Account Specialist

Schedule:Full-Time, M-F regular business hours*

*May need to adapt working hours to meet the needs of customer time zones

Location:Remote, United States 

Travel: Up to 10% for customer and industry events around the country

FLSA Status: Exempt (Salary)

Reports To: Inside Sales Team Manager 

Compensation: $60,00 - $70,000 base salary, plus commission and bonus

Position Overview

STAR Autism Support is looking for an Account Specialist to join as our next integral member of the Sales team. Specifically, we are looking for someone who would have an interest in supporting the success of school districts, educators, and special education centers by matching them with the appropriate STAR solutions and services to meet their goals. The Account Specialist would be tasked with the responsibility of developing sustainable long-term partnerships with our current clients as well as growing the scope of STAR’s impact with new clients. Our ideal candidate would share our passion in helping educators and students with autism succeed through inclusive, evidence-based, and sustainable curriculum and training services. 

Within the first 3 to 6 months, the Account Specialist will be learning about our solutions, our tech tools, and our sales strategy for renewing current customers and making new sales to districts within the given territory. 

If you are inspired by the chance to make a difference by working to make special education better for both students and teachers, and to bring STAR solutions to new customers, then please apply.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively communicate to district special education leaders to introduce them to STAR products that uniquely meet the instructional needs of students with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) (this is our company mission)
• Drive the sales cycle by working with current and new customer accounts to conduct needs analyses, provide overviews and demos of STAR products and services, and create pricing plans that align with their unique needs and goals
• Own and foster the business relationship with the buyer/decision maker for each customer account through regular virtual communication and touch points
• Collaborate with the Customer Success team to ensure that customer expectations are met throughout the implementation period and customer lifecycle to drive renewal and expansion of accounts year over year
• Work closely with the Professional Services and Customer Success teams to ensure training days are delivered and that software is being utilized, which will be key performance indicators (KPI’s) for the company and for each sales professional
• Partner with Marketing to identify prospective new district relationships, manage each opportunity through the sales stages, close the sale, and handoff to our Customer Success and Training teams
• Manages a sales pipeline of renewals and new sales opportunities so that we can meet the goals for the territory and the department
• Updates customer profiles through CRM (Salesforce) and other internal platforms by adding relevant client data and submitting activity reports to management
• Participates and attends trade shows, conferences, and professional association meetings around the country to network with current and prospective customers
• Remains current on industry, customer, and competitive trends
• Assist with other projects as assigned

Required skills

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent years of experience 
• 1-3 years’ experience in a related field (customer service, sales, account management, etc.) 
• Experience in building and maintaining customer relationships 
• Experience working with a diverse set of customers with varying needs and communication styles
• Demonstrated competence in emotional intelligence, influence, and negotiation skills 
• Has a growth mindset, is curious, and interested in ongoing learning and development 
• Strong organizational skills and can successfully manage multiple priorities at any given time
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work with multiple stakeholders across the organization 
• Self-motivated and proficient working both independently and as part of a team
• A proven track record of gaining trust and respect by consistently demonstrating sound critical thinking skills and maintaining composure in stressful situations
• Self-starter who is motivated by achieving both individual and team goals 
• Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Strong Microsoft Office skills

Pluses

• Experience K-12 education and/or special education industry 
• Knowledge of the principles and methods for promoting and selling products and services 
• Experience with Salesforce 
• Experience working with a national company with a distributed remote workforce and customer base 

Capability Requirements 

• Ability to type and look at a computer screen for up to 8 hours daily required
• Ability to travel up to 10% to trade shows, conferences, and professional association meetings
• Work performed in a home office setting with frequent phone and video calls
• Ability to work both individually and collaboratively with others
• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or qualifies for an accommodation

Who we are

STAR Autism Support (SAS) is a family-founded educational consulting company based in Portland, OR. SAS provides curriculum materials, workshops and training to school and agency staff who work with students with autism and other developmental disabilities. Our unique and practical approach provides school districts with curriculum resources and a continuum of professional development activities to address the educational needs of student’s early childhood through post-secondary throughout the country and internationally.

At SAS our goal is to cultivate a supportive, positive and welcoming work environment where all staff can successfully thrive. We value and celebrate equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our vision of equity includes a continuous commitment to becoming an antiracist, multicultural organization. We strive to provide all employees with a culture of curiosity and continued learning. Our company values are listed below:

• Use innovative, evidenced-based, culturally responsive strategies to positively impact our stakeholders including students with autism and educators.
• Practice professional and personal accountability, adaptability, and respect for others.
• Maintain sustainable growth and long-term partnerships with our stakeholders in order to provide equitable services to all. 

The perks of working with us

Not only are you helping do good in the world, butyou willbe joining a team of passionate and exceptional people within a casual environment. We also encourage our team to continue their own professional development by helping fund opportunities to do so.We offer a full suite of benefits including: 

• Retirement plan options with matching 
• 12 days of paid time off per year 
• 18 paid holidays and office closure days per year 
• 2 weeks of paid COVID-19 sick leave 
• Health Insurance Coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Accounts) 
• Life and Disability Insurance options 

We are a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. STAR Autism Support (SAS) is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We celebrate the differences that make each person unique, both at work and in the communities we serve. Using evidence-based practices we strive every day to make positive educational outcomes accessible to all students and educators. This commitment is also foundational to our company culture. We acknowledge that research shows that Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and women are significantly less likely to apply for some positions, believing they must meet every qualification as described in the job description. At STAR Autism Support, we value representation, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. We know that sometimes that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described in the job description.