Director, Internal Communications

Cisco Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 292,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) with match

Paid parental leave

Disability coverage

Life insurance

RSU grants

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Director of Internal Communications and Employee Experience to lead the AI Software & Platform team's communications.

You will shape strategy, align with Cisco's AI vision, and partner with senior engineering and business leaders to translate complex AI initiatives into clear employee narratives. This role requires exceptional storytelling, writing, and presentation skills, plus the ability to measure impact with data and feedback.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with 10+ years in internal, employee, executive, or corporate communications.
• Proven experience advising senior executives and translating business/tech strategy into employee narratives.
• Outstanding storytelling and writing, with ability to simplify complex topics.
• Strong business acumen linking communications strategy to measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the internal communications strategy for AI Software and Platform team, aligned to Cisco’s AI vision, priorities, and employee experience.
• Advise senior executives and engineering leaders, helping them communicate strategy, transformation, and impact with clarity.
• Translate complex AI concepts into compelling employee stories that are easily understood.
• Build narratives that explain direction, importance, and individual contributions to Cisco’s success.
• Develop integrated communications across channels including executive comms, town halls, events, and digital platforms.
• Lead Voice of the Employee initiatives, using data and AI tools to improve engagement.

Skills

Executive communications

Internal communications

Storytelling

Content development

Employee engagement

AI tools literacy

Stakeholder influence

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

PowerPoint

CMS

Analytics tools

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 09/24/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

The AI Software & Platform group is the heart of Cisco’s AI transformation, building the foundational technologies, platforms, and engineering capabilities that power Cisco’s next generation of AI-driven products and experiences. The team brings together world-class engineering, research, and technical talent to solve some of the most complex challenges in AI, cloud, networking, security, and infrastructure.

This is a fast-moving, highly visible organization operating at the intersection of AI innovation, engineering, and business transformation. We are looking for a communications leader who can make the complex simple, connect employees to the bigger picture, and help leaders build alignment and momentum around a bold AI vision.

The Role

As Director, Internal Communications and Employee Experience, you will shape and lead the communications strategy for one of Cisco’s most strategically important and rapidly evolving organizations. We are seeking an AI-forward communications leader who understands how AI is transforming the workplace and the communications function, and who can harness AI tools and technologies to elevate storytelling, content development, employee engagement, and communications effectiveness.

Your Impact

• Develop and execute the internal communications strategy for AI Software and Platform team, aligned to Cisco’s broader AI vision, business priorities, and employee experience.
• Serve as a trusted communications advisor to senior executives and engineering leaders, helping them communicate strategy, transformation, organizational priorities, and business impact with clarity and authenticity.
• Translate complex AI, engineering, and technology concepts into compelling stories that employees can easily understand and connect to.
• Build narratives that strengthen employee understanding of where the team is headed, why it matters, and how employees’ work contributes to Cisco’s success.
• Develop integrated communications across multiple channels, including executive communications, leadership presentations, town halls, employee events, digital platforms, video, and storytelling.
• Serve as a leader who values both the human experience and business outcomes to drive cultural health and organizational success.
• Build a culture of transparency, connection, and accountability by creating communications that help employees navigate change with confidence.
• Be a thought partner and driver of Voice of the Employee (VoE) initiatives, launching modern listening strategies that enable Cisco to regularly understand and act on employee feedback.
  Use employee insights, data, analytics, and emerging AI tools to continuously improve communications effectiveness and employee engagement.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, 10+ years of experience in internal, employee, executive, or corporate communications, ideally within a large global technology organization.
• Proven experience leading communications for complex, technical, or highly transformational organizations.
• Demonstrated success advising and influencing senior executives and translating business and technology strategy into compelling employee narratives.
• Outstanding storytelling, writing, editing, and presentation skills, with the ability to make complex topics simple and engaging.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to connect communications strategy to measurable business and employee outcomes.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience working in fast-paced, global technology companies and navigating significant organizational transformation.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and influence across a highly matrixed organization.
• Strong executive presence and the ability to build trusted relationships with C-suite and senior technology leaders.
• Experience developing communications strategies that strengthen culture, employee engagement, and organizational alignment.
• Experience using data, analytics, AI, and new technologies to modernize and improve employee communications.

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 $230,300.00 to $291,900.00 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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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: $230,300.00 - $335,700.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $207,200.00 - $302,200.00

* 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.