Director, Associate General Counsel: Regional Compliance

Cisco Systems, Inc; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 240,000 - 304,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Short/long-term disability

Basic life insurance

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. seeks a Director, Associate General Counsel, Regional Compliance to lead the regional Ethics & Compliance program at scale. You will advise executives, drive risk-informed strategy, and coordinate cross-functional efforts across EMEA, APJC and LATAM.

You will shape compliance policy, monitor metrics, and mentor teams to strengthen Cisco’s culture of ethics and governance in a global context.

Qualifications

• JD or equivalent law degree with 12+ years in Ethics & Compliance.
• Experience in technology or multinational corporate environments.
• Proven leadership in regulator, external stakeholder and customer conversations.

Responsibilities

• Lead Cisco's Regional Ethics & Compliance program and teams across EMEA, APJC and LATAM.
• Advise senior executives on compliance risks and regulatory developments.
• Drive data-driven compliance metrics and continuous program improvements.
• Collaborate across Legal and other functions to align regional and global requirements.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Data analytics

Regulatory affairs

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

LLB

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/22/2026

“Members of the Legal organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions.”

Meet the Team

The Regulatory Affairs & Compliance team within Cisco’s Legal department is comprised of lawyers, program managers, operational and compliance specialists, and subject matter experts focused on topics such as ethics and compliance, global trade, telecommunications, environmental, accessibility, human rights, public sector compliance and other product and industry laws and regulations. We partner with colleagues across Legal and other functions across the company to drive compliance and impact.

The team is seeking a highly experienced Director, Associate General Counsel, Regional Compliance to lead our regional Ethics & Compliance program, strategy and execution at scale. You will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on regional matters, providing strategic guidance on ethics, compliance, and related matters. You will play a meaningful role in strengthening Cisco’s compliance culture, mitigating risk, and ensuring alignment with global and regional compliance requirements. You will manage and lead Cisco’s Regional Compliance team, located in EMEA, APJC and LATAM.

You will partner with your colleagues across the Regulatory & Compliance team, the broader Legal organization, and numerous other functions across the company to have an immediate impact with your analytic rigor, subject matter expertise, compliance acumen, business judgment, and ability to get things done.

Your Impact

• You will be responsible for leading and oversight of Cisco’s Regional Ethics & Compliance team, programs, strategies, approaches, and processes, with a focus on aligning program design with global and regional regulatory expectations and requirements.
• You have deep expertise in regional ethics & compliance matters and global ethics & compliance program elements and requirements.
• You have experience advising senior executives on compliance risks, stakeholder expectations, and legal and regulatory developments.
• You have experience managing compliance through data analytics, including performance metrics to track effectiveness and identify emerging trends before they become issues, and have a track record of driving continuous improvement into compliance programs.
• You are a strong systems-thinker and strategic leader with exceptional operational, communications, and collaboration skills, and an established record of presenting to senior executive audiences on complex compliance risks and strategies.
• You are a standout colleague and have a demonstrated track record driving cross-functional results by navigating complex organizational dynamics and building the credibility necessary to align disparate teams toward shared business objectives.
• You proactively identify and address opportunities to enhance due diligence programs and scalable processes to identify, assess, monitor, and mitigate risks.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD), LLB, or equivalent law degree and 12+ years of experience in Ethics & Compliance, Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management
• Experience within the technology, telecommunications, or multinational corporate environment.
• Deep experience and strategic leadership in regulator, external stakeholder, industry, and customer conversations.
• Proven leadership experience and track record of motivating, empowering, and supporting teams to achieve optimal business results, develop their skills and careers, and enjoy their work.
• Demonstrated proficiency in using technology and AI to streamline processes and improve team efficiency.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing escalations and remediation activities.
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and effectively within a global, matrixed environment.
• High attention to detail and sound professional judgment.

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 $239,700.00 to $303,800.00 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.

• medical, dental and vision insurance
• a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
• paid parental leave
• short and long-term disability coverage
• basic life insurance

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

$285,500.00 - $420,700.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State

$256,800.00 - $374,400.00

• 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.