Back to jobs
New

National Account Director

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Most companies claim to have the best people. We say to them, "Keep dreaming." Our people are second to none. They set us apart with their entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. They come to us from the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks and the sports world, bringing energy, bold ideas and a willingness to dive into the unfamiliar. It's our people that make BDA the top global Merchandise Agency to work for.

Position Summary

The National Account Director is a senior-level strategic leader responsible for overseeing high-value national and global client relationships while leading a high-performing account team. This role drives revenue growth, ensures exceptional client service, and steers the strategic direction of assigned accounts.

The successful candidate will combine deep sales acumen, strong leadership skills, and financial expertise with creativity and an innovative approach to branded merchandise solutions. You will guide the growth of your portfolio and team while contributing to the broader success of BDA’s marketing and branding goals.

Location: 

  • This role will ideally be based out of our Indianapolis, IN, Woodinville, WA or Austin, TX office and offers a flexible onsite schedule of onsite 4 days per week, with 1 day remote.
    • Candidates within a commutable distance of our Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, Dallas, TX or Troy, MI offices may also be considered. 
  • To be considered, you must live within commuting distance, as regular in-person collaboration is a key part of the role.

 

Key Responsibilities

Client & Account Leadership

  • Serve as the senior relationship owner for key enterprise accounts, building and maintaining trusted, long-term partnerships at the C-suite level.
  • Lead strategic business reviews (QBRs/ABRs) and proactively present new opportunities, solutions, and creative merchandise concepts that align with client brand objectives.
  • Drive account growth through upselling, cross-selling, and identifying new business opportunities.
  • Monitor client satisfaction, resolve escalations quickly, and ensure retention through exceptional service delivery.

 

Strategic Planning & Financial Oversight

  • Develop and execute multi-year strategic account plans in collaboration with the Director of Client Services.
  • Set revenue and margin goals for assigned accounts and account team, managing collective portfolios exceeding $10M.
  • Prepare and maintain an actionable strategic account plan using the OST model (Objective, Strategy, Tactics) for all assigned accounts focused on quarterly budget attainment (profit and margin results).
  • Review and analyze financial performance, including revenue, gross margins, operating expenses, and client profitability, making data-driven recommendations.
  • Partner with Finance to monitor budgets, forecasts, and operating expenses (OpEx).

 

Sales & Growth

  • Achieve and exceed annual sales targets while maintaining healthy margins.
  • Actively network through industry events, leadership forums, and client engagements to identify and develop new business opportunities.
  • Maintain a “hunter” mentality, balancing new business development with growth of existing accounts.

 

Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead, coach, and mentor Account Managers and Associate Account Managers, fostering professional growth and skill development.
  • Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and performance improvement processes (PIPs) as needed.
  • Recruit, interview, and onboard top talent to strengthen the account team.
  • Recognize team achievements and foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.

 

Operational Excellence

  • Oversee Salesforce CRM adoption and accuracy across the team, ensuring all account activity, opportunities, quotes, and client interactions are tracked.
  • Ensure data hygiene guideline compliance. Manage all opportunities, tasks, and key performance indicators to prescribed guidelines through insights from Salesforce CRM, promo and program performance analysis, and proactive recommendations.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Merchandising, Supplier Services, Technology, Sales Ops, and other departments to deliver seamless client experiences.
  • Leverage client feedback (NPS and VOC insights) to continuously improve service delivery and product offerings.
  • Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and brand standards.

 

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field.
  • 7+ years of senior-level enterprise account management or business development experience; promotional merchandise experience preferred.
  • Minimum 4+ years’ direct sales management experience with proven success in leading high-performing teams.
  • Demonstrated success in driving account growth, increasing sales, and meeting revenue/margin goals.
  • Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyze budgets, margins, and profitability.
  • Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, including with C-suite executives.
  • High-level proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred).
  • Willingness to travel approximately 50%.

 

Key Competencies

  • Strategic relationship building and consultative selling
  • Creative problem-solving and innovative merchandising concepts
  • Financial analysis and business planning
  • Inspirational team leadership and talent development
  • Operational discipline and process excellence
  • Customer-focused mindset with urgency and accountability

 

We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position is $110,000 to $130,000. If you are hired at BDA, your compensation will be determined based on factors that may include geographic location, skills, education, and experience. In addition to these factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any offer. In the spirit of pay transparency, the range listed is the full base salary range for the role and hiring at the top of the range would not be typical, in order to allow for future salary growth. The range listed is just one component of BDA’s total compensation and rewards programs, which includes: robust PTO; vacation, a paid volunteer day, holidays and summer Fridays, Benefits; medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance, 401k; tuition reimbursement, mental health and financial wellness programs and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement. Certain revenue-generating positions may be eligible for incentive compensation. 

 

 

 #LI-Onsite

#LI-LG1

 

BDA is more than a workplace - it’s a family. For more than four decades we’ve promoted a vibrant and welcoming culture that not only accepts but demands you to be different. The quirky, the bold, the creative and the unique make up the foundation of a company that the most iconic brands in the world look to help tell their story through the power of merchandise.
 
BDA Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Connect With Us! Not ready to apply? Connect with us for general consideration.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
In which of the following industries have you had direct sales experience, either managing accounts, driving new business development, or closing deals? Select all that apply. *
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in BDA’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 07/31/2029

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.