Ascend Learning is a national leader in data driven, online educational solutions for learners, educators and employers in high-growth, licensure-driven professions spanning healthcare, fitness and wellness, skilled trades, insurance, and financial services. We are passionate about accelerating learning while impacting job readiness, employment success and employee retention with the belief that our work changes lives.

Our culture is intentionally results-driven and selfless with a relentless focus on our customers. We believe in trust, transparency, freedom, and responsibility with a commitment to meritocracy, inclusion and diversity of thought. Continual investment in our over 1400 employees is also a core principle realized through ongoing professional development and providing opportunities to grow, develop and lead. Ascend Learning is headquartered in Burlington, MA with additional office locations and remote workers in cities across the U.S. and in the U.K.

Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has set the standard in certification, continuing education, solutions and tools for health and fitness, sports performance and sports medicine professionals. NASM has pioneered evidence-based health and fitness solutions that optimize physical performance and allow individuals to achieve a variety of fitness activity goals.

Position Summary:

Are you passionate about fitness and wellness? Are you interested in joining a team that partners with most of the premier sports organizations, helps transform lives and was recognized by the Arizona Business Journal as a 2020 and 2021 Best Places to Work, earned the 2020 and 2021 Healthiest Employers Award and recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces For Diversity in 2023? Our NASM team is growing and adding an Academic Account Manager in our Gilbert, AZ office. For over 40 Years, we have had the honor of empowering fitness professionals who have helped change millions of lives.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) provide science-based certifications and continuing education options for fitness and allied health professionals. We're dedicated to helping fitness enthusiasts become fitness professionals and fitness and allied health professionals realize their dreams.

NASM and AFAA’s Academic B2B partners are comprised of educational institutions in the higher ed, secondary (K12) and post-secondary career technical education (CTE) markets. The purpose of this position is to drive the revenue, relationship, and client retention goals of the company’s academic channel. The Account Manager is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing growth and support plans for assigned academic accounts. This position requires creative problem solving and a deep understanding of the needs of academic institutions to ensure high client satisfaction and retention rates. The Account Manager will serve as the relationship lead while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to assist in the facilitation of client and company deliverables. Travel in standard business environment could be 15-25%.

Responsibilities:

• Development of strategic plans to grow revenue, life time value, and client satisfaction scores of assigned academic partner accounts
• Perform research to identify, develop and implement creative solutions that match existing and new products to client needs. Contract negotiation and execution will be required
• Solve client concerns through creative problem-solving thereby driving high client satisfaction and retention rates
• Client portfolio revenue forecasting and development
• Develop strong collaborative results-oriented relationships with account stakeholders ensuring the effective implementation of solutions. Requires creative problem-solving and deep understanding of academic industry needs
• Serve as the partner relationship lead by providing support for relevant initiatives such as Marketing, Live Events, Operations and Product Development

Education & Experience:

• 3+ years of recent sales experience in B2B sales or account management with proactively identifying opportunities, creating a sales plan, forecasting, effectively prioritizing time, and executing on a consultative sales strategy to drive account performance and consistently achieve quarterly and annual quotas
• Experience working in K12 education industry, EdTech, or healthcare as a sales professional preferred
• A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Education, Marketing or a related field
• CTE and Education Vendor Application Approval experience a plus

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong business relationship building skills and track record of proficient collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
• Experience managing the performance and retention of a book of B2B client accounts and forecasting revenue performance
• Demonstrates a high level of intellectual curiosity and asks effective questions to identify client pain points and potential solutions
• Technical expertise of academic industry requirements and trends
• Technical expertise on NASM and AFAA products
• Able to obtain agreement from multiple decision makers throughout all stages of the sales cycle, negotiate contractual terms and gain commitment to confirm a sale
• Self-motivated and directed
• Proven business relationship building skills and track record of proficient collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
• Process-oriented with strong attention to detail and effective recordkeeping
• Ability to access and use CRM Dynamics, Hubspot, DocuSign, Wrike, Google online assets (e.g. Docs and Sheets) and general Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint)

Other Requirements (Travel, shifts, physical demands, etc.):

• This position will include travel to prospective and current clients, as well as industry events. Travel in standard business environment could be 15-25%.

Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S. based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

#LI-JD1