Strategic Account Executive (Strategic Account Director)

Strategic Account Director

Location: Halifax/Atlantic Region Canada
Department: Dealer Solutions - Account Management
Reports to: Director, Canada, Dealer Solutions - Account Management
Partners with: Performance Managers / Product SMEs, Professional Services, Customer Success, Support
Employment Type: Full-Time

Role Overview

The Strategic Account Director, Solera Dealer Solutions is the senior relationship and growth owner for a defined portfolio of high‑value, strategic automotive dealer groups. This role is accountable for retention, renewal execution, and expansion of existing business, with a strong emphasis on upsell growth, multi‑solution adoption, and long‑term partner alignment. This position has no responsibility for new logo acquisition. The Strategic Account Director serves as a trusted advisor to dealer executive leadership, aligning Solera’s DMS, CRM, Service, and Marketing solutions to dealership‑level business objectives. Working closely with Solution Performance Managers (SPMs), Product SMEs, and Professional Services, the role ensures customers realize measurable ROI, increased operational efficiency, and expanded value from their Solera investment over time.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Relationship & Account Ownership
  • Own executive‑level relationships across assigned strategic accounts, including Corporate Management, Dealer Principals, General Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, BDC Leaders.
  • Position Solera as a long‑term strategic partner by aligning solutions to Group growth, profitability, and operational priorities.
  • Lead structured, value‑based executive business reviews focused on performance outcomes, roadmap alignment, and future growth opportunities.
• Retention, Renewal & Revenue Expansion
  • Own renewal strategy, negotiation, and execution for assigned strategic accounts, ensuring high retention and contract continuity.
  • Proactively identify renewal risk, develop mitigation strategies, and mobilize cross‑functional resources to protect revenue.
  • Drive upsell and expansion revenue by identifying whitespace opportunities, multi‑solution adoption paths, and incremental module growth.
  • Articulate clear ROI and value stories that justify continued investment and expanded solution adoption.
• Strategic Account Planning
  • Develop and maintain annual and quarterly strategic account plans that include: Enterprise business goals across fixed ops, variable ops, and marketing.
  • Current solution footprint and adoption maturity.
  • Expansion targets and revenue growth opportunities.
  • Risk indicators, renewal timelines, and mitigation strategies.
  • Use account plans as a living document to guide engagement strategy and prioritize revenue‑generating initiatives.
• Portfolio Expansion Focus
  • Drive growth across Solera’s solution portfolio, including:
  • DMS: Service, parts, accounting, and inventory workflows.
  • CRM: Lead management, showroom effectiveness, and BDC optimization.
  • Service: Service Suite check‑in, scheduling, inspections, and technician productivity.
  • Marketing: Campaign execution, retention, reputation management, and equity mining through Sales Journey.
  • Inventory+: Partner with Product SMEs to position additional capabilities based on dealership performance gaps and growth objectives.
• Product Adoption & Performance Enablement
  • Collaborate with Solution Performance Managers and Product SMEs to ensure deep adoption across strategic accounts.
  • Align performance engagements to dealership outcomes such as:
  • Increased service lane throughput.
  • Improved lead response time and conversion rates.
  • Reduced no‑shows through scheduling optimization.
  • Higher marketing ROI and customer retention.
  • Translate usage and performance insights into actionable upsell and optimization recommendations.
• Customer Health & Risk Management
  • Monitor product utilization, customer satisfaction metrics (NPS/CSAT), support trends, and operational KPIs.
  • Identify early indicators of churn or dissatisfaction and lead corrective action plans.
  • Manage complex escalations by coordinating cross‑functional resolution efforts.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership
  • Act as the quarterback across Customer Success, Professional Services, Product, Support, and Marketing teams.
  • Provide strategic field insight on competitive threats, dealer needs, adoption barriers, and product enhancement opportunities.
  • Partner with Marketing on targeted communications, executive events, and strategic account initiatives.

Qualifications

• Required
  • 3–6+ years of experience in automotive SaaS, dealership technology, or automotive retail operations.
  • Demonstrated success managing strategic or enterprise‑level accounts with retention and expansion responsibility.
  • Strong understanding of dealership operations across fixed ops, variable ops, CRM, and marketing.
  • Proven ability to drive upsell revenue and multi‑solution adoption within an existing customer base.
  • Strong executive communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
  • Data‑driven approach to identifying growth opportunities and customer risk.
• Preferred
  • Experience with automotive DMS, CRM, FixOps platforms.
  • Prior dealership leadership experience (Sales Management, Finance, BDC, Service lane).
  • Familiarity with OEM standards, compliance requirements, and certification programs.
  • Experience using structured account planning frameworks and customer health models.

Success Metrics

• Strategic account renewal and retention rate
• Net Dollar Retention (NDR) and upsell / expansion revenue growth
• Multi‑solution adoption and utilization across portfolio
• Customer satisfaction improvements and reduced escalations
• Quality, accuracy, and execution of strategic account plans
• Effectiveness of cross‑functional collaboration

Core Competencies

• Strategic Customer Leadership – Trusted advisor at the executive level
• Revenue Growth Mindset – Retention and expansion focused
• Business Acumen – Deep understanding of dealer performance drivers
• Account Strategy & Planning – Disciplined, outcome‑oriented
• Influence & Communication – Confident, credible, and consultative
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration – Leads without authority

Travel

60–75%, based on Customer engagement needs

Compensation

• Competitive base salary with variable compensation aligned to renewal performance, upsell revenue, and adoption outcomes
• Comprehensive benefits and professional development opportunities

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Solera group is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, provincial, and local fair employment practices laws.

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