Strategic Partner Executive: GTM & Growth

Cisco Systems; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems in Chicago, IL is seeking a Partner Account Executive to own strategic partner relationships and align partner strategies with Cisco's technology portfolio. You will drive joint business plans, executive engagement, and differentiated GTM initiatives to accelerate growth and Cisco preference.

You will collaborate across sales, architects, and partners to build high-value pipelines, lead quarterly reviews, and influence product governance for future partner programs.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in sales or customer-facing roles in IT solutions for large enterprise, service provider, or hyperscale accounts.
• Proven ability to build customer relationships, articulate product and service value, create demand, and successfully close deals.
• 5+ years experience providing thought leadership and communicating a clear vision both verbally and in writing.
• 5+ years demonstrating executive presence and business acumen.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Business Planning: Develop and execute multi-year joint partner business plans, establishing clear strategic priorities, mutual investment commitments, and revenue targets aligned with long-term technology roadmaps.
• Executive Relationship Orchestration: Build and nurture trusted relationships with Partner C-level and executive leadership, delivering compelling business narratives that drive joint investment and strategic alignment.
• Practice & Capability Development: Guide partners in modernizing and expanding specialized practices across the full Cisco portfolio (Networking, Security, Cloud, Collaboration, and Observability), integrating software, recurring revenue, and lifecycle services.
• Go-to-Market & Demand Generation: Create differentiated GTM strategies and joint demand generation campaigns that build high-quality pipeline, increase deal velocity, and capture market share.
• Co-Sell & Sales Interlock: Engage sales teams early across all deal stages, connecting partner capabilities with Cisco account strategies, Solution Engineers, and practice sellers.
• Profitability & Performance Management: Maximize partner value through strategic utilization of Cisco programs, promotions, and incentives; drive operational cadence through structured Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), forecasting, and data-driven performance insights.
• Internal Advocacy & Program Influence: Serve as the voice of the partner internally, advocating for resources and collaborating with Business Entities to shape future product functionality and partner governance frameworks.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Share best practices, develop scalable engagement frameworks, and mentor fellow PAEs across the organization.

Skills

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Negotiation

Pipeline development

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Cisco Systems in Chicago, IL is seeking a Partner Account Executive to own strategic partner relationships and align partner strategies with Cisco's technology portfolio. You will drive joint business plans, executive engagement, and differentiated GTM initiatives to accelerate growth and Cisco preference.

You will collaborate across sales, architects, and partners to build high-value pipelines, lead quarterly reviews, and influence product governance for future partner programs.