Account Executive - Splunk - Military Defense

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; Herndon (VA); Remote; USD 269,000 - 361,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a seasoned federal security solutions professional to join our team. You will help identify, enable, and implement strategies that strengthen the posture of DoD agencies, delivering IL-compliant security solutions.

You will collaborate with engineers, field teams, and executive sponsors to drive outcomes in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment, with travel up to 40% for customer briefings and a commitment to excellence.

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance at time of application, or eligibility.
• Minimum 6 years military operational service or 4+ years DoD software/IT sales.
• Experience delivering briefings to military officers or SES leaders.
• Knowledge of military command structures and DoD workflows.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience as noted above.

Responsibilities

• Lead in ambiguity by setting vision and influencing outcomes across stakeholders.
• Identify, enable, and implement strategies to strengthen agency cybersecurity posture.
• Collaborate with engineers and external partners to deliver IL-compliant security solutions.
• Navigate restricted markets and drive mission-focused opportunities.

Skills

Military operational experience

DoD command structures

Briefings to military officers

Travel up to 40%

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field

Equivalent practical experience (4+ years military/technical sales)

Job description

This role can be performed remotely from any location in the US

Meet the Team

We are the front line of security within the Department of War / Navy and Marine Corps as Cisco / Splunk trusted partners to our federal customers and guardians of the mission. We show up every day driven by duty, passion, and purpose, knowing the stakes are high and the room for error is none. Our team is not built on titles or turf. It's built on trust, earned in the trenches. We specialize in security, but we also understand the broader mission landscape-working shoulder-to-shoulder with our Navy and Marine Stakeholders, partners, and Cisco Counterparts to drive meaningful outcomes. We operate like a special operations unit: elite, cohesive, and relentlessly passionate about the objective. Each team member brings deep subject-matter expertise, a bias for action, and a dedication to protecting what matters most. We're not here to do business as usual-we're here to transform how the Navy and Marine Corps secures its people, data, and infrastructure in an era of constant threat.

Your Impact

When you join our team, you don't just sell technology-you protect the mission. You will play a meaningful role in reshaping federal cybersecurity by identifying, enabling, and implementing strategies that strengthen the posture of our most vital agencies. You'll work in a sophisticated, supervised, and evolving market-and that's where we thrive. Your impact is measured not just by revenue, but by resilience: You'll unlock new mission opportunities in restricted markets, navigating the terrain with precision and purpose. You'll be entrusted to lead in ambiguity-building trust, setting vision, and influencing outcomes across multiple stakeholders. You'll collaborate with the best-from engineers and bring together teams to external partners and executive sponsors-to deliver holistic, IL-compliant security solutions that matter. We expect bold thinking, tactical execution, and servant leadership. If you want to build, lead, and defend-this is your team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 6 years of direct military operational service in the U.S. Armed Forces (Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard) with knowledge of military command structures, OR minimum 4 years of direct experience selling or supporting software/SaaS/IT solutions within the Department of Defense.
• Demonstrated understanding of the US Armed Services operational command workflows, PEO program structures, or military technical operational environments.
• Proven experience delivering formal operational or technical briefings to military officers, Senior Executive Service (SES) leaders, or defense technical evaluation panels.
• Active U.S. Government Security Clearance at the Top Secret, or TS/SCI level at time of application, OR demonstrated eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance willingness and ability to travel up to 40% locally and nationally for customer briefings at defense commands.
• Bachelor's degree in business, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field, OR equivalent practical experience (minimum 4 years of additional relevant military operational or technical sales experience in lieu of a degree).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior commissioned officer, senior non-commissioned officer (NCO), or civilian technical specialist experience within the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps (e.g., Information Warfare, C4ISR, Cyber Fleet Command).
• Active Top Secret / SCI (TS/SCI) security clearance with current background investigation.
• 3 or more years of quota-carrying enterprise software sales, technical account management, or solutions consulting experience supporting DoD commands.
• Familiarity with enterprise cybersecurity architectures, SIEM/SOAR platforms, cloud observability, and DoD cybersecurity directives (DoDI 8500.01, NIST SP 800-53, Zero Trust Strategy).
• Demonstrated understanding of Department of the Navy (DoN), U.S. Navy, or U.S. Marine Corps operational command workflows, PEO program structures, or military technical operational environments Working knowledge of structured sales methodologies (e.g., MEDDPICC, Command of the Message) and defense procurement contract vehicles.

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 $269,300.00 to $360,800.00 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: $292,000.00 - $440,900.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $269,300.00 - $411,100.00 * 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. Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers - it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life's best work.