Strategic Account Manager, APAC (Japanese speaking) Full Time

Summary:

• Panopto is a dynamic and rapidly growing company backed by a leading private equity firm, with a team of approximately 200 dedicated professionals committed to empowering learners with interactive video.
• The company is seeking an experienced Strategic Account Manager to build strategic, enduring customer relationships and maximize customer lifetime value within the assigned portfolio of customers in Japan and across APAC.
• The role involves managing and expanding relationships with existing clients, with a primary focus on upselling and negotiating software renewals, requiring a strong sales background and exceptional interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities:

• Customer and Partner Relations: Assist customers and partners throughout the customer lifecycle, from initial onboarding, to license renewals and ongoing adoption, helping customers unlock the most value from our products and service. Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned accounts, addressing customer inquiries, and providing excellent customer service. Establish, maintain, and facilitate relationships through effective communications with customers at multiple levels within organizations. Effectively handle complex negotiations and resolve significant client issues independently.
• Upselling and Cross-Selling: Understand customer business needs, objectives, and challenges to proactively identify growth opportunities. Collaborate closely with the sales and marketing teams to develop targeted strategies and campaigns to maximize upselling potential.
• Software Renewals: Manage the software renewal process for assigned accounts, ensuring timely and successful contract renewals. Proactively engage with clients to discuss their current usage, address any concerns, and present upgrade options to ensure customer satisfaction and retention. Negotiate renewal terms, pricing, and contractual agreements in collaboration with the legal and finance departments.
• Account Planning and Forecasting: Develop and shape account strategies to achieve upselling and renewal objectives. Provide strategic input to senior leadership and lead initiatives to drive account expansion and deeper client engagement. Monitor account usage and health, revenue performance, and customer satisfaction metrics regularly, to mitigate customer risk, champion customer feedback, and drive revenue opportunities in the region. Provide accurate sales forecasts and pipeline updates to management, leveraging CRM tools and reporting systems.
• Technical Advisory: Maintain a thorough knowledge of a complex technology platform to deliver training and feature demonstrations to customers and partners, to showcase the value and benefits of recommended software enhancements. Advise clients on anticipating future needs and trends, convert customer obstacles into opportunities, and recommend appropriate solutions that result in retention or expansion.
• Market Research and Competitive Analysis: Stay updated on industry trends, market dynamics, and the competitive landscape. Conduct market research and analysis to identify new business opportunities and potential target accounts. Collaborate with the marketing team to provide insights and contribute to the development of effective sales and marketing materials.

Requirements:

• Native proficiency in Japanese and working proficiency in English.
• Customer Success or Account Management experience.
• Minimum 5 -10 years experience in B2B software/ SaaS/ technology sales.
• Advanced expertise in negotiation, strategic planning, and industry knowledge.
• Ability to balance compelling business-focused presentations and effectively demonstrate technology products to audiences of various levels of technical proficiency.
• Willingness to travel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in using CRM to record, communicate, and report on activities, particularly Salesforce.com.
• Experience working within global companies with overseas headquarters.
• Knowledge of video, communications, or learning technologies.
• Key interpersonal traits: motivation, creativity, adaptability, unquestionable ethics & integrity, and a willingness to take calculated risks.

Benefits:

• Panopto offers an inclusive environment that empowers each team member to express their authentic selves, contribute their perspectives, and make a meaningful impact.
• The company is a remote-first business with flexible or remote-friendly positions.
• Employees in this position are eligible to work remotely but may need to make occasional trips to local international offices or to the Pittsburgh office, depending on the location.
• Panopto is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, offering opportunities to contribute to product and service innovation.