Account Manager

Account Manager

Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Businesses and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billions of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure.

New York, N.Y., (US), Remote

Position Summary

The Sales Account Manager will be responsible for maintaining and growing relationships with our key customers, ensuring and optimizing revenue generated for Thales DIS at its customers. The Account Manager will work closely with customers to ensure they get the most value from our products and services. The AM will work with internal teams to drive the adoption and expansion of our products and services within the customer's organization. Also, the position expects the Account Manager to be responsible for the entire sales lifecycle for a limited number of Top 30 issuers, from lead identification through qualification, offer, negotiation, and opportunity closure. The Account Manager will also become the ambassador of our modern card issuance services in your territory, consistently communicating Thales brand, values and mission in the financial industry.

Key Areas of Responsibility

CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT

As an Account Manager, you will be the main account owner and the first point of contact for newly won or existing Cards and Issuance services customers, and will be responsible for building strong relationships with our clients during Adopt, Expand and Renew sales cycles.

• Build and maintain strong long-term relationships with all key stakeholders, including C-level and senior executives for the accounts under your scope.
• Collaborate with Land Sales team to ensure optimal responsibility transition from the Land towards the Adopt phase of our customer engagements.
• For newly won customers, you will be accountable for a successful customer onboarding journey by collaborating with internal teams to ensure fast project completions and maximize revenue generation.
• Lead and manage critical conflict resolution, to ensure excellent customer service and experience with Thales.
• As the Account Owner, and if applicable, you will collaborate with SaaS Expand peers to ensure that Thales meets the customer needs for all contracted products or services, in a unified point of view, and when necessary be the main escalation path in the account for conflict resolution.
• Become the voice of customer, and provide feedback to internal teams in regards to the needs and recommendations on new products and services definition.

For a short list (less than 10) of the top 30 accounts:

The Account Manager will build a customized pitch that will target the most pressing needs of your prospect/client, resonate with your audience, and hence positively drive lead qualification and identification. You will achieve that by:

• Learning how our offer solves customer pain points.
• Understanding the issues faced by financial institutions in your market regarding their digital transformation and their payment infrastructure modernization.
• Mastering major payment card market trends in your territory from both financial institutions and end-users perspectives.
• Building a distinctive customer value proposition.
• Be able to map the account, present and defend both the technical and commercial aspects of Thales unique selling points to all customer stakeholders (Digital Transformation, Operations, IT, Business teams, etc), including C-level executives.
• Manage complete and complex sales-cycles with multiple stakeholders.
• Define and build the commercial proposals, consolidating the contributions from relevant teams (Pre-sales, Architects, Finance, Legal, etc).
• Lead deal closure and contract negotiation with customers until the execution of project kick-off-meetings and official hand-over to the Expand team.

ENGAGE

• Work with the customer to identify areas for improvement, product and service enhancements that drive customer satisfaction, retention and trigger opportunities for sales expansion.
• Collaborate with internal teams to meet customer expectations, and proactively propose to the customer better ways to use our Card products and Issuance Services, maximizing the value for both our customer and ourselves.

DRIVE SUCCESS

Responsible for developing, validating and following-up the Strategic Account Plans (for prospects and existing customers) to ensure the achievement of quarterly and yearly business targets, in collaboration with SaaS Expand peer if applicable. This includes:

• Identifying and nurturing sales expansion opportunities within the current Cards and Issuance Services scope with our customers, until effective opportunity closing.
• Collaborating with the Internal team in identifying and building a plan to up-sell opportunities for new products and services within the scope of your customer portfolio.
• Accountable for the implementation of the Strategic Account Plans, you will collaborate with Thales teams to meet the objectives agreed and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Report on key account metrics, in collaboration with SaaS Expand peer if applicable, to the Sales Management team for regular business reviews and follow up Account Strategic Plans.
• Responsible for providing revenue forecasts through our CRM tool for the Cards & Issuance services contracted by our customers, and as well contribute to the project resources forecasts exercise.
• Provide visibility of your opportunity pipeline and share short to mid-term revenue forecasts through the CRM tool in dedicated sessions with your Sales Manager.
• Establish and keep close contact with Internal teams to ensure that your opportunities have the appropriate level of resources.
• Establish a close relationship with your Expand peer, building a strong team to optimize lead detection and maximize opportunity closing.

RENEW

• Conduct periodic account health-checks, and when necessary, conduct surveys, to proactively identify and address any potential risks to the relationship.
• Identify renewal risks and collaborate with internal teams (Customer Service, Technical Consultants) to remediate them ahead of renewal negotiations.
• Lead and close the contract and price renewals with customers, through a strong collaboration with Thales teams (Finance, Legal, Product Line, and others) to maximize value and minimize risks for Thales.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in a customer-facing role within the Financial Institutions and/or FinTech industry.
• Awareness on Payment Cards and Personalization industry.
• Exceptionally strong customer service skills, including issue tracking, triaging and crisis management, managing large customers portfolios.
• Strong leadership skills with a focus on influencing decision making by using data points.
• Outstanding organizational skills and agility.
• Have a proven consultative mindset in understanding customer needs and challenging them on solutions, whilst always working towards sales closure.
• Strong business understanding of SaaS solutions, Issuance Market, Card Manufacturing and Personalization services preferably and how they apply to the financial services industry in your market.
• Ability to Create and maintain trusted and lasting relationships and influence key decision makers, particularly at the C-suite level in Financial Institutions.
• Experience in carrying individual quotas for B2B sales and revenues for existing accounts at an enterprise level.
• Be able to demonstrate strong growth in new business development, driving net new logo acquisition amongst all tiers of financial institutions and FinTech clients.
• Knowledge and experience of Financial Institutions/FinTech procurement practices and sales lifecycle processes, typical for selling enterprise platforms into financial institutions.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 30% of the time.
• Proficiency in English is a must, as well as effective verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Skills and Abilities:

• 8 to 10+ years of experience in SaaS solutions, Issuance Market, Card Manufacturing and Personalization services.
• Certification.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree / Master’s degree - Degree in Business, Marketing, STEM or another relevant field of study; or equivalent work experience. An MBA is a plus and not mandatory.

Special Position Requirements

• Travel: Expected 30% of travelling, occasionally will increase to 50% the position.

Why Join Us?

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including:

• Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance.
• Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off.
• Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program.

Key skills/competency

• Account Management
• Customer Relationship Management
• Sales Lifecycle Management
• Financial Institutions Expertise
• FinTech Industry Knowledge
• Payment Cards & Issuance Services
• SaaS Solutions Sales
• Negotiation & Deal Closure
• C-Level Engagement
• Strategic Account Planning