Account Director, Strategic Energy

Company Description

Wood Mackenzie are the global research, analytics, and consultancy business powering the natural resources industry. For 50 years, we have been providing the quality data, analytics, and insights our customers rely on to inspire their decision making.

Our dedicated oil, gas & LNG, power & renewables, chemicals, metals & mining sector teams are located around the world and deliver a variety of projects based on our assessment and valuation of thousands of individual assets, companies, and economic indicators such as market supply, demand, and price trends.

We have over 1,900 employees in 30 locations, serving customers in nearly 80 countries. Together, we inspire and innovate the markets we serve – providing invaluable intelligence to help our customers overcome the toughest challenges, and make strategic decisions that will, ultimately, accelerate the world’s transition to a more sustainable future.

Job Description

As an Account Director within the Strategic Energy team, you will be responsible for the development of Wood Mackenzie’s business within one or more of our Strategic Energy Accounts.  Specifically, responsible for a baseline portfolio of approximately $10 million you will be expected to grow your business in line with targets year on year.

Whilst this job posting is for London, it is open to applicants from any location in Europe (London and Amsterdam preferred)

The successful candidate will be focused on results, credible, and comfortable in a high-profile position both inside and outside the organisation.  They will thrive on the sales process and all this entails – right down to the challenges of growing our business within your accounts and maintaining long-term relationships with our senior contacts. 

Key responsibilities include:

• Manage one or more large complex global accounts to drive sales in order to achieve and exceed annual sales targets
• Retaining and growing sales revenue with Strategic Energy Accounts from Wood Mackenzie’s range of research and consulting offerings
• Developing and maintaining C- Suite commercial relationships that lead to a deep understanding of clients’ existing needs and future requirements
• Building and maintaining knowledge of the energy markets & industry trends, emerging technologies, competitors, and customer growth strategies
• Developing and maintaining a working knowledge of all services/products offered by Wood Mackenzie and its competitors in order to determine opportunities and threats
• Developing and executing account plans and accurate pipeline forecasting
• Building relationships across a cross-functional team to deliver against objectives

About the Day to Day Responsibilities of the Role

 The successful candidate will develop relationships with designated clients and prospects to ensure Wood Mackenzie’s sales and revenue objectives are achieved.  Specific responsibilities will include:

Managing Sales Performance

• Understand budget, sales target, and competencies required at the account level and manage performance against this.
• Maximise sales opportunities through timely account plans, accurate pipeline forecasting, and ongoing use of our Salesforce, our internal CRM database 
• Negotiate to capture value maintaining strong relationships. Anticipates defenses and plans a counter-strategy. Identify how to influence detractors.

Value focused selling

• Have a medium-term approach to identifying sources of value. Plan 1-2 years ahead.
• Understand current performance and what activities to focus on in order to meet and/or exceed targets.

Relationship Selling

• Develop and maintain C- Suite relationships with assigned Accounts
• Have a strong understanding of the client history and stakeholders and develop a network of connections to meet their needs.

One Team Selling

• Coordinate the commercial relationship across a cross-functional team.
• Share best practices across cross-functional teams.
• Be a buddy and/or Sales Coach and takes part in shadowing to demonstrate how to deliver sales excellence.

Performance-based decision-making in Sales

• Develop, coordinate and implement an actionable sales strategy designed to maintain and grow Wood Mackenzie’s current offerings
• Understand how and when to escalate risks and issues relating to key sales decisions.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a good knowledge of the key issues that impact the energy sector.  They will have extensive experience selling to the target community and ideally already have relationships with target firms and