Strategic Account Manager

SUMMARY:

The Strategic Account Manager is an operations-heavy customer-facing role responsible for the full lifecycle of assigned accounts: day-to-day execution carrier sourcing and relationship management service recovery account penetration and organic growth. This is not a sitback-and-maintain role. The right candidate runs their book of business like an owner: covering freight solving problems before customers know they exist expanding market share within existing accounts and working shoulder-to-shoulder with a collaborative sales and operations team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Account Ownership & Growth

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned customer accounts
• owning the relationship from tender to invoice.
• Penetrate existing accounts by identifying new lanes modes facilities and decision-makers; grow revenue and margin within the current book.
• Develop account plans with volume targets margin goals and expansion strategies; review progress with leadership on a regular cadence.
• Conduct regular business reviews (QBRs) with key customers covering service metrics market conditions and new opportunities.

Carrier Relationships

• Build and maintain a reliable core carrier base for assigned lanes and equipment types.
• Negotiate rates that balance carrier retention with customer margin targets.
• Track carrier performance (on-time % claims communication) and develop preferred carrier relationships accordingly.

Operations & Execution

• Manage daily load execution end-to-end: quoting booking dispatch tracking and proactive customer updates in the TMS.
• Source negotiate and cover freight across flatbed specialized and open-deck equipment with a focus on service and margin.
• Own service recovery when things go sideways communicate early present solutions and protect the relationship.
• Maintain clean accurate data in the TMS and CRM: load details rates contacts notes and account activity.
• Ensure all carriers meet Armstrongs carrier vetting and compliance standards before dispatch no exceptions.

Team & Collaboration

• Work closely with sales operations and back-office teams to onboard new accounts and hand off cleanly.
• Share market intelligence capacity insight and pricing feedback with the broader team.
• Support teammates accounts during coverage gaps we win and lose as a team.
• Contribute to SOPs and process improvements that make the whole operation faster and more consistent.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 5 years of freight brokerage experience in an account management carrier sales or customer operations role.
• Proven track record of growing revenue within existing accounts (account penetration lane expansion mode diversification).
• Strong carrier sourcing and rate negotiation skills; established carrier relationships a plus.
• Working knowledge of TMS platforms and CRM systems; disciplined about data hygiene.
• Experience with flatbed open-deck or specialized freight strongly preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication able to deliver bad news early and good news with detail.
• High sense of urgency ownership mentality and comfort operating in a fast-paced collaborative team environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience supporting industrial construction energy or data center customers.
• Familiarity with drayage transloading or warehousing operations.
• Bachelors degree in business logistics supply chain or equivalent practical experience.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Competitive base salary plus performance-based commission/bonus structure.
• Clear growth path top performers earn larger books bigger accounts and leadership opportunities.
• Collaborative high-performance team culture in a growing Memphis-based company.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:
• Specific vision abilities include close vision distance vision color vision peripheral vision depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
• This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to sit for long periods; stand and walk frequently; and bend stoop and reach occasionally.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:

• First 90 Days - Full command of assigned accounts TMS and SOPs; zero dropped balls on daily execution; carrier base mapped for core lanes.
• 6 Months - Measurable revenue and margin growth within assigned accounts; at least one new lane mode or facility opened per key account.
• 12 Months - Recognized by customers as their go-to logistics partner; book of business growing year-over-year with strong service scores.

Required Experience:

IC