Solutions Development Architect

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 128,000 - 192,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect within the Solutions Development Architecture (SDA) team to lead consultative pre-sales architecture for transformative, multi-domain engagements.

You will translate complex customer requirements into blueprints and strategic journey maps aligned with business outcomes. You will partner with Service Sales, Account Teams, and DAT to shape and close high-value opportunities, lead CX RFP/RFI responses, de-risk delivery with post-sales

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent relevant work experience.
• 8+ years of professional experience in technical solutions architecture or engineering.
• Expert-level industry certification, such as CCIE or an equivalent credential.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency across at least two major Cisco technology domains.
• Proven track record in managing complex, multi-architecture technical engagement lifecycles.

Responsibilities

• Architect Multi-Domain Transformational Solutions: Lead the consultative pre-sales architecture by translating complex customer business and technical requirements into comprehensive blueprints, architectural frameworks, and multi-year journey maps aligned to strategic business outcomes.
• Hunt & Accelerate Lifecycle Opportunities: Partner proactively with Service Sales, Account Teams, and Deal Acceleration Teams (DAT) to identify, shape, and progress high-value lifecycle selling and transformational deals to closure with minimal friction.
• Lead CX RFP / RFI Engagements: Act as the designated CX Lead Architect on all strategic RFP/RFI responses, articulating the differentiated business value of unified Cisco technology and professional services.
• Bridge Pre-Sales Solutioning to Delivery Success: Conduct implementation risk assessments, cost-feasibility modeling, and transformation dependency mapping; collaborate closely with post-sales delivery architects to de-risk execution and ensure contracted solutions are delivered on time and within budget.
• Influence Executive IT/OT Decision-Makers: Engage customer leadership (Senior Directors, VPs, SVPs) using vertical industry expertise to demystify complex multi-technology architectures and instill confidence in Cisco’s lifecycle roadmap.
• Incubate Emerging Services & Scale Reusable IP: Collaborate with CXPM and GTM teams to accelerate emerging service offers, harvest delivery best practices, and contribute reusable architectural blueprints that strengthen Cisco’s market leadership.
• Mentor & Elevate the Technical Community: Foster technical excellence across the theater by mentoring emerging architects, sharing cross-architecture knowledge, and leading architectural transformation workshops.

Skills

Architectural design

Pre-sales experience

Executive engagement

RFP/RFI leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

CCIE or equivalent certification

Tools

Cisco technologies knowledge

Multi-domain frameworks

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/30/2026

MEET THE TEAM

The Solutions Development Architecture (SDA) team is the consultative pre-sales powerhouse within Cisco Customer Experience (CX). We sit at the intersection of business strategy and technical innovation, translating complex customer challenges into holistic, multi-architecture frameworks, blueprints, and multi-year transformation journey maps that deliver measurable business outcomes. Our team operates in close partnership with Service Sales, the Deal Acceleration Team (DAT), CX Product Management (CXPM), and the CX CTO/CTAO to hunt for and qualify transformational lifecycle opportunities. Combining deep industry-vertical insight with cross-domain technical depth, we serve as the vital consultative bridge between pre-sales solution design and post-sales CX Delivery—ensuring that every scoped solution is practical, scalable, de-risked, and successfully realized for our strategic global customers.

YOUR IMPACT

• Architect Multi-Domain Transformational Solutions: Lead the consultative pre-sales architecture by translating complex customer business and technical requirements into comprehensive blueprints, architectural frameworks, and multi-year journey maps aligned to strategic business outcomes.
• Hunt & Accelerate Lifecycle Opportunities: Partner proactively with Service Sales, Account Teams, and Deal Acceleration Teams (DAT) to identify, shape, and progress high-value lifecycle selling and transformational deals to closure with minimal friction.
• Lead CX RFP / RFI Engagements: Act as the designated CX Lead Architect on all strategic RFP/RFI responses, articulating the differentiated business value of unified Cisco technology and professional services.
• Bridge Pre-Sales Solutioning to Delivery Success: Conduct implementation risk assessments, cost-feasibility modeling, and transformation dependency mapping; collaborate closely with post-sales delivery architects to de-risk execution and ensure contracted solutions are delivered on time and within budget.
• Influence Executive IT/OT Decision-Makers: Engage customer leadership (Senior Directors, VPs, SVPs) using vertical industry expertise to demystify complex multi-technology architectures and instill confidence in Cisco’s lifecycle roadmap.
• Incubate Emerging Services & Scale Reusable IP: Collaborate with CXPM and GTM teams to accelerate emerging service offers, harvest delivery best practices, and contribute reusable architectural blueprints that strengthen Cisco’s market leadership.
• Mentor & Elevate the Technical Community: Foster technical excellence across the theater by mentoring emerging architects, sharing cross-architecture knowledge, and leading architectural transformation workshops.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent relevant work experience.
• 8+ years of professional experience in technical solutions architecture or engineering.
• Expert-level industry certification, such as CCIE or an equivalent credential.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency across at least two major Cisco technology domains.
• Proven track record in managing complex, multi-architecture technical engagement lifecycles.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Deep understanding of AI/ML integration within enterprise IT infrastructure.
• Exceptional ability to translate technical concepts into business-value conversations.
• Strong experience navigating high-stakes RFI/RFP processes for enterprise clients.
• Excellent collaborative skills to drive alignment between pre-sales and post-sales teams.
• Proven ability to mentor and guide technical staff on architecture standards and methodology.

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 $128,400.00 to $191,600.00 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
• basic life insurance

Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

• 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
• 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.

• New York City Metro Area: $173,400.00 - $265,200.00
• Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $161,300.00 - $235,500.00 * 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.