Account Executive - Architecture-IMI (Internet and Mass Infrastructure)

Cisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 292,000 - 384,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock grants

Bonus eligibility

Paid holidays

Volunteer time off

401(k) plan

Job summary

Cisco seeks a senior architectural specialist to drive revenue growth across the Americas for the Internet Infrastructure portfolio. You will lead multi-year, multi-million-dollar opportunities from technical discovery through executive presentation and closing.

Collaborate with sales, systems engineering, and product teams to deliver POCs, network designs, and enterprise agreements, while managing partnerships with tier-1 channel partners.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in quota-carrying technology sales in routing/optical infra.
• 8+ years technical fluency in SP/Enterprise routing architectures (Cisco 8000, NCS 5500/5700, ASR 9000).
• Closed multi-million $ infrastructure opportunities with large BOMs and multi-year refreshes.
• Experience with IP-over-DWDM, SRv6/SR-MPLS, 100G/400G/800G optics.
• Proven ability to structure Enterprise Agreements and model CAPEX/OPEX.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end sales strategy for Cisco’s Internet Infrastructure portfolio across Enterprise, Commercial, and Service Provider accounts.
• Drive multi-million-dollar opportunities from discovery to final closure.
• Coordinate virtual teams and work with systems engineering for POCs and design validations.
• Maintain a robust multi-quarter pipeline in Salesforce for accurate forecasting.
• Build strategic relationships with tier-1 Channel Partners to grow market reach.

Skills

Quota-carrying sales

Routing/optical infra

Executive presentation

Forecasting & Salesforce

Channel partnerships

Industry knowledge (400G/800G)

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Cisco 8000

NCS 5500/5700

ASR 9000

Salesforce

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/23/2026 Application window expected to close on 10/24. Location: West Coast, U.S., or Denver, Colorado

Meet the Team

Join our Internet Infrastructure (IMI) team as a senior architectural specialist driving revenue growth and market share across the Americas. We focus on Cisco’s next-generation portfolio, including the Cisco 8000 Series, NCS platforms, and Routed Optical Networking solutions. Our team serves as the vital link between core sales, systems engineering, and product business units to capture major infrastructure buildouts. You will work in a high-energy environment alongside a cross-functional group of experts dedicated to leading the industry's shift to 400G/800G transitions and automated networks. This is a unique opportunity to lead high-impact sales motions during multi-year refresh cycles for our largest customers.

Your Impact

• Drive the end-to-end sales strategy for Cisco’s Internet Infrastructure portfolio across Enterprise, Commercial, and Service Provider accounts.
• Lead complex, multi-million dollar opportunities from technical discovery through executive presentation and final closure to secure market-leading deals.
• Orchestrate virtual teams and partner with systems engineering to deliver high-impact Proof of Concepts and network design validations.
• Manage a robust, multi-quarter pipeline within Salesforce to provide accurate forecasting and ensure high deal velocity.
• Build strategic relationships with tier-1 Channel Partners to expand market reach and accelerate customer adoption of next-generation routing and optical technologies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Attained 8+ years of success in quota-carrying technology sales with a record of exceeding goals in high-end routing or optical infrastructure.
• Achieved 8+ years technical fluency in SP/Enterprise routing architectures including Cisco 8000, NCS 5500/5700, and ASR 9000 platforms.
• Closed complex, multi-million dollar infrastructure opportunities involving large Bills of Materials (BOMs) and multi-year capital refresh projects.
• Experience with IP-over-DWDM, Segment Routing (SRv6/SR-MPLS), and 100G/400G/800G high-speed optics.
• Proficiency in structuring Enterprise Agreements (EAs) and navigating CAPEX/OPEX financial models.
• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Qualifications

• Generated a proactive sales pipeline through analysis of install-base data, LDOS timelines, and bandwidth demand trends.
• Secured critical deals by leading cross-functional virtual teams across Sales, CX, Product Managers, and Finance.
• Strong executive presence with experience presenting architectural ROI and business impact to C-level stakeholders.
• Converted competitive accounts by articulating Cisco’s silicon and routing advantages over competitors like Arista, Ciena, or Juniper.

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