Account Director, Europe

NAPA Design Solutions is redefining how ship design decisions are made, helping the industry to move beyond traditional, fragmented workflows into a connected, AI-augmented platform that spans naval architecture, structural design, and the wider ship lifecycle. Our vision is to help the shipbuilding industry tackle its biggest challenges: growing complexity, disconnected workflows, and decarbonization, at a pivotal time, as investment across the industry is rising globally. To support our growth ambitions, we are looking for a commercially driven Account Director to grow our business with Europe’s leading shipyards, engineering companies and classification societies.

As Account Director, you will identify and pursue new business opportunities, build relationships with key decision-makers, create demand for NAPA’s Design Solutions, and convert strategic opportunities into long-term partnerships. This is a highly commercial role combining strategic account development with hands-on business development. You will spend significant time engaging customers, expanding your network, identifying growth opportunities, and leading commercial discussions across Europe.

This position will be based in Germany with flexible or hybrid working arrangements and requires regular travel across Europe to meet customers and partners.

Learn more about our solutions and customers: napa.fi/software-and-services/ship-design & customers-and-stories

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Drive business growth by developing strategic customer relationships and winning new business across Europe.

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline by identifying, pursuing, and developing new opportunities within existing and target customer organizations.

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers across customer organizations.

• Lead complex commercial opportunities by understanding customer challenges, articulating compelling value propositions, and guiding opportunities from initial engagement through negotiation, contracting and closing.

• Develop and execute account growth plans that expand NAPA’s footprint and create long-term customer value.

• Collaborate closely with product management, services, and marketing teams to align customer needs with NAPA’s solutions and strategy.

• Represent NAPA at customer meetings, industry events and conferences to strengthen relationships and build market presence.

Preferred qualifications

Experience & education

• 8+ years of experience in commercial or business development roles in the maritime industry or the engineering software industry.

• A proven track record of winning new business and growing strategic customer accounts in complex, multi-stakeholder B2B environments.

• Experience in CAD/CAE software business or ship design is a strong advantage.

• Degree in Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a similar technical field preferred.

Skills & attributes

• Commercially driven and proactive, with the ability to identify opportunities, create customer value, and drive business growth.

• Strong commercial acumen combined with credibility across the ship design and shipbuilding ecosystem.

• Executive presence with the ability to engage decision-makers and subject matter experts with equal credibility.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills across all organizational levels.

• Self-driven and results-oriented, comfortable working independently in a self-managed organization while collaborating across teams and cultures.

Ready to get on board and join the NAPA crew?

We kindly ask you to send your application and CV to us as soon as possible. The position will be filled once a suitable candidate has been found.

For more information about the position, please contact Tommi Kurki (Sales Director) by e-mail: [email protected].

The selected candidate will be flown to our headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, for onboarding. You'll receive full support from your team throughout the onboarding process to ensure a smooth and engaging start in your new role.

NAPA as an employer

Meaningful work

We are proud to play our part in creating a sustainable world, and a career at NAPA means working with a purpose. We focus on building the best possible products for our customers, with whom we have close and long-lasting relationships. We protect the environment and human life at sea by powering safer and greener vessels with our technology.

NAPA way of working

We are a self-managed organization. Everyone is here to help and guide each other, but you're your own boss. The core of our self-management philosophy is trust. We trust our employees to make the right decisions and take care of their personal growth. We provide several opportunities for that, and everyone can manage their own working time. You can work at the office, from home, or even while abroad.

Enjoy working together

...is one of our core values. Learning from and respecting each other provides a healthy and pleasant working environment. We, as NAPArians, share our knowledge and help each other when needed. NAPA has offices and customers around the world, and you will be able to meet people from many different cultures. We are a diverse family with a shared goal.

Read more about our values and culture: napa.fi/careers

In its over 35 years of operation, NAPA has become a global leader in developing and scaling software, services, and data analysis for a safer, smarter, and more sustainable maritime industry. Headquartered in Finland, NAPA employs 200 people in the fields of naval architecture, shipping and information technology, operating globally in eleven countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

NAPA software is used by shipyards, ship owners, designers, classification societies, research institutes, authorities and consultancies around the world. To date, NAPA has 420 user organizations for its design solutions, nearly 3,000 installations onboard vessels and a growing number of subscribers for its cloud-based fleet services.