How to hire a senior national account manager

How to hire a senior national account manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior national account 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 national account manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior national account manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior national account manager you need to hire. Certain senior national account manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 national account 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 national account manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents senior national account manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior National Account Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior National Account Manager	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$42-71
   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
   Business Development Account Manager	A business development account manager is in charge of developing strategies to identify new business and client opportunities, ensuring sales growth and customer satisfaction. They typically perform research and analysis to gather data, coordinate with analysts and experts, produce sales and progress reports, and maintain records of all transactions... Show more	$27-81

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Account Management
   • National Accounts
   • Revenue Growth
   • Customer Relationships
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Sales Strategies
   • R
   • Strong Analytical
   • Distributors
   • Business Development
   • POS
   • Trade Shows
   • ROI
   • Sales Presentations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Managed/Analyze individual account POS numbers to assist in forecasting, manage inventory and overall category management.
   • Negotiate terms and conditions, then supervise contract fulfillment with dealers and several OEM customers.
   • Initiate and maintain national contracts with such companies FedEx, Wal-Mart and several national healthcare organizations.
   • Place software products in major OEM hardware manufacturers, communicating customer needs, technology, and industry directions.
   • Provide (ROI) return on investment and (TCO) total cost of ownership analysis for propose solutions.
   • Drive product launch campaigns from inception to completion including detail business plans, financial forecasts, merchandise positioning and ROI.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior national account manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A senior national account manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, senior national account managers' average salary in oklahoma is 36% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior national account managers earn 41% less than senior-level senior national account managers.
   • Certifications. A senior national account manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a senior national account manager's salary.

   Average senior national account manager salary

   $115,267yearly

   $55.42 hourly rate

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   Entry-level senior national account manager salary

   $88,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

4. Writing a senior national account manager job description

   A job description for a senior national account 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 national account manager job description:

   Senior national account manager job description example

   Position Summary: The Senior Manager - National Accounts is responsible for developing a collaborative relationship with Lowe's as well as staying in close communication with inventory managers, merchandising teams, and key stakeholders within the account to develop creative solutions to complex selling, merchandising and supply chain challenges. The position will be responsible for the development and application of robust forecasting methods that use historical point of sale, order, inventory, and other inputs to predict future demand. This position is also accountable for supporting and implementing strategies for increasing sales and profits for both Lowe's and MBCI. The Senior Manager - National Accounts is a critical member of the MBCI In-Stock Lowe's leadership team.
   Organizational Relationship
   
   Position reports directly to the Director of Sales - Lowe's Stock
   
   Accountabilities:
   
   Ownership of Lowe's US demand forecasts to include POS outlook developed through the Lowe's CPFR process, inventory planning outlook developed with the Lowe's inventory team and consideration for special projects such as resets and load ins.
   
   Develop and implement strategic business plan that is inclusive of stock, special order, and ecommerce segments.
   
   Measure and develop strategies to improve forecast accuracy
   
   Conduct sales and inventory tracking, analyze and understand Lowe's inventory system settings and make placement / inventory / replenishment recommendations that grow profit and revenue for both Lowe's and MBCI
   
   Facilitate reset planning, maintenance, and execution; successfully negotiate and implement customer driven changes
   
   Identify opportunities and challenges within account base and create strategies to maximize sell through, profit, revenue, and market share
   
   Develop accurate and detailed metrics to facilitate effective business forecasting and resource allocation
   
   Drive flawless service execution, analyze the current business and implement new strategies
   
   Expand our existing business and focus on ways to develop the business in new areas
   
   Support category review, competitive gaps, and promotional windows to gain placement
   
   Analyze and review sales trends by store and identify opportunities and threats
   
   Special project assignments as required

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find senior national account managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any senior national account managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level senior national account managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior national account managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 national account manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior national account manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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