Overview

The Customer Success Account Manager (CSAM) – Principal is a senior individual contributor responsible for driving customer outcomes, long-term value realization, and sustained consumption across a portfolio of complex and strategically important customers. This role operates with high autonomy, requires strong executive engagement capability, and plays a critical role in shaping customer success strategy and execution.

The role supports Australia-based customers and is required to operate within the Australian timezone, maintaining Australian business hours to ensure effective customer engagement, delivery continuity, and internal alignment.

Responsibilities

Customer Strategy & Outcomes

Own and lead the end-to-end customer success strategy for assigned accounts, aligning Microsoft solutions to customer business priorities, transformation goals, and risk areas.
Develop and execute customer success plans that clearly define outcomes, success measures, and value realization milestones.
Engage senior and executive customer stakeholders as a trusted advisor, framing Microsoft's value in terms of business impact and outcomes.
Proactively identify risks and opportunities, adjusting engagement strategies to improve customer health, resilience, and long-term partnership.

Consumption, Adoption & Value Realization

Drive sustained consumption growth and usage excellence by orchestrating Success Programs, digital delivery motions, and scale resources.
Identify barriers to adoption and value realization and lead cross-functional alignment to remove blockers.
Partner closely with sales, support, engineering, and partners to deliver a cohesive, outcome-focused customer experience.

Operational Excellence & Governance

Demonstrate strong operational rigor, including accurate customer health management, forecasting, risk identification, and executive-ready reporting.
Lead structured governance rhythms such as success plan reviews, operational checkpoints, and stakeholder reviews.
Use data, insights, and signals to prioritize effort and focus on the highest-impact activities for both customer and Microsoft outcomes.

Leadership & Influence (Principal Scope)

Serve as a role model CSAM, setting a high standard for customer engagement quality, executive presence, and operational maturity.
Influence across a matrixed organization without direct authority to drive alignment and execution.
Provide informal coaching and mentorship to less experienced CSAMs through knowledge sharing and best-practice leadership.
Contribute to the evolution of CSAM practices, tools, and frameworks by sharing insights and learnings from complex customer engagements.

Risk & Crisis Management

Lead customer engagement during high-impact or escalated situations, applying structured incident and crisis management practices.
Ensure clear communication, executive alignment, and coordinated action to restore customer confidence and stability.

Scope & Impact

Manages large, complex, or strategically significant accounts with material revenue, usage, or transformation potential.
Work has a direct and measurable impact on customer satisfaction, retention, expansion, and long-term partnership outcomes.
Operates independently in ambiguous environments, exercising judgment, prioritization, and strategic thinking.

Career Stage Expectations

At the Principal level, success is measured not only by delivery, but by sustained impact and leadership through influence:

Consistently delivers strong customer outcomes with minimal oversight.
Raises the standard for customer success execution and is sought out for guidance and expertise.
Demonstrates readiness for broader scope through strategic thinking, leadership behaviors, and durable customer impact.

Qualifications

Required

Proven experience in customer success, account management, or consultative roles within complex enterprise environments.
Demonstrated ability to engage, influence, and build trust with senior business and technical stakeholders.
Strong executive communication, value storytelling, and outcome-oriented mindset.
Experience operating effectively in matrixed, cross-functional organizations.
Ability to work within the Australian timezone and consistently maintain Australian business hours.

Preferred

Master's Degree in Business, Sociology, Psychology, Computer Science, or related field AND 10+ years customer success, solution delivery, practice management, customer-facing consulting, or portfolio management experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Sociology, Psychology, Computer Science or related field AND 12+ years customer success, solution delivery, practice management, customer-facing consulting, or portfolio management experience OR equivalent experience.
Minimum 3 years experience in change management and/or technology adoption.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

Principal Customer Success Account Manager