Corporate Strategy Manager III (Full Time) - United States

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a strategic thinker to join the Corporate Strategy Office in the United States. The role involves partnering with the executive leadership team to define long-term priorities, analyze markets, and shape product strategies.

You will collaborate across functions, influence investment decisions, and work on growth opportunities, including inorganic and partner options. A strong MBA and exceptional analytical, communication, and project management skills are essential.

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.
• Strong communication and presentation skills to influence outcomes and drive projects.

Responsibilities

• Drive projects that identify and explore new technologies and business models to extend Cisco's technology leadership and customer relevance.
• Lead the decision-making, execution and investments to make opportunities a reality.
• Work cross-functionally with Cisco's product, engineering, finance, sales, marketing and other teams to formulate long-term strategic priorities and plans.

Skills

Strategic problem solver

Adept at dissecting complex issues

Strong communication and presentation

Financial acumen

Project management

Education

MBA or related graduate-level business 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-quotal 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-quotal-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.

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.