Associate Strategic Account Director in London

Crane Authentication is the world leader in brand authenticity and integrity, with a heritage spanning more than 40 years. We serve many of the world's leading brand owners, licensors, and media rights owners and are the only provider that addresses brand value and vulnerability across physical and digital domains. Crane is also a provider of high-security and compliance solutions to governments.

As a partner to businesses and governments, Crane Authentication offers expertise and cutting-edge innovations that protect and enhance products, secure identities, safeguard revenues, and enforce compliance. Customers from different business sectors and levels of government trust its team of 1,250 people for their expertise in R&D, security design, engineering, and data-driven insights. With a presence in 15 countries on three continents, the Crane Authentication team understands the regional nuances of the opportunities and challenges facing its customers.

The Associate Strategic Account Director is responsible for supporting the management and growth of key strategic accounts, taking on increasing responsibility for high-value client relationships. This role partners with Strategic Account Directors to execute account strategies, deliver innovative solutions, and ensure customer satisfaction. The Associate Director manages selected accounts directly while contributing to the broader strategic accounts program, developing the commercial, leadership, and relationship skills required for full Strategic Account Director responsibilities. This role ensures long-term customer partnerships, drives revenue and profitability, and supports the delivery of innovative, secure solutions to meet evolving client needs. Operates as a trusted advisor, leading contract negotiations, shaping account strategy, and coordinating cross-functional delivery for highly complex clients.

Essential Functions Performed by the Position:

• Support Strategic Account Directors in managing high-value global or regional customers.
• Develop account plans for selected accounts, aligned with overall strategic account strategy.
• Manage day-to-day senior relationships with customer stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor.
• Contribute to long-term contract negotiations, tenders, and renewals.
• Drive incremental revenue growth through upselling, cross-selling, and solution expansion.
• Prepare executive-level presentations, proposals, account reviews and reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor account performance, profitability, and pipeline; provide forecasts to sales leadership.
• Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and customer meetings as required.
• Own day-to-day and strategic management of assigned large/critical accounts.
• Develop and execute multi-year account plans aligned with customer priorities and company objectives.
• Build strong relationships with senior client stakeholders, including executives, procurement leads, and technical decision-makers.
• Lead negotiations for contracts, renewals, and long-term agreements.
• Identify growth opportunities within accounts, including cross-selling, upselling, and solution co-development.
• Coordinate internal teams (R&D, product, operations, finance, legal) to deliver tailored solutions and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Monitor account performance, profitability, and pipeline, providing regular forecasts to sales leadership.
• Support Strategic Account Directors on global accounts and contribute to enterprise-wide strategic account initiatives.
• Mentor Account Managers and Inside Sales staff aligned to strategic customers and guide Account Managers supporting the strategic account portfolio.

Experience:

• 8–10 years of experience in sales, business development, or account management.
• Proven success managing large, complex customer accounts in B2B industries; security printing, authentication, or technology sectors preferred.
• Experience supporting multi-million-dollar contract negotiations and tenders.
• Familiarity with operating in global, matrixed organizations.

Position Qualifications Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related field.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong account management and relationship-building skills at senior levels.
• Commercial acumen; ability to analyze account profitability, ROI, and long-term growth potential.
• Skilled negotiator with experience supporting complex contracts.
• Effective communicator and presenter for executive-level discussions.
• Collaborative leader with ability to coordinate cross-functional teams.
• Highly organized, with ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities.
• Comfortable in high-stakes, fast-paced environments.

Travel Requirements:

Frequent travel (20%–30%), domestic and international, to meet clients and support account activities.

What we offer:

Crane offers competitive benefits, tailored to each region in which we operate. In addition to benefits, our employees enjoy perks such as company-sponsored wellness programs, volunteer opportunities, regular team building and engagement events and learning and development opportunities.

We value diversity at our company. Everyone who applies with the qualifications will receive consideration for employment without regard to: age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.