Account Executive - Architecture

Cisco Systems; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 292,000 - 384,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) plan with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Paid holidays and PTO

RSUs and equity grants

Job summary

C Cisco Systems is seeking a high-impact sales leader for the AI Defense team in the United States/Canada. You will drive security transformation for enterprise customers with AI-powered strategies, building executive relationships with CISOs/CTOs and leading end-to-end sales cycles for complex AI security engagements.

You will synthesize market intelligence to tailor go-to-market plans and guide engineering on secure AI offerings, including threat modeling and long-range security forecasting.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of sales experience in enterprise environments.
• 3+ years selling security solutions.
• Experience selling network security or SaaS security offerings.

Responsibilities

• Lead security transformation for enterprise customers with AI-powered strategies.
• Cultivate executive-level relationships with CISOs and CTOs.
• Drive the full sales lifecycle for AI security engagements from proposals to client acquisition.
• Synthesize market intelligence to refine go-to-market strategies.
• Oversee threat-modeling narratives and long-range security forecasting.

Skills

Sales experience

Security solutions sales

Enterprise sales

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Tools

MEDDPICC

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/06/2026

Meet the Team

The Cisco AI Defense team serves as a specialized group of trusted advisors dedicated to building the intelligent, automated infrastructure necessary to secure the AI era. As part of Cisco’s global mission to connect and protect, we bridge the gap between groundbreaking AI innovation and robust enterprise security. We are a team of bold problem-solvers working at the intersection of industry-leading networking and innovative machine learning to neutralize tomorrow's threats today. You will join a collaborative environment that not only delivers defensive strategies to global organizations but also directly influences Cisco’s product roadmaps by sharing real-world insights from the front lines.

Your Impact

Lead the security transformation for enterprise customers by architecting resilient, AI-powered strategies that ensure business continuity and protect against sophisticated cyber threats. Cultivate executive-level relationships with CISOs and CTOs to position Cisco as a definitive partner for secure AI transformation and adversarial threat mitigation. Drive the full sales lifecycle for significant AI security engagements, from developing technical proposals and managing complex negotiations to executing final deals and client acquisition. Synthesize market intelligence and customer feedback to refine go-to-market strategies and guide Engineering teams on the evolution of our security offerings. Oversee threat-modeling narratives and long-range security forecasting to provide customers with proactive visibility and autonomous protection.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of overall sales experience.

• 3+ years of experience dedicated specifically to selling security solutions.

• Experience selling network security solutions (e.g., Intrusion Detection, Firewall, VPN) or SaaS security offerings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record of consistently exceeding sales targets and leading large, multi-territory deals.

• Proficiency with the MEDDPICC sales methodology.

• Comprehensive knowledge of the AI Security market, including adversarial AI and secure model deployment.

• Experience building and implementing account plans that incorporate a total systems-based security approach.

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills used to drive solution-selling methodologies.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

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.

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

The starting salary range posted for this position is $292,100.00 to $384,200.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$292,100.00 - $441,900.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$263,900.00 - $409,200.00

• For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Cisco is an Affimative 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.