Sr. Director, Business Development Silicon/AI Systems

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 286,000 - 364,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Parental leave

Disability coverage

Stock units

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in San Jose seeks a Sr. Director of Business Development for Silicon/AI Systems to drive growth and strategic partnerships. You will shape the roadmap, define go-to-market plans, and lead high-stakes negotiations with key partners.

You will coordinate with product, engineering, marketing and sales to align solutions with customer needs while mentoring a matrixed team in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in business development, sales, or partnerships.
• Proven success managing large, complex deals.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed org.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Business, Engineering or CS.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive BD strategy focused on Silicon/AI Systems.
• Build and maintain executive relationships with partners to influence decisions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, marketing and sales.
• Lead negotiations and manage complex deals aligned with Cisco’s objectives.
• Mentor and lead a matrixed team, fostering innovation and high performance.

Skills

Executive relationships

Negotiation

Cross-functional teams

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business, Engineering, or CS

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/04/2026 Location: San Jose (hybrid) Sr. Director, Business Development Meet the Team Join a dynamic and visionary team driving Cisco’s strategic growth. This team collaborates across product, engineering, sales, and marketing to deliver innovative solutions that empower the world’s leading providers. Together, we shape the future of technology and build transformative partnerships that redefine the industry.

Your Impact

As the Sr. Director, Business Development – Silicon/AI Systems, you will lead the charge in expanding Cisco’s footprint. You will develop and execute strategies that drive revenue growth, build strong executive relationships, and influence Cisco’s product roadmap to meet evolving needs. This role offers the excitement of working at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and high-impact business development in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive business development strategy focused on Silicon/AI Systems.
• Build and maintain strong executive relationships with partners to influence strategic decisions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product management, engineering, marketing, and sales teams to tailor Cisco’s solutions.
• Lead negotiations and manage complex deals aligned with Cisco’s financial and strategic objectives.
• Mentor and lead a matrixed team, fostering innovation, collaboration, and high performance.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 10+ years of experience in business development, sales, or strategic partnerships.
• Demonstrated success managing large, complex deals and partnerships.
• Experience working effectively in a matrixed organization and leading cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Cisco’s product portfolio.
• Understanding of industry standards.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.Ability to influence senior leaders internally and externally with professionalism and integrity.

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 $286,200.00 to $364,400.00 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.
• 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.

New York City Metro Area: $286,200.00 - $416,900.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $253,000.00 - $386,900.00 * 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.