Account Director

Cactus Life Sciences (cactuslifesciences.com) is a leading medical communication company headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with nine global offices. Its expertise lies in delivering scientific content across the product lifecycle with a focus on science, innovation, and efficiency. The company specializes in providing impactful medical strategy, custom operational models, content development and dissemination, and promotion of patient inclusion for biopharmaceutical organizations. Cactus Life Sciences’ scalable solutions cater to the challenges encountered in product development, guiding brands, and organizations towards their future objectives. With a client-centric approach, the company prioritizes understanding their evolving needs and technology trends to drive its growth. Cactus Life Sciences is a subsidiary of Cactus Communications (cactusglobal.com/), a leading science communication and technology company.

The Account Director (AD) is responsible for managing and maintaining the overall health of accounts, via optimized client relationships. In parallel, they drive organic growth across their accounts and client networks. The AD supports delivery teams to achieve business excellence for their clients across the medical communications mix, identifying and flagging gaps in service offerings where there is a need.

Responsibilities

Five core responsibilities underpin the role of the AD:

1. Client management - Building strong client relationships to grow accounts organically, creating/maintaining Key Account Plans (KAPs)

• Manage a portfolio of ~$1.5–2M, depending on service mix
• Partner with the Client Service Director (CSD) to develop KAPs and maintain client engagement plans
• Strengthen client relationships alongside the Medical Account Lead to support account growth
• Collaborate with CSD/executive sponsor to lead annual medical planning and book of work discussions
• Support client onboarding, define ways of working, and conduct biannual health checks
• Ensure service levels are met; escalate and support risk mitigation with CSD when needed
• Maintain up-to-date client records in CRM/Excel (meetings, objectives, financials)
• Open to travel for client meetings and onsite needs

2. Strategic and commercial insight - Acting as strategic partner with Medical Lead to drive client discussions and recommendations

• Collaborate with the Executive Sponsor/CSD to stay aligned with the client’s enterprise-level vision, mission, and values
• Understand client environment, asset needs, and goals to deliver timely, strategic, and cost-effective solutions in collaboration with Medical/Scientific Account Leads
• Ensure awareness and adherence to internal processes and MSA specifics, and share key insights with the broader team
• Maintain strong knowledge of the therapy area, product, and asset landscape, updating internal and client teams regularly
• Stay informed about industry regulations (e.g., ISMPP, ABPI, Sunshine Act) and evolving trends (e.g., social media, AI) to enhance service offerings

3. Account team leadership - Leading and motivating internal team, instilling project ownership, and ensuring smooth running of accounts

• Drive account performance by fostering strong internal team collaboration, understanding team roles, and staying closely aligned with project objectives
• Lead project briefings and client debriefs, ensuring key learnings inform future account delivery; involve Executive Sponsor/CSD for strategic projects
• Conduct monthly reviews of team performance (quality, recoveries, timelines, financials vs. forecast)
• Support team structure changes, succession planning, and integration with clients—leveraging Executive Sponsor/CSD guidance as needed
• Ensure the team understands client expectations, internal processes, and MSA specifics, including compliance, reporting, and financial protocols

4. Business development - Identifying account growth opportunities and making recommendations to the client

• Leverage deep understanding of Cactus Medical’s capabilities to identify new project opportunities within existing TAs; engage Executive Sponsor/CSD for new TA/asset expansion
• Sustain and grow accounts by developing and managing Key Account Plans (with Executive Sponsor sign-off)
• Drive growth through regular brainstorming sessions with the Executive Sponsor/CSD and Medical Account Lead, and by creating proposals for organic growth
• Schedule quarterly client review meetings to assess performance, satisfaction, and plan future work
• Monitor client movements and flag transitions to Executive Sponsor/CSD for potential business development

5. Financial/KPI accountability - Achieving financial and account targets and the interconnection of KPIs

• Possess strong understanding of organizational metrics and account team deliverables
• Collaborate with Executive Sponsor/CSD on MSA content and procurement interactions
• Co-develop Key Account Plans with Medical and Project Management Leads
• Oversee client invoicing, financial reporting, SoWs/BoWs, reconciliations, out-of-scope tracking, and pipeline planning
• Drive organic growth and new service line expansion to meet account targets
• Ensure formal Finance and Executive Sponsor approval for discounts, rebates, or write-offs
• Promote streamlined reporting practices and share with the client service team

Qualifications and Prerequisites

• Education: Degree minimum (life science degree advantageous) or demonstrable experience in medical communications or pharmaceutical industry. Fluency in English, both written and spoken, fluency in other languages is beneficial.
• Experience: 5+ years’ experience within healthcare communications agencies (medical communications preferable). 18+ months required as a Senior Account Manager.
• Business skills: Strong client relationship building skills. Excellent business communication ability, experience in leading small accounts and execution of global programs. Understands the importance of KPI measurement within a business setting.
• Technology skills: Microsoft Office suite, Adobe, AI utilization, omnichannel/digital knowledge.

Application Process

Before applying, please ensure you meet the role requirements listed above and have legal authorization to work in the country where this role is advertised. The selection process for this role includes an initial recruiter screening, an interview with the hiring manager, and two additional interview rounds.

Equal Opportunity

Our hiring practices reflect our commitment to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed. We celebrate the uniqueness of our team members and prohibit discrimination of any kind, based on race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

Accelerating from Anywhere

As a remote-first organization, these are essential attributes we look for in all our candidates.

• Taking ownership of your work with minimal supervision, showing strong ability to organize, prioritize and deliver results independently.
• Documenting work that brings everyone on the same page.
• Maturity to choose between synchronous and asynchronous collaboration.
• Effectively collaborating with colleagues across different time zones by setting dedicated hours for collaboration and keeping team members updated through your MS Teams status.