Principal Account Executive, Defence - Enterprise (AWS)

Amazon; Canberra; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Web Services Australia seeks a Principal Account Executive to join the ANZ Defence team, focused on enterprise workloads across the Australian Defence Organisation. You will own the enterprise account strategy, drive revenue growth, and build executive relationships required to position AWS as Defence's long-term cloud partner.

Australian citizenship and AGSVA clearance at NV1+ are required. Travel interstate up to 10% is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of enterprise technology sales experience in government or regulated environments.
• Experience with Australia’s Defence Organisation or similar security environment.
• Experience building executive relationships at SES 2+ or C-suite level.
• Experience developing multi-year account strategies for large customers.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the enterprise account strategy for the Department of Defence.
• Build executive relationships with Defence decision-makers and DDG leadership.
• Identify and shape opportunities to migrate, modernise, and transform Defence workloads onto AWS.
• Develop compelling business cases showing the value of cloud adoption to Defence leaders.
• Meet or exceed annual revenue targets in a quota-carrying role.
• Collaborate with Solutions Architects, Professional Services, Security & Compliance, and Partners to design compliant solutions.
• Navigate Defence procurement pathways within Defence operating environment.

Skills

Enterprise sales

Executive relationships

Defence experience

Account strategy

Revenue targets

Job description

Principal Account Executive, Defence - Enterprise

Job ID: 10529886 | Amazon Web Services Australia Pty Ltd

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking a Principal Account Executive to join our ANZ Defence team, focused on enterprise workloads across the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO).

This role is focused on the enterprise backbone that enables Defence to function: corporate systems, shared services, workforce platforms, finance, logistics, HR, and the enterprise ICT environment managed through the Defence Digital Group (DDG) and Defence's enabling Groups.

Defence is one of Australia's largest and most complex enterprises. It employs over 90,000 people across more than 80 bases and establishments, manages one of the largest ICT estates in the country, and operates under security, sovereignty, and compliance requirements that few organisations face. Modernising this enterprise environment is central to Defence's ability to deliver on the National Defence Strategy, and it requires a technology partner who understands both the scale of the challenge and the constraints of the operating environment.

This is a senior individual contributor role. You will own the enterprise account strategy, drive revenue growth, and build the executive relationships required to position AWS as Defence's long-term enterprise cloud partner.

Applicants must be Australian citizens and must hold, or be able to attain, an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) clearance at NV1 or above. See: https://www1.defence.gov.au/security/clearances

In this role, you can expect to travel interstate up to 10% of the time.

What Makes This Role Different

• Own the enterprise relationship with one of Australia's largest organisations. You will be the primary AWS point of contact for Defence's enterprise IT decision-makers.
• Navigate a uniquely complex enterprise environment. Defence's enterprise systems operate under security classification requirements, sovereignty constraints, and procurement frameworks that have no commercial equivalent. You will understand these constraints and work within them.
• Drive large-scale cloud adoption. You will identify and shape opportunities to migrate and modernise Defence's enterprise workloads: ERP, HR, finance, logistics, collaboration, data analytics, and enterprise AI. These are multi-year, high-value programs of work.
• Operate at executive level. You will engage at the senior executive and operational levels, work with CIO‑level leaders, and their senior staff. You will be expected to hold your own in conversations about enterprise architecture, digital transformation strategy, and Defence's operating model.

Key job responsibilities

• Own and execute the enterprise account strategy for the Department of Defence. Build and manage a qualified pipeline of enterprise workload opportunities from early-stage shaping through to contract execution.
• Build and maintain executive relationships with Defence's enterprise decision-makers, including DDG leadership, enabling Group heads, and their key staff. Become a trusted advisor on enterprise cloud adoption.
• Identify and shape opportunities to migrate, modernise, and transform Defence's enterprise workloads onto AWS. This includes corporate applications, shared services platforms, data and analytics environments, and enterprise AI initiatives.
• Develop compelling business cases that articulate the value of cloud adoption in terms Defence leaders understand: operational efficiency, workforce productivity, security posture, cost management, and speed of delivery.
• Meet or exceed annual revenue targets. This is a quota-carrying role with significant revenue expectations commensurate with the scale of the Defence enterprise opportunity.
• Work cross-functionally with Solutions Architects, Professional Services, Security & Compliance specialists, and Partner teams to design solutions that meet Defence's enterprise, security, and sovereignty requirements.
• Navigate Defence procurement pathways and ensure proposed solutions account for Defence's operating environment.

About the team

Diverse Experiences

AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you don't meet all of the qualifications listed below, we encourage you to apply. If your career hasn't followed a traditional path or includes non-linear experiences, that's something we value — don't let it stop you from applying.

Why AWS?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that's why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.

Inclusive Team Culture

Here at AWS, it's in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empowers us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

Mentorship & Career Growth

We're continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth's Best Employer. That's why you'll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.

Work/Life Balance

We value work‑life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture.

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise technology sales, with a track record of closing large, complex deals in government or highly regulated environments.
• Experience working with or within Australia's Defence Organisation or a comparable national security environment, with demonstrated understanding of Defence's enterprise ICT landscape, procurement frameworks, and organisational structure.
• Experience building and maintaining executive relationships at SES Band 2+ or equivalent C‑suite level, and to influence enterprise technology decisions at scale.
• Experience developing and executing multi-year account strategies for large, complex customers with long procurement cycles.
• Track record of consistently meeting or exceeding revenue targets in enterprise sales roles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with Defence enterprise systems, DDG's operating model, and how large enterprise programs are delivered within Defence.
• Experience selling or delivering enterprise cloud migration and modernisation programs (ERP, HR, finance, data platforms) at scale.
• Understanding of Defence's security accreditation frameworks (ISM, PSPF, ASD certification) and their implications for enterprise cloud adoption.
• Existing executive relationships across Defence.

Acknowledgement of country:

In the spirit of reconciliation Amazon acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

IDE statement:

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.