Principal Corporate Counsel (Commercial)

Cisco Systems, Inc.; North Carolina; Remote; USD 185,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Principal Corporate Counsel to join its dynamic legal team. This role offers the opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment, supporting a major sales organization while navigating complex legal landscapes. You will be instrumental in negotiating contracts, ensuring compliance with U.S. laws on AI, data privacy, and cybersecurity, and fostering strong relationships within the organization. This remote position allows you to make a significant impact on the company's legal strategies and contribute to its mission of driving digital transformation for clients. If you are an innovative lawyer with a passion for technology and legal excellence, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

401(k) plan with matching contribution

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible vacation time

Paid time off for volunteering

Sick time off policy

Paid holidays

Employee resource organizations

Wellbeing offerings

Qualifications

• Minimum 8+ years of experience in legal support for product and SaaS contracts.
• In-depth knowledge of privacy and cybersecurity laws.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support to the Splunk sales team, ensuring business alignment.
• Negotiate contracts and manage legal risks for Cisco.

Skills

U.S. laws concerning AI

Data privacy laws

Cybersecurity regulations

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

CIPP certification

Job description

Principal Corporate Counsel (Commercial)

Location:

RTP, North Carolina, US

Alternate Location

Anywhere US Based

Area of Interest

Legal

Compensation Range

185700 USD - 234100 USD

Job Type

Professional

*None

Job Id

1441337

The application window is expected to close on: May 12, 2025.

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

This is a remote position.

Meet the Team

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced transactional lawyer to join the Privacy and Security Sales Legal team, as part of Americas Legal Sales operation. You would be part of a dynamic in-house legal department that is using technology to transform both its own legal department and how the law is practiced around the world. Our legal department works in a fast-paced environment, with a passion to drive Cisco's business and enable our customers' digital transformation.

Your Impact

In this role, you will deliver excellent legal support to Splunk – a 4.3B+/year sales organization. You will support the Splunk sales team, ensuring alignment between the business and Legal. Your role will involve supporting deals, resolving critical issues, negotiating with sometimes complicated customers. You will be accountable for overall quality of your Legal work product and ensuring the needs of the business are appropriately balanced against the risk to Cisco.

You will also:

• Build strong internal and external relationships while balancing the needs in Splunk’s sales theater with Cisco's global strategy and priorities;
• Provide deep knowledge of relevant aspects of U.S. laws concerning AI, data privacy/governance, and cybersecurity;
• Negotiate outbound product, software license, sales channel and strategic alliance sales, and SaaS contracts;
• Anticipate changes to relevant laws impacting Cisco's privacy program and security posture and its customers;
• Support the shaping of sophisticated transactions, including developing strategic relationships;
• Provide improvement of standard form agreements, playbooks, contract templates, and legal processes;
• Effectively advise and educate on and assist in the enforcement of Cisco's policies and compliance programs;
• Implement pivotal projects that advance Cisco's business including Cisco's priorities and initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bar admission in any jurisdiction with good standing with a minimum of 8+ years of proven experience with identifying and supporting issues identified by selling product, services and SaaS contracting contexts.
• In depth knowledge of privacy, cybersecurity, and AI-related laws, regulations and guidelines (Minimum of 3+ years with at least one CIPP-certification).
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to effectively communicate and manage internal stakeholders and clients with minimal direction.
• Ability to draft and negotiate a variety of legal documents, with a focus on data security and privacy agreements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent business judgment, advocating for acceptable legal risk to enable business outcomes and in knowing when and how to escalate issues to the appropriate level and propose solutions.
• Ability to operate optimally in a team environment and pursue common goals.
• Commitment to deliver exceptional customer service to internal clients and external customers, including anticipating and responding to customer/client requirements promptly and consistently meeting commitments and deadlines.
• Proven ability to be a change agent and readily embrace new and innovative approaches.

#WeAreCisco

#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.

Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best.

We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!

Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!

#remote

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees haveaccess to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.

Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days ofvacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco’s flexible Vacation Time Offpolicy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco’s Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours ofunused sick timewill be carried forwardfrom one calendar yearto the nextsuch that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

Sign up to receive notifications of similar jobs