as a Account Director? This role is suited to individuals who are self-starting, highly driven, comfortable in complexity, and perform consistently at the highest level of their profession. What You’ll Be Doing Commercial & Financial Leadership •Partner with the CPO to define and execute strategic and commercial plans to drive recurring revenue growth, margin expansion, and profitability. •Build rigorous, data‑driven business cases with clear cost, revenue, margin, and time‑to‑profitability projections. •Develop and maintain deep understanding of cost drivers, revenue levers, and unit economics to support financially grounded decision‑making and scenario modelling. •Partner with Finance and Commercial leadership to validate assumptions, define success metrics, and ensure product choices improve near‑ and long‑term EBITDA. Product & Portfolio Strategy •Set the direction for strategic accounts by developing a clear understanding of how each customer operates, where constraints exist, and where improvement will materially impact outcomes •Lead with insight grounded in drug discovery and pre clinical realities by engaging credibly across scientific, operational, and executive stakeholders to shape better ways of working •Create and convert high-value opportunities through relevance and insight by connecting Instem’s capabilities to improvements that materially change performance •Take ownership of complex deal cycles and customer decisions through guiding stakeholders to defined outcomes, positioned in terms of impact and value not features and function •Expand Instem’s role within customer environments by driving measurable improvements in data integrity, workflow efficiency, compliance, and decision making •Orchestrate internal teams to deliver successful outcomes using influence within Solution Consulting, Product SMEs, and Delivery Experts and setting clear, measurable customer objectives •Ensure value is realised and recognised over time by staying close to customers, reviewing outcomes, and reinforcing Instem’s relevance as transformation is delivered What We’re Looking For •Demonstrable track record in enterprise software sales or strategic account management, with a consistent track record of success in complex, multi-stakeholder environments •Demonstrated over-achievement by driving meaningful expansion within major accounts, through shaping opportunities, aligning stakeholders, and delivering measurable outcomes •Experience working with pharma, biotech, or CRO organisations, with an understanding of the scientific, operational, and regulatory context they operate within •Strong understanding of drug discovery and pre-clinical development, including how data, workflows, regulations and decisions interact across these environments •Experience positioning software, services and SaaS solutions within complex operational settings •Appreciation of solution implementation, adoption, and long-term value realisation •Ability to engage credibly with scientific, technical, and operational stakeholders, translating between domain challenges and solution capability •Deep expertise in strategic account planning, grounded in mapping customer priorities and long-term value creation with Instem’s portfolio •Highly capable in stakeholder mapping and influence, building alignment across diverse and often fragmented organisations •Proven ability to create and progress opportunities through insight and relevance, rather than relying on existing demand •Strong experience managing complex deal cycles, including structuring and navigating enterprise-level decisions •Strong commercial judgement, with a clear focus on linking capability to customer outcomes •Ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and impact, particularly in ambiguous or high-stakes boardroom situations •Comfortable operating with autonomy and accountability, while aligning cross-functional teams around a clear objective •Able to operate effectively in a fast-moving, evolving organisation, where direction is shaped through action and insight •Minimum bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline (required) Ready to Make a Difference? Join a team that values your perspective and supports your growth, while helping shape the future of life sciences. Apply now - we’d love to hear from you, and our Talent team will be in touch. An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Instem stores and processes data using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). For more information regarding our privacy policy use the following link: https://www.instem.com/privacy/ #LI-KL #LI-HYBRID