Principal - Account Management

For more than 40 years, Accelya has been the industry’s partner for change, simplifying airline financial and commercial processes and empowering the air transport community to take better control of the future. Whether partnering with IATA on industry-wide initiatives or enabling digital transformation to simplify airline processes, Accelya drives the airline industry forward and proudly puts control back in the hands of airlines so they can move further, faster. Principal – Account Management UK Reports to: VP – Account Management- EMEA Role Purpose As Principal - Account Management at Accelya, you will personally own and grow a portfolio of assigned airline accounts, driving commercial strategy, senior relationship management, revenue retention and expansion that supports Accelya's growth objectives. This is an individual contributor role, reporting to the VP – Account Management EMEA, with a mandate to lead from the front on your own accounts. You will build and hold trusted relationships with senior airline stakeholders, including C-suite and board level, and act as a hands-on commercial partner across the customer lifecycle. You will bring strong airline technology market knowledge and the ability to articulate the commercial impact of Modern Airline Retailing (Offer, Order, Settle, Delivery - OOSD) and NDC, using AI-enabled commercial intelligence and data-led account planning to drive results. Duties & Responsibilities Own the account strategy and commercial plan for your portfolio of assigned airline accounts, aligned to the regional Account Management strategy set by the VP – Account Management, Americas Build and lead commercial engagements within your account portfolio, developing key relationships and executing with strong commercial integrity Manage Accelya's most strategic airline customer relationships at C-suite and board level, acting as a trusted long-term partner Develop and maintain robust account plans across your portfolio, covering customer priorities, relationship mapping, growth opportunities, renewal strategy and risk mitigation Partner closely with the VP – Account Management, Americas and cross-functional teams, including Sales, Pre-Sales, Product, Delivery and Customer Success, to deliver joined-up outcomes for your accounts Drive AI-enabled commercial excellence within your portfolio, using tools such as Microsoft CoPilot, Claude or equivalent to strengthen account planning, renewal documentation and executive communications Maintain a disciplined operating cadence, covering pipeline, forecasting, account health and renewal tracking, reporting regularly to the VP – Account Management, Americas Required Experience & Skills 10–12+ years of proven commercial, sales or account management experience selling software or technology solutions to airlines Individual contributor track record, with proven ability to personally own, run and grow strategic accounts Deep expertise and understanding of airline technology markets and competitive commercial dynamics Experience of Modern Airline Retailing (Offer, Order, Settle, Delivery - OOSD) Outstanding executive stakeholder management experience, including C-suite and board-level relationships Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering or related experience; MBA preferred Preferred Experience & Skills Deep knowledge of the airline technology competitive landscape and commercial positioning of key players in the airline technology market Strong understanding of Modern Airline Retailing principles and NDC (New Distribution Capability), with the ability to articulate their commercial impact to airline stakeholders Familiarity with structured selling and account management methodologies such as Miller Heiman Strategic Selling, LAMP or equivalent Strategic use of AI-powered commercial intelligence, such as Microsoft Dynamics AI, Claude or equivalent, for account planning, renewal documentation and executive communications, to drive competitive advantage What do we offer? An open culture with a creative and challenging opportunity to satisfy your intellectual needs Flexible working hours Smart working: a hybrid remote/office working environment Work-life balance An excellent, dynamic and multicultural environment to work in About Accelya Accelya is a leading global software provider to the airline industry, powering over 200 airlines with an open, modular software platform. Owned by Vista Equity Partners, we bring together 2,000+ employees across 10 global offices. We are proud partners of AWS and pioneers in NDC expertise. Find out more at What does the future of the air transport industry look like to you? Whether you’re an industry veteran or someone with experience from other industries, we want to make your ambitions a reality!