Corporate Strategy Manager III (Full Time) - United States

Cisco; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 206,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. seeks a recent MBA graduate to join its Corporate Strategy Office in shaping long-term business direction. You will work with ELT and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities, evaluate growth options, and translate analysis into executable plans across product, sales, and operations.

In this role you’ll develop strategic recommendations, influence leadership decisions, and drive complex initiatives from concept to execution, with visibility across the company.

Qualifications

• MBA or related graduate program in strategy development, project management, business analysis, executive communication, consensus building, and people development.

Responsibilities

• Drive projects identifying new technologies and business models to extend Cisco's leadership and influence.
• Formulate long-term strategic priorities with cross-functional leadership and Cisco business units.
• Influence growth strategies including buy/partner/invest opportunities and strategic collaborations.
• Collaborate跨 with product, engineering, finance, sales, and marketing teams to build actionable recommendations.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical mindset

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial acumen

Education

MBA or related graduate program

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/29/2026

Meet the Team

The Corporate Strategy Office helps craft Cisco's business vision and strategy, partnering with Cisco's executive leadership team and senior leaders throughout the company. Joining the Corporate Strategy team will give you the chance to explore highly complex problems using fact-based analysis, and gain insight into the strategic issues which are forefront in the minds of the executive leadership team.

We work with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to define and implement Cisco’s overarching strategy. We partner closely with the General Managers and their leadership teams to build, refine, and implement product strategies. We collaborate with key functions (Sales, Customer Experience, Ops, Finance, etc..) to build practical recommendations and capture insights that inform Cisco’s strategy.

Your Impact

• Drive projects that identify and explore new technologies and business models to extend Cisco's technology leadership and customer relevance, then lead the decision-making, execution and investments to make those opportunities a reality.
• Work closely with Cisco business units and cross-functional leadership to formulate long-term strategic priorities and plans related to e.g., emerging industry trends, expansion opportunities, competitive dynamics, and internal business performance improvement.
• Influence both organic and inorganic growth strategy, including opportunities for Cisco to build, buy, partner, invest or co-develop.
• Work cross-functionally across external and internal collaborators, partnering closely with Cisco's product, engineering, finance, sales, marketing and other teams.
• Be expected to become an expert in Cisco's business and have a solid grasp on the markets we serve and competitors we face.

Minimum Qualifications

• Recent graduate or in your final year of studies towards an MBA or a related graduate-level business program.
• Qualifying education should be in strategy development, including project management, business analysis, problem solving, executive communication, consensus building, and people development.
• Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic problem solver with exceptional analytical skills
• Adept at dissecting complex and ambiguous issues and synthesizing actionable strategies
• Strong communication and presentation skills to influence outcomes and drive projects
• Solid financial acumen, project management, and execution
• Adaptable, collaborative, and possess the integrity necessary to foster trust and respect within the organization

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 $128,000.00 to $179,900.00 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%;
• 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

$128,000.00 - $205,700.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State

$125,400.00 - $182,800.00

• 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.