Account Manager

Location: Ghent, Belgium (hybrid). Remote within the EU considered for the right candidate.

ONTOFORCE helps life sciences organizations accelerate research and drug development by unlocking hidden insights from complex data. Our flagship platform, DISQOVER, is a life sciences data and knowledge platform built on semantic technology and knowledge graph foundations, designed to connect siloed internal, licensed, and public data in one searchable environment.

The role

ONTOFORCE is looking for an experienced, commercially sharp Account Manager to own and protect our existing life sciences customer relationships. This role is accountable for customer retention, up-sell and cross-sell across a portfolio of established accounts who underpin our recurring revenue.

This is a customer-facing role for someone who builds deep trust with sophisticated buyers and turns it into renewed and durable revenue.

You will be the strategic partner of our customers, deeply understanding their business and translating how our solutions directly advance their goals and deliver measurable impact.  

The best outcomes in this role come from curiosity about the science and the business problem, not just the commercial relationship. Understanding how life science customers think, what their processes are and what pressures they face is key to understanding how DISQOVER can make a measurable difference to their data workflows and overall business.

As part of a small, commercially driven team, you will also support new business development, leveraging referrals from satisfied customers and stepping in to support your colleagues with prospects when additional commercial bandwidth is needed.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of existing life sciences customers, accountable for retention, renewals, and net revenue retention.

• Build and maintain deep, senior-level trusted relationships across scientific, informatics, data, procurement, and executive stakeholders.

• Proactively identify potential risk at accounts, develop and implement risk management strategies.

• Lead renewal cycles and commercial negotiations on pricing, terms, and contracts to protect and grow recurring revenue.

• Identify and pursue disciplined expansion opportunities within the existing accounts where they deliver real customer value.

• Support new business initiatives. Collaborate closely with the sales development team by leveraging referrals from your accounts, and step in to support colleagues with high-value prospects when the commercial bandwidth is needed.

• Maintain rigorous account management, accurate forecasting, and timely follow-up in the CRM.

• Partner closely with product, R&D, marketing, and solution experts to resolve issues, channel customer feedback into the roadmap, and ensure customers realize measurable value from DISQOVER.

• Stay current on life sciences data trends, market dynamics, and competitor activity to strengthen positioning and defend accounts.

• Represent ONTOFORCE credibly at customer meetings, industry events, and conferences, actively building the network that feeds both retention and new business.

Why join ONTOFORCE

At ONTOFORCE, employees work in an agile environment with a high degree of freedom, room for initiative, and opportunities for growth. What we offer includes:

• Competitive compensation: a comprehensive total rewards package including attractive salary, meal vouchers, eco vouchers, hospitalization insurance (including for your family members if you want), group insurance, home-working allowance, net expense allowance, online benefits platform (Benefits at Work), plus the option for bike leasing. 

• A stimulating environment: work with a dynamic, supportive team that thrives on challenges and encourages both personal and professional growth. 

• Innovative technology: contribute to DISQOVER, our groundbreaking product that combines AI, semantic search, and graph technology to redefine data-linkage and insight discovery in life sciences. 

• Impactful work: collaborate with leading pharmaceutical companies on projects that ultimately help accelerate the development of therapies and medicines, and improve patients’ lives. 

• Opportunities for growth: benefit from workshops, training, and continuous learning opportunities designed to help you reach your full potential. 

• Generous leave policy: enjoy 32 paid days leave, including 12 compensation days, to recharge and focus on what matters most. 

• Hybrid working: a flexible model that combines remote work with in-office collaboration for the best of both worlds. Take advantage of our modern, spacious Ghent office facilities, with free fruits, regular happy hours and more, all in a central location in Ghent, Belgium. 

Making a difference through our values

ONE ONTOFORCE: We unite to achieve more together.  

We’re all in it together: we take initiative, we step in to support each other, and we collaborate to succeed as a united team. Each person contributes their unique skills and knowledge towards our shared goals, and those individual strengths come together to create collective success. 

TRUSTED PARTNER: We infuse integrity and excellence into everything we do. 

Our clients count on us for professionalism, expertise, and transparency. By delivering on our commitments with clear communication, responsiveness, and timely execution, we create lasting partnerships built on trust and tangible value. 

PURPOSE IN ACTION: We step up with purpose, moving in a meaningful direction. 

We take initiative and move forward decisively, always guided by our values, vision, and mission. Every action is intentional, creating positive, measurable impact for our clients and company.  

INCLUSION AT THE CORE: We foster an environment where everyone feels valued. 

Inclusion comes naturally to us. Rooted in respect and belonging, our culture creates a healthy and inclusive work environment that builds trust and collaboration, empowering us to deliver meaningful, impactful solutions for our clients. 

Your profile

• 5+ years of experience selling or managing complex B2B enterprise software accounts (e.g., data platforms, AI/ML, or knowledge technologies) or demonstrable equivalent experience. Life sciences sector experience is a major advantage.

• Self-starter with resilience, curiosity, and a high-energy, growth-oriented mindset.

• Demonstrated success securing long-term relations with customers and growing  revenue within an existing customer base.

• Strong commercial skills: renewals, negotiation, procurement navigation, and disciplined opportunity management.

• Comfortable operating across matrixed organizations with multiple decision-makers.

• A professional or academic background in life sciences, bioinformatics, or pharma is strongly preferred; alternatively, you possess a proven ability to master complex scientific domains quickly.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and active listening skills.

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple strategic accounts at once.

• Based in or able to work hybrid from our Ghent HQ, with willingness to travel within the EU and occasionally beyond for customer meetings and industry events.