Security Strategy & Planning Operations Manager

Cisco Systems; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems is looking for a Sales Strategy and Transformation leader who will manage complex deal processes and lead strategic initiatives to drive sales growth. This role demands strong analytical skills and the ability to collaborate across teams, fostering innovation and effective execution in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years' experience in strategy, operations, or supporting sales.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with resource allocation.
• Experience in change management principles.

Responsibilities

• Manage deal review process for non-standard and complex deals.
• Lead creation of content for quarterly business reviews.
• Identify and lead strategic sales initiatives.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

MBA or equivalent experience

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Excel

SQL

Job description

Application window expected to close 6/24/25.

Why You'll Love Cisco

At Cisco, we change the world. You’ll become passionate about your employer and the brand you represent . Everything is converging on the Internet, making networked connections more meaningful than ever. Our employees' groundbreaking ideas impact everything, creative concepts move from the drawing board to real-world solutions that matter. You’ll collaborate with Cisco leaders, partner with mentors, and build incredible relationships with colleagues who share your passion for connecting the unconnected. Join a team that cares deeply about customers, enjoys having fun, and actively contributes to improving local communities. Come prepared to be encouraged and inspired.

What You'll Do

• Deal Review Process Leadership: Manage the deal review process for non-standard and complex deals, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and sales goals to accelerate closure of key Security sales opportunities. Engage leadership across business partners to ensure alignment and provide guidance to the direct sales team.

• Quarterly Business Reviews: Lead the creation of content for Security’s quarterly business reviews, analyze performance metrics, and set clear, actionable objectives to drive success in the upcoming quarter.

• Strategic Initiative Leadership: Identify , develop, and lead high-impact strategic sales initiatives aligned with organizational goals that drive transformation and growth across global markets.

• Conduct Strategic, Data-Driven Analyses: Advise GTM strategy to support growth and scale of our global business. Define and utilize GTM levers to implement growth-driven programs.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with sales, marketing, product development, partner sales, and operations teams to ensure alignment and successful execution of opportunities.

• Change Management: Advocate for and implement change management practices to facilitate adoption of new processes and GTM strategies within sales.

• Thought Leadership: Provide strategic guidance and insights to sales teams and leadership to drive innovation and continuous improvement in sales practices.

• Identify Growth Levers: Pinpoint key levers to accelerate growth across new, renewal, and expansion sales motions.

• Strategic Assessment: Optimize resource allocation by assessing how best to invest each dollar across customers, regions, and products, including critical decisions on renewals, customer success, and field

• roles.

Meet the Team
The Global Specialists team is a dynamic organization where innovation and technology combine to deliver exceptional customer outcomes. We seek a best-in-class Sales Strategy and Transformation leader to help shape strategy and drive initiatives that fuel sales growth in partnership with Sales Leadership and cross-functional teams. You’ll collaborate with leaders across Sales, Operations, Finance, and Business Units to align strategies and propel growth.

Your Impact

You are a strategic thinker with a strong foundation in Go To Market strategies, eager to apply your expertise in a fast-paced sales environment. You excel in analytical thinking, dissecting complex market trends to generate actionable insights. An effective communicator, you confidently engage stakeholders at all levels, inspiring alignment. Your proactive, results-oriented approach empowers you to lead transformative initiatives with significant business impact.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 6+ years' experience including experience in strategy , operations, or a supporting sales role
• Demonstrated understanding of security sales or security market dynamics
• Proven experience managing cross-functional initiatives with sales, product, and operations teams in a global, matrixed organization.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with modeling, resource allocation, or investment analysis related to GTM strategy.
• Demonstrated success supporting or leading deal review processes or sales operations functions in a high-growth or enterprise environment.
• Advanced proficiency in data visualization and analysis tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Excel, or SQL) to guide strategic decision-making.
• Experience with change management principles and methodologies, particularly in scaling new business models or evolving sales motions.
• Excellent written communication skills, with a track record of producing high-quality strategic presentations and executive-ready deliverables.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in either Cisco Sales/GTM Strategy or the Cyber Security segment is highly preferred.
• Expertise in supporting sales to frame and structure solutions to business problems, prioritize efforts, and conduct complex quantitative and qualitative analyses to deliver executive-level recommendations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with influence across all organizational levels.
• Proven ability to lead strategic initiatives and drive transformation in a complex, global organization, managing programs lasting 6–12 months through to completion.
• Self-starter with high initiative, capable of working independently and managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Curious and adaptable, comfortable taking on varied roles and responsibilities as business needs evolve.
• Collaborative teammate who embraces challenges, supports colleagues, and thrives in achieving shared success.
• Resilient and innovative mindset, leading confidently through change and adversity.
• MBA or equivalent experience preferred.

# 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. Simply put – we power the future.

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.