Principal Cybersecurity Advisor-Cisco Networking and Security | Remote, USA

Optiv; Bozeman (MT); Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

Professional training resources

Creative problem-solving

Volunteer opportunities

Remote work capability

Job summary

Optiv seeks a Principal Cybersecurity Advisor to lead Cisco-focused engagements across enterprise networking and security. You’ll translate business risk into practical architecture, mentor teams, and drive repeatable offerings. This is a remote, senior individual-contributor role with travel as needed.

Expect to influence opportunities, develop assets, and engage executives with clear, actionable recommendations aligned to client outcomes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in cybersecurity, enterprise networking, or pre-sales.
• Deep Cisco enterprise networking and security knowledge.
• Experience leading architecture discussions with complex client environments.
• Strong client-facing communication and executive discovery skills.
• Willingness to travel within US/Canada.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery and solution strategy for Cisco opportunities.
• Advise client executives and technical stakeholders with architecture recommendations.
• Develop reusable technical assets and field enablement materials.
• Engage Cisco opportunities with greater consistency and confidence across regions.
• Collaborate across teams and influence without direct authority.

Skills

Cisco networking

Network security

Solution architecture

Pre-sales

Executive communication

Travel readiness

Public speaking

Education

CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure

CCIE Security

CISSP

CCNP Enterprise

CCNP Security

Tools

Splunk

Observability tools

Security platforms

Job description

Remote

Leawood, Kansas

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Providence, Rhode Island

Hartford, Connecticut

Birmingham, Alabama

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Morgantown, West Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Salt Lake City, Utah

Austin, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Nashville, Tennessee

Columbia, South Carolina

Tallahassee, Florida

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Fargo, North Dakota

Charlotte, North Carolina

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Manchester, New Hampshire

Jacksonville, Florida

Omaha, Nebraska

Bozeman, Montana

Little Rock, Arkansas

Detroit, Michigan

Boston, Massachusetts

Portland, Maine

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisville, Kentucky

Des Moines, Iowa

Indianapolis, Indiana

Boise, Idaho

Atlanta, Georgia

Alexandria, Virginia

Tampa, Florida

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Phoenix, Arizona

Arlington, Virginia

Orlando, Florida

Dallas, Texas

St. Louis, Missouri

Miami, Florida

Houston, Texas

Memphis, Tennessee

Herndon, Virginia

Charleston, South Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Full time

2026-13678

This position will be fully remote and can be hired anywhere in the continental U.S.

The Principal Cybersecurity Advisor serves as a senior technical leader within Optiv's Cisco Center of Excellence. This individual brings broad, current experience across Cisco enterprise networking and network security and helps clients translate business requirements, cyber risk, and infrastructure priorities into practical architecture strategies.

The Principal Advisor leads technical discovery and solution strategy for complex Cisco opportunities, advises client executives and technical stakeholders, and connects Cisco capabilities with Optiv services and the broader security portfolio. The role also develops reusable technical assets, supports field enablement, and helps regional Client Solutions Advisors engage Cisco opportunities with greater consistency and confidence.

This is an individual-contributor technical leadership role. It works across organizational boundaries through expertise and influence rather than direct authority over regional Client Solutions Advisors, sales teams, Partner Alliances, marketing, or delivery organizations.

What we’re looking for

• 10 or more years of relevant experience in cybersecurity, enterprise networking, solution architecture, consulting, or technical pre-sales.

• Demonstrated depth across Cisco enterprise networking and network security, with current knowledge in several of the following areas.

• Enterprise routing, switching, wireless, and segmentation

• Catalyst, Meraki, software-defined networking, and SD-WAN

• Cisco Secure Firewall and hybrid mesh firewall strategy

• Cisco ISE, network access control, and identity-based policy

• Cisco Secure Access, SSE, SASE, and zero-trust architectures

• ThousandEyes and digital experience visibility

• Cisco XDR, security telemetry, and integrations across the Cisco security portfolio

• Cloud and multicloud networking and security

• Experience leading architecture discussions and technical pursuits involving complex client environments.

• Strong client-facing communication skills, including executive discovery, whiteboarding, presentations, and written recommendations.

• Ability to connect technical decisions to business risk, resilience, operating cost, investment protection, and measurable outcomes.

• Experience influencing opportunities through technical qualification, competitive positioning, solution development, objection handling, and client decision.

• Ability to work independently in a distributed organization and lead through influence across teams that have different reporting structures and priorities.

• Sound judgment about when Cisco is the right fit and when a client-first recommendation requires a different or broader solution.

• Ability to travel within the United States and Canada as client and business needs require.

• Preferred Qualifications

• CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, CCIE Security, CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Security, or comparable demonstrated expertise.

• CISSP, CCSP, CISM, GIAC, or another relevant security certification.

• Working knowledge of Splunk, security operations, security data platforms, and observability use cases.

• Experience connecting Cisco telemetry and security capabilities with Splunk or other analytics platforms.

• Experience in a cybersecurity integrator, consulting organization, vendor technical sales organization, or enterprise architecture function.

• Experience developing repeatable offerings, reference architectures, workshops, demonstrations, or field enablement programs.

• Experience working with professional services, managed services, sales, marketing, and partner organizations while maintaining clear accountability boundaries.

• Public speaking, published technical content, or participation in relevant professional communities.

#LI-SM1

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What you can expect from Optiv

• A company committed to our inclusive value through our Employee Resource Groups (https://www.optiv.com/company/impact-report/inclusion-and-belonging)

• Work/life balance

• Professional training resources

• Creative problem-solving and the ability to tackle unique, complex projects

• Volunteer Opportunities. “Optiv Chips In” encourages employees to volunteer and engage with their teams and communities.

• The ability and technology necessary to productively work remotely/from home (where applicable)

EEO Statement

Optiv is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age 40 and over, marital status, genetic information, national origin, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

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We work alongside clients to manage cyber risk and equip them with perspectives and programs to accelerate business progress.

Our real-world experience, deep vertical expertise and diverse teams enable us to face any challenge with confidence. We put you at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs to design and implement agile solutions. Our adaptive approach continually assesses risk in the context of cyber and broader objectives to secure today's business and fortify it for the future.

At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential.