Account Executive - Portfolio

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 3,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Bengaluru is seeking an Account Executive – Defence to drive growth across India's Defence ecosystem.

You will build trusted relationships with MoD, Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, DRDO, and DPSUs, acting as a strategic advisor for securing secure digital transformation and excellent customer outcomes. The role requires leading multi-stakeholder engagements, navigating Defence procurement, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated, secure technology

Qualifications

• 8+ years of enterprise sales experience with Defence/ MoD/ Armed Forces or related government accounts.
• Strong understanding of Defence procurement processes and public sector buying cycles.
• Experience selling complex technology solutions (Networking, Cybersecurity, Data Center, Cloud, AI) in regulated environments.
• Proven ability to build executive-level relationships across Defence leadership and partners.
• Experience using Salesforce for pipeline management and forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Drive sales of Cisco's portfolio across Networking, Security, Collaboration, Data Center, Cloud, AI Infrastructure and Services.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans aligned with Defence modernization initiatives and national security priorities.
• Build trusted relationships with senior Defence leadership and procurement organizations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated customer solutions.
• Lead complex, multi-stakeholder sales engagements through Defence procurement processes.
• Own account success by driving revenue growth and long-term partnerships.

Skills

Defence sales

Executive relationships

Enterprise sales

Strategic account planning

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Meet the Team

We are seeking a highly motivated and results-driven Account Executive – Defence to join our Public Sector team. In this role, you will be responsible for driving Cisco's growth across India's Defence ecosystem by building trusted relationships with key defence organizations and stakeholders. You will serve as the strategic advisor for your accounts, helping customers accelerate secure digital transformation while delivering exceptional customer experience and business outcomes.

Your Impact

As a dynamic and passionate Account Executive, you will lead Cisco's sales strategy for the Defence sector, focusing on key organizations including the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Defence manufacturing organizations, and strategic defence agencies.

This role goes beyond achieving sales targets; it is a strategic leadership position focused on driving modernization, cybersecurity, secure networking, AI adoption, cloud transformation, and mission-critical digital infrastructure across India's Defence ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive sales of Cisco's comprehensive portfolio including Networking, Security, Collaboration, Data Center, Cloud, Observability, AI Infrastructure, and associated Services.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans aligned with Defence modernization initiatives, national security priorities, and digital transformation programs.
• Build trusted relationships with senior Defence leadership, procurement organizations, technology stakeholders, and system integrators, positioning Cisco as a long-term strategic technology partner.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Systems Engineering, Architecture, Customer Experience, Services, Renewals, Partners, Government Affairs, and Commercial Finance to deliver integrated customer solutions.
• Lead complex, multi-stakeholder sales engagements while navigating Defence procurement processes, compliance requirements, and partner ecosystems.
• Own overall account success by driving customer satisfaction, revenue growth, strategic account expansion, and long-term business partnerships.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of enterprise sales experience with a strong focus on Defence, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Armed Forces, DRDO, DPSUs, Defence manufacturing organizations, or strategic Government accounts, with a consistent track record of business growth.
• Strong understanding of Defence procurement processes, government contracting, system integrator ecosystem, and public sector buying cycles.
• Demonstrated experience selling complex technology solutions including Networking, Cybersecurity, Data Center, Collaboration, Cloud, AI Infrastructure, and Digital Transformation solutions within highly regulated environments.
• Proven ability to build executive-level relationships across Defence leadership, technical stakeholders, and partner organizations while influencing strategic technology decisions.
• Experience using CRM tools such as Salesforce (SFDC) for pipeline management, forecasting, account planning, and sales execution.
• Strong consultative selling, executive engagement, and account planning skills, with the ability to manage complex, long sales cycles and deliver sustainable business growth.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.