Director (AI Infrastructure Program)

Static Cisco; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Static Cisco is seeking a Director for its AI Infrastructure program in the Middle East, responsible for leading technology programs that integrate Cisco's solutions for AI workloads. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in technical sales or program management, specifically within the networking domain, and deep regional expertise.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with Cisco matching

Life insurance and disability coverage

Flexible time off policies

Paid holidays including a birthday day off

Qualifications

• 10+ years in program management or technical sales within networking.
• Deep understanding of hyperscale cloud environments and AI infrastructure.
• Experience in the Middle East business landscape.

Responsibilities

• Lead the adoption and integration of Cisco’s AI product portfolio.
• Manage customer relationships and translate needs into actionable plans.
• Coordinate efforts across internal teams to meet program objectives.

Skills

Customer Engagement

Problem Solving

Communication

Technical Sales

Team Coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Project management tools (e.g., JIRA)

Job description

- Location:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Please note this posting is to advertise potential job opportunities. This exact role may not be open today, but could open in the near future. When you apply, a Cisco representative may contact you directly if a relevant position opens.

Job Summary: Cisco is seeking a highly skilled and dedicated Director to lead a critical AI infrastructure program within the Middle East, such as our partnerships with Humain. This role will be an integral part of the AI Infrastructure team, responsible for driving Cisco’s product solutions, managing day-to-day relationships, and supervising all technical and operational aspects of a specific, high-profile AI project. The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical background in hyperscale environments and AI workloads, coupled with validated experience navigating and succeeding within the local business and cultural landscape of the Middle East.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Product Solution & Portfolio Leadership: Drive the adoption and integration of Cisco’s comprehensive product portfolio (hardware, software, and services) to meet the unique technical and operational demands of AI infrastructure within sovereign cloud environments. This includes understanding and influencing product roadmaps across various organizations such as AI networking, AI compute, Optics, CHG (Common Hardware Group), Security, and more.
2. Technical & Operational Expertise: Apply deep technical and operational understanding of hyperscale cloud environments, AI infrastructure, and advanced networking to the program. This includes understanding AI workload requirements, including GPU consumption and the shift from InfiniBand (IB) to Ethernet Back-End (BE) networks. Ability to document and analyze the customer's network architecture (Front-End, Back-End, Backbone) and identify Cisco's positioning and opportunities. Awareness of driven solutions and the ability to articulate Cisco's value proposition within the program context.
3. Program Leadership & Execution: Lead the successful planning, execution, and delivery of a designated strategic AI infrastructure program (e.g., Humain), ensuring alignment with customer requirements and Cisco's strategic objectives.
4. Customer Relationship Management: Serve as the main point of contact for the assigned customer program, building and maintaining strong, trusted relationships with key technical and operational partners. Understand their evolving needs and translate them into actionable plans for Cisco.
5. Multi-functional Coordination: Facilitate seamless teamwork across various Cisco internal teams, including engineering, sales, product management, and services, to ensure timely and effective delivery of solutions for the assigned program. Create vital forums for opportunity identification and issue resolution.
6. Opportunity & Prioritization: Identify and assess new opportunities within the assigned program, bringing together both successes and lessons learned from any lost opportunities. Prioritize program activities and technical requirements to increase impact and strategic importance.
7. Communication & Influence: Effectively communicate sophisticated technical and program-related information to both technical and non-technical audiences, influencing decisions and driving consensus within the program.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Senior Product Leadership: 10+ years of experience in program management, technical sales, solutions architecture, or product management within networking, ASIC, or network software domains, with a proven record of leading large-scale, complex technology programs.
• In-Region Expertise: Demonstrated experience working within the Middle East, with a strong understanding of local business practices, cultural nuances, and regulatory environments.
• Deep Technical Competence: Extensive technical and operational understanding of hyperscale cloud environments, AI infrastructure, and data center networking, including experience with network/ASIC product management and/or network software product management. Validated knowledge of the shift to Ethernet Back-End networks and GPU-centric architectures for AI workloads. Ability to analyze and understand complex network topologies (FE, BE, BB).

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in engineering, computer science, or related technical field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Customer Engagement: Excellent customer-facing skills, including presentation abilities and a strong focus on building and maintaining relationships with key customer partners.
• Multi-functional Teamwork: Ability to coordinate efforts across diverse internal teams within a large, matrixed organization to achieve program objectives.
• Problem-Solving: Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Communication & Influence: Superior communication, presentation, and influencing skills, capable of engaging with technical leaders and senior management.
• Operational Rigor: Experience with project management tools (e.g., JIRA) to track and run program progress.
• Cisco Internal Knowledge: Familiarity with Cisco's development methodologies and NPI lifecycle.

Master's degree or equivalent experience

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating 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 security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make big things happen globally. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

When available, the salary range posted for this role reflects the projected hiring range for new full-time hires in U.S. and/or Canada, excluding equity or benefits. For non-sales roles, the ranges reflect base salary only; bonuses may apply. Salary depends on location, skills, experience, and education. Recruiters can provide more details during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) with Cisco matching, disability coverage, life insurance, and wellbeing programs. Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays, including a floating holiday and a birthday day off. Vacation time accrues at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period, with flexible time off policies for exempt employees.