Principal Customer Success Account Manager

Vertex Inc.•King of Prussia, PA

21h

About The Position

The Principal Customer Success Account Manager (CSAM) partners directly with strategic customers to ensure maximum value from Vertex tax solutions. Acting as an extension of the customer’s tax and technical teams, this role provides senior‑level technical expertise, strategic guidance, and proactive engagement throughout the customer lifecycle. The Principal CSAM leads cross‑functional collaboration across Support, Professional Services, Sales, Product, and Engineering to drive adoption, optimize usage, ensure renewals, and support long-term customer success—while also leading key programs, initiatives, and potentially managing a team. Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities Serve as the primary technical and relationship owner for designated customer accounts, acting as an escalation point and trusted advisor. Proactively identify customer risks, opportunities, and best practices; provide recommendations, alternatives, and risk/benefit analyses, engaging Vertex SMEs as needed. Drive product adoption, sustained usage, renewals, and referenceability by aligning customer goals with Vertex business strategies. Coordinate cross‑functionally with Support, Professional Services, Sales, Product Management, Development, COE, and Research to manage the end-to-end customer experience. Ensure smooth transitions from implementation to steady‑state support, including post‑go‑live readiness and operational alignment. Provide regular customer communications, including status reporting, issue tracking, and proactive notifications of potential impacts. Capture and represent customer intellectual capital to influence Vertex product strategy and roadmap decisions. Lead and sponsor global programs, initiatives, and cross‑functional project teams, fostering strong internal partnerships. Promote and support growth of the monetized Customer Success program, including participation in sales cycles. Leverage Salesforce, Gainsight, and internal tools to document customer engagement, risks, and outcomes. Balance customer expectations with Vertex capabilities; negotiate win‑win solutions to complex technical and business challenges. Supervisory & Leadership Responsibilities Opportunity to manage, coach, and develop team members, including performance management, employee development, and retention initiatives. Own and drive high employee engagement and satisfaction through programs and continuous improvement. Prepare and manage budgets as assigned; analyze variances and implement corrective actions. Determine appropriate staffing and resource allocation to meet customer and organizational objectives. Required Qualifications 10+ years of overall professional experience, including 8+ years in applications support or customer‑facing technical roles. 4+ years of project management experience in ERP‑integrated, vendor‑interface environments. Strong working knowledge of ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics). Demonstrated expertise in transaction tax systems, automated tax architectures, and tax‑impacting financial transactions. Hands‑on technical understanding of software installation, updates, and enterprise system integrations. Proven ability to manage medium‑to‑high complexity customer accounts and multiple stakeholders. Excellent communication, negotiation, conflict management, and executive‑level presentation skills. Ability to work independently with wide latitude for decision‑making and cross‑functional influence. Equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant professional experience accepted in lieu of a formal degree. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or related field. Vertex or similar tax product expertise strongly preferred. In‑depth experience with sales & use tax, VAT, and multi‑state taxation. Technical familiarity with Tomcat, Unix/Linux, SQL Developer, SOAP UI, RDBMS tools, XML, and Java. Experience with Big Four or large consulting firms implementing enterprise‑wide tax or ERP solutions. CPA, CMI, or comparable accounting or tax certifications. Formal Project Management training or certification (e.g., PMP). Experience onboarding and managing third‑party vendors. Strong business acumen and understanding of the ERP marketplace and release cycles. Other Qualifications The Winning Way behaviors that all Vertex employees need in order to meet the expectations of each other, our customers, and our partners. • Communicate with Clarity - Be clear, concise and actionable. Be relentlessly constructive. Seek and provide meaningful feedback. • Act with Urgency - Adopt an agile mentality - frequent iterations, improved speed, resilience. 80/20 rule – better is the enemy of done. Don’t spend hours when minutes are enough. • Work with Purpose - Exhibit a “We Can” mindset. Results outweigh effort. Everyone understands how their role contributes. Set aside personal objectives for team results. • Drive to Decision - Cut the swirl with defined deadlines and decision points. Be clear on individual accountability and decision authority. Guided by a commitment to and accountability for customer outcomes. • Own the Outcome - Defined milestones, commitments and intended results. Assess your work in context, if you’re unsure, ask. Demonstrate unwavering support for decisions.

Requirements

10+ years of overall professional experience, including 8+ years in applications support or customer‑facing technical roles.
4+ years of project management experience in ERP‑integrated, vendor‑interface environments.
Strong working knowledge of ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).
Demonstrated expertise in transaction tax systems, automated tax architectures, and tax‑impacting financial transactions.
Hands‑on technical understanding of software installation, updates, and enterprise system integrations.
Proven ability to manage medium‑to‑high complexity customer accounts and multiple stakeholders.
Excellent communication, negotiation, conflict management, and executive‑level presentation skills.
Ability to work independently with wide latitude for decision‑making and cross‑functional influence.
Equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant professional experience accepted in lieu of a formal degree.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or related field.
Vertex or similar tax product expertise strongly preferred.
In‑depth experience with sales & use tax, VAT, and multi‑state taxation.
Technical familiarity with Tomcat, Unix/Linux, SQL Developer, SOAP UI, RDBMS tools, XML, and Java.
Experience with Big Four or large consulting firms implementing enterprise‑wide tax or ERP solutions.
CPA, CMI, or comparable accounting or tax certifications.
Formal Project Management training or certification (e.g., PMP).
Experience onboarding and managing third‑party vendors.
Strong business acumen and understanding of the ERP marketplace and release cycles.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical and relationship owner for designated customer accounts, acting as an escalation point and trusted advisor.
Proactively identify customer risks, opportunities, and best practices; provide recommendations, alternatives, and risk/benefit analyses, engaging Vertex SMEs as needed.
Drive product adoption, sustained usage, renewals, and referenceability by aligning customer goals with Vertex business strategies.
Coordinate cross‑functionally with Support, Professional Services, Sales, Product Management, Development, COE, and Research to manage the end-to-end customer experience.
Ensure smooth transitions from implementation to steady‑state support, including post‑go‑live readiness and operational alignment.
Provide regular customer communications, including status reporting, issue tracking, and proactive notifications of potential impacts.
Capture and represent customer intellectual capital to influence Vertex product strategy and roadmap decisions.
Lead and sponsor global programs, initiatives, and cross‑functional project teams, fostering strong internal partnerships.
Promote and support growth of the monetized Customer Success program, including participation in sales cycles.
Leverage Salesforce, Gainsight, and internal tools to document customer engagement, risks, and outcomes.
Balance customer expectations with Vertex capabilities; negotiate win‑win solutions to complex technical and business challenges.
Opportunity to manage, coach, and develop team members, including performance management, employee development, and retention initiatives.
Own and drive high employee engagement and satisfaction through programs and continuous improvement.
Prepare and manage budgets as assigned; analyze variances and implement corrective actions.
Determine appropriate staffing and resource allocation to meet customer and organizational objectives.