DESCRIPTION
AbeBooks is a world leading marketplace for used and collectable booksellers, and we have a mission to become the preferred place for buyers and sellers of used and collectable books. We are looking for an experienced Senior Account Manager and business development expert to focus on growth in our European business. They’ll bring to the role a passion for books, knowledge of used books and a solid understanding of the landscape and opportunities in book selling across Europe. To be successful in the role, the right person will be able to build trust and long lasting relationships with existing key accounts, identify and drive new business development opportunities across Europe that will drive demand and growth, and define the long-term strategy for AbeBooks European business. The role requires visionary thinking and a relentless drive to foster long-term growth.
Internally, the Senior Account Manager will forge strong partnerships with stakeholders teams in product, operations, and marketing. They will help to define the long term direction of AbeBooks in the UK and Europe, supporting go-to-market strategies, change management, and seller marketing strategies. The role will sit on a tenured team of international account managers who will be key partners in implementing strategies, processes and mechanisms that will foster business growth and improve the selling experience and success of European sellers globally. They will also work closely with the Seller Support team for language support and for campaign execution.
Externally, the Senior Account Manager will be the face for our trade business across Europe. They will be expected to form strong mutually beneficial partnerships with key accounts and relevant 3P organizations that will foster growth and engagement for customers. They will work to grow the AbeBooks brand reputation and recognition. They should be comfortable switching contexts, energized by people, and relish the prospect of mentoring others. This will require an entrepreneurial attitude towards building programs from the bottom up.
This role will require some occasional travel to key accounts and events across the European continent. English and French fluency is required, with other languages being a bonus.
Key job responsibilities
* Develop and execute a long-term strategy for AbeBooks' European business growth.
* Build and maintain trust-based relationships with existing key accounts.
* Identify and pursue new business development opportunities across Europe.
* Support go-to-market strategies, change management, and seller marketing initiatives.
* Develop and execute against a comprehensive category plan in partnership with the account management team.
A day in the life
A typical day for the Senior Account Manager starts with cross-office collaboration with colleagues in Canada and Germany. The team will be working on program goals, business reviews, or coming together as part of a larger group to discuss a specific project. The day will then be split between working on new business development, and developing or executing on strategies to grow the European business. In this role there will be regular external meetings with sellers and prospective business partners. They may also be work with partner teams on execution (e.g. Marketing, or Product), or aligning with stakeholders on the direction of an initiative.
About the team
Sales & Account Management team owns seller acquisition, business growth, and manages key accounts & partners. We work to improve the experience for all selling partners through programs and partnering with Marketing and Product teams. We continuously work to optimize seller inputs and to improve selection availability to AbeBooks buyers. We have a deep knowledge of our core customer base, and work tirelessly to drive seller success and improvements to the seller experience. The team is distributed across two locations (Victoria, BC, and Munich, Germany), and we strive to maintain strong communication channels to foster effective collaboration.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 6+ years experience in a sales or business development role
- Experience dealing directly with small and medium business owners
- Knowledge of e-commerce, rare bookselling, and collecting
- Experience working with institutions
- Experience building programs from scratch
- Proven track record in creating business relationships, both virtually and in-person
- Experience developing business growth strategies
- Experience working with data and defining KPIs to measure success
- Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field
- English and French language fluency