Partner Account Executive

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 214,000 - 286,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Chicago seeks a senior Partner Architect aligned with our Global Partner Organization to drive joint go-to-market with partners, manage executive relationships, and guide partner capability development across Cisco’s portfolio.

You will collaborate with sales, architecture, CX, and product teams to execute multi-year partner plans, grow revenue, and ensure successful joint campaigns. A strong track record in partner leadership and enterprise sales is required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in sales or customer-facing roles in IT solutions for large enterprise, service provider, or hyperscale accounts.
• Proven ability to build customer relationships, articulate product and service value, create demand, and close deals.
• 5+ years providing thought leadership and communicating a clear vision both verbally and in writing.
• 5+ years demonstrating executive presence and business acumen.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year partner business plans with clear priorities, mutual investment commitments, and revenue targets.
• Build and nurture executive relationships with Partner C-level and leadership to drive joint investments.
• Guide partners in modernizing and expanding practices across Cisco portfolio (Networking, Security, Cloud, Collaboration, Observability).
• Create differentiated GTM strategies and joint demand generation campaigns to build pipeline and increase deals.
• Engage Cisco teams early across deal stages, coordinating with account teams, SEs, and practice sellers.
• Drive profitability through Cisco programs, promotions, and QBRs; forecast and analyze performance.
• Advocate for resources and shape future product functionality and partner governance within Cisco.
• Mentor PAEs and share best practices to scale partner engagement.

Skills

Sales experience

Executive relationships

Thought leadership

Executive presence

Cross-functional leadership

Negotiation

Pipeline generation

GTM strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/04/2026 Required location is Chicago, IL.

Meet the Team

You will be part of Cisco's Global Partner Organization, working at the intersection of Cisco's sales teams, architecture specialists, and our external partner ecosystem. In this role, you will collaborate daily with Partner C-Suite executives, Sales Vice Presidents, Practice Leads, and Technical Architects. Internally, you will partner closely with Cisco Regional Sales Leaders, Account Executives, Systems Engineering specialists, Customer Experience (CX) teams, and Business Entity Product Managers to build a unified, high-performing go-to-market engine.

Your Impact

• Strategic Business Planning: Develop and execute multi-year joint partner business plans, establishing clear strategic priorities, mutual investment commitments, and revenue targets aligned with long-term technology roadmaps.
• Executive Relationship Orchestration: Build and nurture trusted relationships with Partner C-level and executive leadership, delivering compelling business narratives that drive joint investment and strategic alignment.
• Practice & Capability Development: Guide partners in modernizing and expanding specialized practices across the full Cisco portfolio (Networking, Security, Cloud, Collaboration, and Observability), integrating software, recurring revenue, and lifecycle services.
• Go-to-Market & Demand Generation: Create differentiated GTM strategies and joint demand generation campaigns that build high-quality pipeline, increase deal velocity, and capture market share.
• Co-Sell & Sales Interlock: Engage sales teams early across all deal stages, connecting partner capabilities with Cisco account strategies, Solution Engineers, and practice sellers.
• Profitability & Performance Management: Maximize partner value through strategic utilization of Cisco programs, promotions, and incentives; drive operational cadence through structured Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), forecasting, and data-driven performance insights.
• Internal Advocacy & Program Influence: Serve as the voice of the partner internally, advocating for resources and collaborating with Business Entities to shape future product functionality and partner governance frameworks.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Share best practices, develop scalable engagement frameworks, and mentor fellow PAEs across the organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years in sales or customer-facing roles, focused on IT solutions for large enterprise, service provider, or hyperscale accounts
• Demonstrated ability to build customer relationships, articulate product and service value, create demand, and successfully close deals
• 5+ years experience providing thought leadership and communicating a clear vision both verbally and in writing
• 5+ years demonstrating executive presence and business acumen
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record managing large, complex partner relationships (National/Regional Solution Providers, Global Systems Integrators, or Managed Service Providers)
• Deep understanding of partner economics, profitability models, rebate/incentive programs, and joint practice-building methodologies.
• Experience building and executing multi-architecture GTM strategies spanning Enterprise Networking, Cybersecurity, Cloud, and SaaS/Recurring Revenue models.
• Demonstrated ability to build business cases, influence C-level executives, negotiate strategic joint investments, and lead structured executive QBRs.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, negotiation, and pipeline-generation capabilities.

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 $213,600.00 to $285,700.00 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%; 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: $230,700.00 - $354,400.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $221,600.00 - $338,300.00 * 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.