How to hire a senior key accounts manager

How to hire a senior key accounts manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior key accounts manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior key accounts manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior key accounts manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior key accounts manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior key accounts manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a senior key accounts manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior key accounts managers.

   Type of Senior Key Accounts Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Key Accounts Manager	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$36-77
   Sales Manager	Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas... Show more	$20-62
   Account Development Manager	An account development manager's responsibilities revolve around securing and reaching sales targets, creating business plans, developing strategies, and building positive relationships with clients. They must also reach out to clients through calls and correspondence, offer products and services, and address any issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently... Show more	$20-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Portfolio
   • CRM
   • IRI
   • Revenue Growth
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Technical Support
   • Account Management
   • KAM
   • Business Development
   • Market Trends
   • Sales Growth
   • Category Management
   • Trade Shows
   • Develop Creative Solutions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a local sales portfolio and 2 staff members towards achieving and exceeding budget.
   • Manage a portfolio of accounts as well as dealt with all aspects of a campaign.
   • Manage and grow sales within Anheuser-Busch's highly visible casual dining, club and venue segments.
   • Manage and exceed all KPI's including net sales, trade rates and new item distribution.
   • Develop strategic business plans and manage customer's $1.2MM advertising budget, delivering significant ROI results.
   • Promote to manage Kroger Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Mid-Atlantic, Dallas, and Houston marketing areas.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior key accounts manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior key accounts manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior key accounts managers' average salary in oklahoma is 37% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior key accounts managers 54% less than senior-level senior key accounts managers.
   • Certifications. A senior key accounts manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior key accounts manager's salary.

   Average senior key accounts manager salary

   $110,294yearly

   $53.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior key accounts manager salary

   $75,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

4. Writing a senior key accounts manager job description

   A job description for a senior key accounts manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a senior key accounts manager job description:

   Senior key accounts manager job description example

   The Screening Core is a dedicated organization inside of Guardant Health focused on the development and commercialization of the early cancer detection LUNAR portfolio. The Screening Core's singular focus on bringing our early cancer detection products to market allows us to act with the speed and urgency needed to achieve our ambitious goals and serve the millions of individuals who can benefit from early cancer detection.
   About the Role:
   
   The field-based Sr. Key Account Manager, Screening Core is responsible for the effective promotion & integration of Lunar-2 to integrated delivery networks (IDNs), Academic Centers, Health Systems and other large health care providers within the designated territory. The Sr. Key Account Managers will cultivate and develop strategic relationships with assigned IDNs and Health Systems and reduce barriers for the field force to access the health care professionals affiliated with the system. The Sr. Key Account Managers will partner with the field sales force team to plan, coordinate and pull through Lunar 2 upon integration.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   · Prospect and target to identify early adopter and generate interest of the Lunar-2 Test
   
   · Meet and exceed sales goals, maximize promotional budgets, and execute the national sales strategy in accordance with Guardant Health standards.
   
   · Drive strategic business expansion/collaboration opportunities with the following:
   
   Academic Centers, Large Health Systems, IHDNs
   
   · Develop and implement a business plan in line with brand strategy to support launch
   
   · Identify opportunities in the marketplace, share best practices, and proactively communicate strategies to cross-functional partners and members of the Commercial Team
   
   · Continually analyze competitive landscape and environment within assigned accounts to determine trends and provide customer feedback to GHI leadership
   
   · Structure detailed strategic plans for gaining and retaining new and existing clients.
   
   · Manage implementation of all promotional activities to support sales and marketing strategies, in accordance with high industry standards and company policies
   
   · Work effectively with individuals across multiple departments throughout GHI
   
   · Collaborate and coordinate with all sales positions (VP of Sales, ASD's, RSD's, and AM's) to ensure successful attainment of company goals and objectives
   
   · Embrace, embody and represent the Guardant Health company culture at all times to external and internal constituents
   
   · Demonstrate GHI's Values by acting with integrity, respect, trust and Possess a very positive attitude and an understanding of the dynamics involved with organizational growth and change
   
   · Support and comply with the company's Compliance, Regulatory and Quality Management System policies and procedures.
   
   · Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
   
   · This is a field-based role. Ability to travel approximately 50% of working time within assigned area and some travel outside of assigned area for regional or national meetings.
   
   · Must meet customer office access requirements.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior key accounts managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior key accounts manager job on Zippia to find and recruit senior key accounts manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior key accounts managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior key accounts manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior key accounts manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new senior key accounts manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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