Director, Internal Communications

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

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc is seeking a Director of Internal Communications for its AI Software & Platform group. You will define and lead communications strategy to connect AI initiatives with business priorities, translating complex technology into compelling narratives for employees.

You will partner with senior AI and engineering leaders to shape executive messaging, town halls, and digital content, using GenAI and analytics to enhance speed, relevance, and impact across the organization.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in internal, executive, technology or product communications in a global tech environment.
• AI-forward attitude with fluency in how AI reshapes technology and workplace communications.
• Experience leading communications for complex, technically-grounded organizations in AI, engineering, cloud, or related domains.
• Executive communications and advisory experience with the ability to influence senior leaders in matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional storytelling and content creation for multiple formats including executive briefings, town halls, digital platforms.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead strategic internal communications connecting AI vision to business priorities.
• Advise and influence senior leaders, shaping narratives, keynotes, town halls, and leadership presentations.
• Translate complex AI and technology concepts into clear, engaging employee narratives.
• Modernize communications using GenAI, analytics, and automated content workflows.
• Lead listening strategies and leverage AI-powered insights to improve employee experience.

Skills

AI-forward communications

Executive advisory

Storytelling

Content creation

Narrative crafting

Tools

GenAI

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/12/2026

Meet the Team

The AI Software & Platform group is at 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 organization brings together engineering, research, and technical talent to solve some of the most complex challenges across AI, cloud, networking, security, and infrastructure. This is a high-visibility, fast paced organization operating at the intersection of AI innovation, engineering excellence and business transformation.

The Role

As Director, Internal Communications, you will define and lead communications strategy for one of Cisco’s rapidly evolving organizations. You will help employees understand not only what we are building, but why it matters, where we are going, and how their work contributes to the transformation. This is not a traditional communications role. We are looking for an AI-forward communications strategist, storyteller, and executive advisor who understands how AI is reshaping technology, the workplace, and the communications function itself. You will partner closely with senior engineering and AI leaders to turn complex technology, strategy, and organizational priorities into compelling narratives that encourage employees, accelerate alignment, and build momentum. You will also help modernize how communications are created, delivered, measured, and personalized, using generative AI, data, analytics, automation, and new technologies to create a more intelligent and impactful employee communications experience. You will be equally comfortable in an executive staff meeting, an engineering town hall, or experimenting with the next generation of AI-powered communications tools.

Your Impact

• Develop and lead strategic internal communications. Connect AI vision, technology strategy, business priorities, organizational transformation, and employee experience to Cisco’s broader AI journey.
• Advise and influence senior leaders. Serve as a trusted communications partner to executives, shaping compelling narratives, keynotes, town halls, leadership presentations, and high-stakes communications that bring complex strategies and innovations to life.
• Translate complex technology into compelling narratives. Simplify sophisticated AI, engineering, research, cloud, networking, and platform concepts into clear, engaging narratives that resonate with employees, strengthen alignment, and inspire action.
• Transform communications through AI and innovation. Modernize how content is built, personalized, distributed, and measured by using GenAI, automation, analytics, new technologies, and intelligent content workflows to improve speed, relevance, quality, and scale.
• Drive employee listening and engagement. Lead Voice of the Employee and listening strategies, using employee sentiment, engagement data, organizational insights, and AI-powered analytics to identify emerging themes, inform communications, and continuously improve the employee experience.

Minimum Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in internal, executive, technology or product, communications, ideally within a global technology company or high-growth technology environment.
• AI-forward attitude and fluency, with a strong understanding of how AI is transforming technology, the workplace, employee experience, and the communications function, along with willingness to experiment with emerging AI technologies.
• Experience leading communications for complex and technical ground-breaking organizations, with exposure to AI, engineering, software, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, or related technology domains.
• Executive communications and advisory experience, with the ability to influence senior leaders, navigate highly matrixed organizations, and translate business and technology strategy into compelling narratives.
• Exceptional storytelling, content creation, and communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts into clear, differentiated, and engaging narratives. Experience developing compelling content across multiple formats and channels, including executive communications, town halls, digital platforms, social media, video, and other employee engagement experiences.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience in an AI startup or mid-sized technology company, bringing an entrepreneurial attitude, agility, and a hands-on approach to developing communications strategies, creating compelling content, and amplifying emerging technologies and innovations.
• Experience using Gen AI, data, analytics, automation, and digital platforms to modernize communications, accelerate content creation, strengthen employee engagement, and generate actionable organizational insights.
• Strong executive presence and strategic influence, with experience serving as a trusted thought partner to senior engineering, product, research, and business leaders and communicating effectively in high-stakes environments.

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.