Account Executive - Services & Software Buying Programs

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 244,000 - 326,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Senior Sales Manager to drive Services and Buying Program solutions across complex, multi-architecture deals. You will lead high-value opportunities, craft tailored service solutions, and independently negotiate with senior stakeholders.

This role requires extensive experience in managing multi-year sales cycles and recurring revenue strategies. Travel includes 1–2 times weekly to the DC/MD/VA area and 1–2 times monthly to Pittsburg, PA, with daily engagement on

Qualifications

• 7+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree, OR 4+ years of related experience with a Master’s degree.
• Experience managing complex sales cycles with an average deal length of 24 months or more.
• Proven track record of handling variable deal sizes ranging from $50K to over $1M.
• Experience in opportunity development and closing multi-architecture enterprise agreements.
• Proficiency in driving both new business and renewal upsells within a recurring revenue model.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, high-value sales opportunities by crafting tailored service solutions and negotiating terms independently with senior customer stakeholders.
• Drive incremental value and recurring revenue growth through the identification, pricing, and closure of multi-architecture enterprise agreements.
• Align customer business goals and financial needs with Cisco’s lifecycle and professional services portfolio to ensure successful long-term outcomes.
• Utilize data-driven insights and market trends to identify customer pain points, derive accurate forecasts, and reshape decision criteria.
• Orchestrate cross-functional account planning and knowledge sharing to expand service penetration and maintain a robust sales funnel.

Skills

Complex sales cycles

Enterprise agreements

Upsell in recurring revenue

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 09/27/2026

This role has required travel to Pittsburg, PA 1-2 times a month. They will also have an expectation to be at the client site 1-2 times a week at minimum in the DC/MD/VA area.

Meet the Team

Join a specialized sales team dedicated to driving growth through Cisco’s Services and Buying Program solutions across a diverse portfolio of accounts. We serve as the chief strategists for customer outcomes, integrating professional services and multi-architecture enterprise agreements into the broader Cisco ecosystem. Our team operates at a high level of complexity, collaborating cross-functionally with product sales, delivery, and Customer Experience (CX) partners to ensure long-term value realization. We thrive in a strategic environment where we manage long-term relationships and high-value deal cycles that typically span over 24 months. It is an exciting time to join us as we lead the transition to recurring revenue and help customers achieve their evolving business objectives.

Your Impact

• Lead complex, high-value sales opportunities by crafting tailored service solutions and negotiating terms independently with senior customer stakeholders.
• Drive incremental value and recurring revenue growth through the identification, pricing, and closure of multi-architecture enterprise agreements.
• Align customer business goals and financial needs with Cisco’s lifecycle and professional services portfolio to ensure successful long-term outcomes.
• Utilize data-driven insights and market trends to identify customer pain points, derive accurate forecasts, and reshape decision criteria.
• Orchestrate cross-functional account planning and knowledge sharing to expand service penetration and maintain a robust sales funnel.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree, OR 4+ years of related experience with a Master’s degree.
• Experience managing complex sales cycles with an average deal length of 24 months or more.
• Proven track record of handling variable deal sizes ranging from $50K to over $1M.
• Experience in opportunity development and closing multi-architecture enterprise agreements.
• Proficiency in driving both new business and renewal upsells within a recurring revenue model.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to influence and build strong relationships with account managers, specialists, and channel partners.
• Deep understanding of lifecycle selling, professional services, and premium service attach strategies.
• Skill in navigating the "paper process" and engaging directly with Economic Buyers and IT executives.
• Experience using analytical tools and market insights to develop competitive positioning strategies.
• Strong consultative approach to discovery, using probing questions to synthesize customer challenges into transformative solutions.

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 $244,400.00 to $325,900.00 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:

$262,300.00 - $392,600.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$244,400.00 - $374,700.00

* 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.