Senior Account Manager

Job Title: Senior Account Manager, Medical Communications/Medical Education

Location: London, Chester, Manchester, Hybrid (min. 2 days per week in office)

Springer Nature Group   

Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 175 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities – enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow.

About Springer Healthcare (part of the Springer Nature Group)

Springer Healthcare is a leading global medical communications and education provider. Working in partnership with pharmaceutical companies and key opinion leaders. At Springer Healthcare, we see beyond the data – we see the people behind every breakthrough. We do more than help experts across the medical community keep up with science; we help them move it forward, making healthcare smarter and more human.

Springer Healthcare are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Account Manager, with sound experience in Medical Communications/Medical Education to join our busy and expanding team. If you have great attention to detail, love multitasking and are looking for a new challenge then we would like to hear from you.

We offer excellent opportunities for career progression with a focus on employee satisfaction and retention.

Job Role (Main Duties)

Project Management

• Independently manage and deliver multiple projects within and across various accounts to specification, budget and within agreed timelines, seeking additional support from account team members as appropriate 

• Act as the primary day to day client contact and distribute responsibilities to other team members where appropriate to ensure team approach

• Interpret and challenge client briefs and brief project team accordingly, ensuring timely deliver in line with client expectations 

• Adhere to internal and external Standard Operation Procedures and make recommendations for improved processes in conjunction with the wider team where appropriate 

• Lead internal and external project debriefs and implement learnings for future 

• Implement and lead regular brainstorming meetings to review current client offering and any gaps in service offering or communication strategy 

• Liaise proactively and effectively with opinion leaders, medical experts, patient and caregiver representatives 

• Identify and contract freelancer writers, editors, designers, technicians, developers etc. in coordination with company policies 

• Independently lead internal and external stakeholder meetings and calls of all types, and ensure all team members are adequately prepared and drive completion of follow-up actions 

• Maintain comprehensive and up-to-date status sheets for assigned projects, provide regular status updates to internal and external stakeholders 

• Ensure all project documentation is retained and filed appropriately to form a completed project folder 

• Ensure Account Director or Client Services Director are aware of project risks, problem solve effectively and take corrective action e.g. ensure that contingency planning techniques are used

Financial Management

• Provide accurate, timely sales and revenue forecasts to the senior management team to assist in the forward planning of the business unit, via your line manager

• Meet or exceed sales, revenue and profitability expectations within the assigned account(s)

• Contribute to proposed sales and revenue targets each year for assigned accounts based on detailed client discussions 

• Understand and manage/complete monthly financial process (revenue reports, S4) and discuss with Account Director or Client Services Director  

• Deliver against agreed key performance indicators e.g. recoverability, utilisation 

• Take overall responsibility for client negotiations on individual projects 

• Follow company financial process ensuring own and account team budget proposals are accurate, time and costs are monitored throughout projects, invoicing (outbound and inbound) is completed to agreed schedules, and reconciliations are done in a timely manner recouping any overspend 

• Coordinate timely payment of fees and honoraria to experts, advisors and vendors 

• Manage professionally any disputes regarding costs with the client getting input/assistance from Account Director or Client Services Director where appropriate 

• Record and monitor actual time spent on a project against the budgeted time

• Complete accurate and timely timesheets and ensure timely completion by line reports

Client Service

• Build and sustain long-term, business relationships with client team(s) and wider company contacts:

  • Develop and maintain awareness and understanding of the client’s market, product profile, competitors, product positioning, marketing strategy and trends  

  • Demonstrate knowledge of market and therapeutic area when interacting with client and internal teams  

  • Establish positive long-term relationships with client team members and other external stakeholders, acting as the primary point of contact according to the requirements of the account 

  • Independently manage and lead client meetings of all types, ensure all team members are adequately prepared and drive completion of follow-up actions 

  • Work with Account Director or Client Services Director to review progress on an on-going basis both with the client and internal team using feedback/learnings to drive improvement 

  • In conjunction with the Account Director or Client Services Director, effectively troubleshoot/handle objections from clients to ensure continuing good relationships 

  • Ensure consistency of approach across client franchise accounts

Commercial Insight/Organic Growth

• Provide commercial direction to clients and the internal team delivering organic business growth for the designated account(s):

  • Apply a thorough understanding of the principles and processes underlying the various components of a strategic communications and/or medical education programmes and how these fit within a product life cycle 

  • Work with the internal team to review the commercial strategy for products within and across account(s)/franchise(s) and in conjunction with senior team members provide relevant advice and recommendations to internal and external clients on how to achieve communication and/or education objectives 

  • In conjunction with the internal team review client plans on an ongoing basis to ensure communication and/or education objectives are being met  

  • Contribute to the generation of proposals, as needed 

  • Review proposals developed by Account Executives and/or Account Managers to identify strategic opportunities and provide constructive feedback. Ensure recommendations are on brief, on specification and provide a budget that reflects their true market value (ensuring value-added delivery, where possible)  

  • Involve relevant individuals (e.g. Account Director, Client Services Director, Healthcare Outcomes Director, Scientific Services Director, Business Development Manager) in account team meetings and discussions to optimally address client business needs 

  • Secure profitable ongoing business and expand opportunities available to the company across relevant service lines (strategic communications, medical education and training) 

  • Keep up to date with developments and attitudes in the worldwide healthcare environment at industry, government, technology and health service level  

  • Make recommendations and suggestions to the Account Director or Client Services Director regarding best practice and potential for new service and product offerings 

  • Share best practice with client and internal teams  

New Business Development

• In conjunction with the Business Development team and senior team members, pro-actively explore new business opportunities with existing clients and new clients

• Contribute to the generation of commercially relevant proposals, population of RFIs and capabilities/pitch presentations

• Communicate regularly with the Business Development team and senior team members about on-going commercial opportunities, seeking others involvement where appropriate

Internal Leadership/Management

• Lead and develop line reports to reach full potential both personally and for the benefit of the business: Lead, motivate and drive line reports providing support and advice on client and project issues 

  • In conjunction with the Account Directors or Client Services Directors, review the performance of direct report(s) through the company Appraisal Process (AP) including year-end and mid-year reviews and any other ad hoc discussions (as required)  

  • In conjunction with the Account Director or Client Services Director, identify skill gaps and develop personal development and training plans for direct reports  

    • Co-ordinate relevant training for line reports with Human Resources 

• Actively participate in on-the-job training/coaching for wider account team members where appropriate 

• Develop close working relationships with all team members in order to encourage/facilitate the provision of regular constructive feedback on performance, both directly and to wider team members or line managers 

• Contribute to staff recruitment by attendance at interviews for line reports in conjunctions with Account Director or Client Services Director 

• Provide input to the performance management of non-direct line reports such as writers through the appropriate line manager so that objectives are in line with business goals throughout the account team(s)  

• Ensure effective resource planning: 

• With input from the wider account team plan resource requirements in advance so that adequate resource is in place to meet client demands 

• Work with Account Director or Client Services Director to resolve any resource issues 

• Communicate resource demands on other departments/suppliers well in advance to allow them to plan appropriate resource to meet client demands 

Springer Global Support 

• Facilitate and ensure sharing of business opportunities with other teams/departments  

• Contribute to and facilitate commercial opportunities for services across the Springer Healthcare Global Pillar 

Skills, Experience, Qualifications: 

Essential

• 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) – including Maths and English 

• Previous relevant experience in a healthcare communications and/or medical education agency

• Understanding of the drug development and communication process

• Sound financial and commercial acumen

• Excellent spoken and written communication skills

• Fluent English (written and verbal)

• Excellent planning and organisational skills

• Ability to make decisions, initiate actions and solve problems

• Ability to adapt and respond to change

• Ability to collaborate, with a full understanding of the importance of teamwork

• Domestic and international travel as required

Desired

• Broad range of therapeutic area knowledge

• Previous F2F and virtual meeting management experience

• A commercial qualification 

• Educated to degree level (preferably in science) 

• European language(s) 

#LI-RP1

Springer Healthcare is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty and wish to submit your application in an alternative format or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments during the application and interview process, please get in touch either by phone on +44 (0)207 014 4020 or by email [email protected] so we can make any necessary arrangements.   

At Springer Healthcare we value and celebrate the diversity of our people. We recognise the many benefits of a diverse workforce and strive for an inclusive workplace that empowers all our colleagues to thrive. Our search for the best talent fully encompasses and embraces these values and principles. https://group.springernature.com/jp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion