Project Manager - Programs

Cisco Systems; Oeiras; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems in Portugal is seeking a Grade 9 Program Operations Specialist to anchor the governance and administration of our global distribution programs while driving hands-on execution of the Cisco 360 transition for distributors. You will design and monitor operational processes, manage payout reconciliation, and deliver dashboards and weekly regional cadences across AMER, EMEA, and APJC.

This role requires cross-functional collaboration and strong analytic skills to optimize program

Qualifications

• Experience in partner or channel operations within a high-tech enterprise.
• Strong governance skills and ability to manage complex rules and audits.
• Advanced data analysis with Excel and BI/CRM tools.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operational governance and administration of global distribution programs and incentives.
• Lead payment and rebate reconciliation with finance and operations teams.
• Support the transition roadmap to Cisco 360 distribution programs (PVI & CPI).
• Maintain executive dashboards tracking performance, incentives, and budget accruals.
• Coordinate bi-weekly regional cadence across AMER, EMEA and APJC.

Skills

Partner/channel operations

Governance & policy execution

Analytical & data proficiency

Excel (Power Query, formulas, pivot)

BI/CRM familiarity

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Salesforce

CCW / PXP

Job description

Meet the Team

Cisco's Global Distribution Route to Market is the critical growth engine powering our commercial and mid-market scale. The Global Distribution Programs & Strategy Team owns the end-to-end design, operational governance, financial stewardship, and strategic evolution of the partner programs that monetize and motivate our global distributor ecosystem.

We are currently navigating the most significant partner transformation in Cisco's history: the transition from legacy programmatic frameworks into the Cisco 360 (C360) Partner Program.

We are seeking a high-calibre Grade 9 Program Operations Specialist to anchor the operational governance and administration of our current distribution programs while playing a hands-on execution role in operationalizing and transitioning our distributors to the new C360 Distribution Program (PVI & CPI for Distributors).

Your Impact

1. Legacy Distribution Program Governance & Administration

• Program Operations & Lifecycle Administration: Oversee the operational day-to-day running, audit compliance, and policy execution for existing global distribution programs and incentives (e.g., Distributor Grow, OBF and DDF).
• Payment & Rebate Reconciliation: Partner with Global Partner Finance and Commerce Operations to validate monthly/quarterly distributor payout files, reconcile claims, and manage operational exception requests.
• Audit & Policy Governance: Ensure strict adherence to program Terms & Conditions, maintain master governance documentation, and lead operational dispute resolution workflows with regional distributor leads.

1. Transition to Cisco 360 (C360) Distribution Programs

• C360 Operational Readiness: Support the program transition roadmap from legacy metrics to the new Partner Value Index (PVI) and Cisco Partner Incentive (CPI) for Distributors.

1. Analytics, Reporting & Operational Cadence

• Executive Dashboards & Reporting: Maintain recurring operational dashboards tracking global distributor performance, incentive earnings, tier distribution, and budget accruals.
• Cross-Regional Cadence Support: Facilitate operational agendas, meeting artifacts, and action-item tracking for bi-weekly regional distribution operational syncs across AMER, EMEA, and APJC.
• Distributor Enablement & Query Management: Serve as the operational Tier-2 escalation point for regional partner account teams, providing clear, policy-grounded guidance on program rules and transition timelines.

Who You'll Work With

In this role, you will work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative matrix across:

• Global Distribution Strategy Leads & Program Managers to translate strategy into executable operating guidelines.
• Regional Distribution Leaders & Partner Operations (AMER, EMEA, APJC) to resolve operational hurdles and support regional enablement.
• Global Partner Finance & Incentives Operations to maintain budget compliance and audit readiness.
• PXP & Digital Platform Engineering Teams to test, refine, and release digital distributor workflows.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: 4-7+ years of proven experience in partner/channel operations, business governance, program management, or financial operations within a high-tech enterprise.
• Channel & Distribution Acumen: Strong foundational understanding of technology two-tier (2T) distribution business models, distributor compensation, and partner incentives.
• Governance & Process Rigor: Demonstrated ability to manage complex business rules, exception governance, and audit trails with high accuracy and operational discipline.
• Analytical & Data Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (Power Query, advanced formulas, pivot modelling) and experience analysing large-scale commercial datasets. Familiarity with Cisco systems (CCW, PXP, Tableau/PowerBI, Salesforce) is a strong plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience influencing and driving decisions with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong communication, consulting, and presentation skills, with the ability to tell stories with data and produce with actionable insights.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, and adapt to a fast-paced, changing environment.

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.

Cisco is an affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.