Account Management Lead

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Account Management Lead to strengthen our Client Partnership function and help drive the stability, performance, and growth of our existing client portfolio. This is a hands-on leadership role combining client management, team leadership, executive reporting, and cross-functional coordination. The successful candidate will initially work closely with the Client Partnership Director while progressively taking broader ownership of the Account Management function. The role is particularly suited to someone who is comfortable operating in a fast-moving IT outsourcing environment, can bring structure to ambiguity, and is able to lead both people and stakeholders with confidence. 1. Account Management Leadership Lead and coach a team of Account Managers responsible for existing client relationships, retention, renewals, and account growth. Provide hands-on guidance to Account Managers on client situations, commercial discussions, escalations, QBRs, renewals, and upselling opportunities. Establish clear priorities and help the team translate broader business objectives into practical account actions. Maintain visibility across the client portfolio and proactively identify accounts requiring management attention. Support the development of Account Managers through regular coaching, review, and structured follow-up. Build greater ownership, confidence, and independence within the Account Management team while providing the level of support needed to ensure consistent execution. 2. Client Partnership & Account Governance Maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders and step into strategic or sensitive client discussions when required. Oversee account health, client satisfaction, renewal risks, delivery concerns, and expansion opportunities. Ensure appropriate governance is in place across key accounts, including regular business reviews, escalation management, action tracking, and stakeholder alignment. Help Account Managers navigate complex client situations while balancing client expectations with delivery and commercial realities. Drive proactive engagement rather than reactive account management. Ensure risks and concerns are identified early, communicated clearly, and followed through until resolution. 3. Leadership & Executive Reporting Provide clear, concise, and decision-oriented reporting to the leadership team on account performance, portfolio health, risks, renewals, upsell pipeline, and key priorities. Consolidate information from multiple teams and convert operational detail into meaningful management insights. Highlight issues early, recommend actions, and ensure follow-through. Prepare materials, summaries, and talking points for management reviews and leadership discussions. Communicate confidently with senior leadership and provide clear recommendations when decisions or escalation are required. Maintain strong visibility of overall portfolio status and ensure leadership has an accurate view of both current performance and forward-looking risks. 4. Cross-Department Alignment Act as a strong connector between Account Management, Delivery, Project Management, Sales, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Legal, and other supporting functions. Drive alignment when responsibilities, ownership, or next steps are unclear. Ensure client commitments are understood internally and that internal dependencies are actively followed up. Facilitate difficult conversations where different teams have competing priorities. Bring structure, accountability, and momentum to topics involving multiple stakeholders. Escalate appropriately while also taking ownership of driving practical resolution. 5. Team Stabilization & Operational Improvement Help establish a stable and effective operating rhythm within the Account Management team. Identify gaps in processes, ownership, communication, or governance and implement practical improvements. Maintain composure and direction when working with incomplete information or changing priorities. Create clarity for the team during periods of organizational or operational change. Balance hands-on involvement with developing greater independence and accountability within the Account Management team. Strengthen consistency in account governance, reporting, follow-up, and internal communication. Minimum 5+ years of professional experience in an IT outsourcing / software development services company, with strong exposure to client-facing account management, customer success, business development, delivery coordination, or similar roles. Proven experience managing strategic B2B client relationships within an IT outsourcing environment. Excellent spoken and written English , ideally at near-native or fully professional proficiency. Experience leading, mentoring, or closely coaching Account Managers or other client-facing team members. Strong executive communication and management reporting skills, including the ability to consolidate operational information into clear risks, priorities, recommendations, and action plans for senior leadership. Strong understanding of IT outsourcing engagement models such as staff augmentation, dedicated teams, managed services, and project-based delivery. Demonstrated ability to work effectively across Account Management, Delivery, Project Management, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Sales, and other internal functions. Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including the ability to drive alignment where ownership or responsibilities are unclear. Highly structured and able to manage multiple accounts, priorities, risks, and dependencies simultaneously. Comfortable operating in ambiguity and able to create clarity, direction, and momentum without requiring fully defined processes. Strong judgment in handling client escalations, commercial discussions, delivery challenges, and sensitive internal situations. Strongly Preferred Previous experience in an Account Management Lead, Client Partnership, Customer Success Lead, or similar leadership position within an IT outsourcing company. At least 2 years of direct experience in Account Management, Customer Success, Client Partnership, or another client-facing commercial role. Experience managing and developing a small Account Management team. Experience overseeing account portfolios covering renewals, retention, upselling, resource fulfilment, delivery risks, and profitability. Familiarity with commercial topics including pricing, contract extensions, change requests, rate negotiations, and account growth. Experience preparing and leading QBRs, client governance meetings, portfolio reviews, and executive management reporting. Experience working with international clients and multicultural teams across APAC, Europe, the US, or other global markets. BENEFITS International working environment with AI-driven strategic direction. 20 days of annual leave – Hybrid working mode. Premium healthcare package with PVI and comprehensive annual health check-ups Competitive salary & 13th salary bonus Lunch allowance to fuel your productivity. Engaging company culture with fun activities Global collaboration – Work with both Vietnamese and international colleagues. SmartDev is an AI-powered software development company headquartered in Vietnam, part of the Verysell Group. We help global businesses deliver faster and build smarter — combining AI-driven development practices with deep expertise across fintech, healthcare, retail, and enterprise technology . Our team of engineers, architects, and AI specialists works across the full stack: from custom software and cloud solutions to generative AI, MLOps, and intelligent automation. At SmartDev, we believe that great architecture and AI-first thinking are a competitive advantage — and we build our teams accordingly. The company is at a pivotal point in our journey: transitioning from a pure IT outsourcing provider to an AI-enabled solutions partner . We have over 200 talented employees working both on-site and remote/hybrid at locations: Danang: 81 Quang Trung, Hai Chau 1 ward, Hai Chau District, Danang Hanoi: Zodiac building, 19 Duy Tan Street, Dich Vong Hau ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi