APAC Account Executive / Account Manager

Hybrid Sales and Account Management Role

The Account Executive / Account Manager is a hybrid role responsible for supporting a specific financial client in the APAC region with account management activities while building the skills and experience to sell and manage a smaller book of business independently. The role helps ensure clients receive responsive, high-quality service, projects are positioned for successful execution, and opportunities for account growth are identified and advanced.

This individual will partner closely with Account Executives and internal delivery teams, serve as a reliable point of contact for assigned clients, and take ownership of selected accounts and opportunities from relationship development through proposal, sale, delivery coordination, and follow-up.

Account Executive Support and Account Management

• Partner with Account Executives to support the management, retention, and development of assigned client relationships.
• Serve as a day-to-day client contact as assigned, responding to requests, coordinating follow-up, and helping ensure a consistent client experience.
• Develop a strong understanding of Sago products, services, capabilities, and research methodologies to help align solutions with client needs.
• Collaborate with clients and internal subject-matter experts to clarify project requirements, recommend appropriate approaches, and support successful project execution.
• Prepare comprehensive proposals that include pricing, feasibility, methodology, recruitment or sample considerations, timelines, and execution plans.
• Manage proposal and bid follow-up, maintain accurate opportunity information, and support Account Executives in progressing opportunities through the sales process.
• Coordinate with recruitment, programming, project management, data processing, facilities, bidding, and other internal teams so project requirements and intended outcomes are clearly understood.
• Monitor key project milestones, anticipate risks, address client concerns diplomatically, and escalate issues when needed to protect the client relationship and project outcome.
• Support billing and invoicing activities and identify opportunities to improve project or account profitability.

Sales and Book of Business Ownership

• Own and manage a defined, smaller portfolio of accounts, with responsibility for client satisfaction, retention, revenue growth, and profitability.
• Build relationships with client stakeholders, influencers, and decision-makers and develop a clear understanding of their business and research needs.
• Identify and pursue new revenue opportunities within assigned accounts, including expansion into new departments, reactivation of lapsed business, and introduction of additional Sago solutions.
• Prospect for and develop new business opportunities as assigned, leading selected opportunities from initial outreach through close.
• Develop account and sales plans, maintain an accurate pipeline and forecast, and communicate progress, risks, and next steps to sales leadership.
• Achieve established revenue, profit, activity, bid-volume, and win-rate expectations for the assigned portfolio.
• Deliver strategic sales communications and proposals, consult with clients on research design and business needs, and negotiate appropriately within established guidelines.
• Use account history, client feedback, and sales data to assess performance and recommend actions that strengthen client loyalty and account growth.

Success will be measured by the quality and responsiveness of support provided to Account Executives, strength of client relationships, effective coordination of proposals and project handoffs, accurate pipeline management, and achievement of agreed revenue and profitability goals for the employee’s assigned book of business.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• APAC cultural knowledge
• Client service orientation
• Willing to work local hours
• Relationship building
• Sales curiosity and commercial judgment
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• Organization and follow-through
• Adaptability and comfort balancing priorities
• Ability to influence without direct authority
• Data-informed account planning
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Market research industry experience with working knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data collection methodologies.
• Experience supporting client relationships, preparing proposals, coordinating cross-functional delivery, and identifying growth opportunities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and shift effectively between supporting Account Executives and owning assigned client or sales responsibilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM or proposal-management tools; Salesforce CPQ experience is a plus.