Job Title: Senior Account Executive

Location: Field Sales - South Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas

NWEA® is a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that supports students and educators through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. For nearly 50 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K–12 assessments, including their flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™ and their reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™. For more information, visit NWEA.org to learn more.

Position summary

The Senior Account Executive role on the Partner Accounts team is responsible for acquiring new customers (partners) for our growing portfolio of products and services and increasing NWEA’s leadership position in an assigned geography. The Senior Account Executive, US Gulf Central Mid-sized Districts, works with a regional team, led by a Director, focused on selling prospect districts from 1500-25,000 in student enrollment in Louisiana and Arkansas and prospect districts with 1,500 and larger in the south Texas territory. The Sr. Account Executive partners with an Account Manager who is focused on renewals, retention, and growth of existing customer/partner relationships. This Sr. Account Executive position should reside in Texas and preferably in the Houston, San Antonio or Austin areas.

The Senior Account Executives’ key areas of work is focused on acquiring new partners and includes identifying and building strategic relationships in district accounts, lead development and qualification, establishing territory plans that focus selling activity and successfully managing a sales pipeline of opportunities. Senior Account Executives will work collaboratively with the extended NWEA organization including Marketing, Partner Support, Professional Learning, Proposals and other Partner Accounts teams. This role is expected to include a high level of travel.

Responsibilities

• Drive revenue growth through acquisition of new partners in the assigned territory.
• Drive lead development, qualification, and conversion into opportunities and closed sales.
• Actively prospect and close opportunities for NWEA Products and Services, including MAP Growth, MAP Reading Fluency, MAP Accelerator and Professional Development.
• Demonstrate strategic ownership of assigned territory through knowledge of funding, state initiatives and regulatory mandates.
• Develop and own a territory strategy to penetrate and grow assigned geographic region.
• Personally participate in and facilitate partner participation in informing NWEA product strategies, design, timelines, and development
• Provide mentorship and coaching to fellow Account Executives as assigned.
• Act as a strategic and knowledgeable liaison between partners and multiple divisions of NWEA.
• Consistently act as a partner advocate, while keeping NWEA mission and objectives in the forefront of all decisions.
• Manage complex sales cycles with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Demonstrate current knowledge of NWEA products and services and the education market, including issues, trends, relevant laws, and competition; inform partners about features and benefits of products and services on a regular and proactive basis using consultative sales process.
• Use Salesforce to manage prospect opportunities and pipeline for new products and services; keep data accurate and up to date; use Salesforce for prospect, pipeline and regional reports and dashboards.
• Present price, credit, and terms in accordance with standard procedures and/or contractual requirements. Accurately process and schedule partner transactions including quotes and orders.
• Travel as required, up to 50%
• Perform other duties as assigned to ensure the success of the team and the entire organization.

Skills and abilities

• Able to successfully move deals through the sales cycle, negotiate and close deals.
• Proven track record of selling success and ability to exceed personal and team goals.
• Skilled in analyzing and translating complex partner requirements into NWEA business offering, resulting in sound business and relationship decisions.
• Assist in defining and evaluating deliverables, parameters and language for partnership and agreements and contracts.
• Aptitude to inspire, unify and work with cross-organizational teams.
• Consistently apply proven sales methodology (i.e., Miller Heiman, Strategic Selling).
• Strong organizational skills.
• Exhibit excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong presentation skills.
• Demonstrate commitment to the NWEA mission and culture.
• Ability to successfully manage sales relationships, pipeline, and opportunities in CRM system (Salesforce experience preferred).
• Exhibit knowledge of education market, school and business operations and functions with ability to have impactful conversations with senior school and district contacts and administrators.
• Diverse personal network of educators is a plus.
• Strategic focus in developing and executing territory plans.
• Effectively work with Partner Accounts team and NWEA organization with demonstrated ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and independently.
• Must be able to perform the physical and intellectual requirements of the role, with or without accommodation.

Education and experience

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in education, business or a related field required
• Preferred 6 - 10 years field sales experience and selling to the educational market
• Experience initiating, acquiring, and growing mid-sized and strategic accounts
• Experience with NWEA products, services, procedures, and implementation preferred
• Deep understanding of K-12 education industry and assessment methods

Benefits and Salary Range

Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000 + commissions

Our culture & benefits: https://careers.hmhco.com/culture_benefits

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, pregnancy, gender identity, ethnic/national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, citizenship status, status as a disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, Armed Forces service medal veteran, other covered veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. We actively participate in E-Verify.