National Account Director

Position Summary

The National Account Director is a senior-level strategic leader responsible for overseeing high-value national and global client relationships while leading a high-performing account team. This role drives revenue growth, ensures exceptional client service, and steers the strategic direction of assigned accounts.

Key Responsibilities

Client & Account Leadership

• Serve as the senior relationship owner for key enterprise accounts, building and maintaining trusted, long-term partnerships at the C-suite level.
• Lead strategic business reviews (QBRs/ABRs) and proactively present new opportunities, solutions, and creative merchandise concepts that align with client brand objectives.
• Drive account growth through upselling, cross-selling, and identifying new business opportunities.
• Monitor client satisfaction, resolve escalations quickly, and ensure retention through exceptional service delivery.

Strategic Planning & Financial Oversight

• Develop and execute multi-year strategic account plans in collaboration with the Director of Client Services.
• Set revenue and margin goals for assigned accounts and account team, managing collective portfolios exceeding $10M.
• Prepare and maintain an actionable strategic account plan using the OST model (Objective, Strategy, Tactics) for all assigned accounts focused on quarterly budget attainment (profit and margin results).
• Review and analyze financial performance, including revenue, gross margins, operating expenses, and client profitability, making data-driven recommendations.
• Partner with Finance to monitor budgets, forecasts, and operating expenses (OpEx).

Sales & Growth

• Achieve and exceed annual sales targets while maintaining healthy margins.
• Actively network through industry events, leadership forums, and client engagements to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Maintain a “hunter” mentality, balancing new business development with growth of existing accounts.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and mentor Account Managers and Associate Account Managers, fostering professional growth and skill development.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and performance improvement processes (PIPs) as needed.
• Recruit, interview, and onboard top talent to strengthen the account team.
• Recognize team achievements and foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee Salesforce CRM adoption and accuracy across the team, ensuring all account activity, opportunities, quotes, and client interactions are tracked.
• Ensure data hygiene guideline compliance. Manage all opportunities, tasks, and key performance indicators to prescribed guidelines through insights from Salesforce CRM, promo and program performance analysis, and proactive recommendations.
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Merchandising, Supplier Services, Technology, Sales Ops, and other departments to deliver seamless client experiences.
• Leverage client feedback (NPS and VOC insights) to continuously improve service delivery and product offerings.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and brand standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field.
• 7+ years of senior-level enterprise account management or business development experience; promotional merchandise experience preferred.
• Minimum 4+ years’ direct sales management experience with proven success in leading high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated success in driving account growth, increasing sales, and meeting revenue/margin goals.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyze budgets, margins, and profitability.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, including with C-suite executives.
• High-level proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred).
• Willingness to travel approximately 50%.

Key Competencies

• Strategic relationship building and consultative selling
• Creative problem-solving and innovative merchandising concepts
• Financial analysis and business planning
• Inspirational team leadership and talent development
• Operational discipline and process excellence
• Customer-focused mindset with urgency and accountability