Strategy & Planning, Lead

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Clegg (NC); On-site; USD 156,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Short/long-term disability coverage

Basic life insurance

Restricted stock units (RSUs)

Paid time away and holidays

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a seasoned GTM Strategy & Operations leader to partner with the CRO organization, shaping sales strategy, planning, and executive decision-making.

You will translate market dynamics and performance data into actionable insights and executive-ready recommendations. Based in the United States, you will develop GTM frameworks, run analyses, and build polished presentations for senior leadership, collaborating with sales, marketing, finance, product, and operations to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in GTM strategy, business/sales operations, strategic planning, or management consulting.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, with ability to build financial models and executive-ready presentations.
• Ability to lead complex initiatives from ambiguity to recommendations and present to senior leadership.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with executive presence.

Responsibilities

• Independently lead strategic GTM projects end-to-end with minimal direction.
• Build and manage relationships with senior executives and cross-functional leaders.
• Develop and apply GTM frameworks to evaluate market opportunities and sales strategy options.
• Conduct deep quantitative and qualitative analyses, synthesizing data into executive insights.
• Create polished executive-ready presentations and business models for CRO reviews.
• Partner with sales, marketing, finance, product, and operations to align GTM priorities.
• Own analysis, reporting, and materials for recurring strategic planning cycles.

Skills

GTM strategy

Sales operations

Strategic planning

Management consulting

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

SQL

Salesforce

Tableau

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 09/17/2026

Meet the Team

The GTM Strategy & Operations team for Splunk is the strategic engine behind Splunk's go-to-market motion, partnering directly with the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) organization to shape sales strategy, planning, and executive decision-making. We translate market dynamics, business performance, and sales data into the frameworks and recommendations that guide how Splunk goes to market.

The team operates at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and operations - developing GTM frameworks, running independent analyses, and delivering executive-ready recommendations that directly influence CRO-level priorities and investment decisions.

Our team members are trusted advisors to senior leadership: independent, analytically rigorous, and comfortable owning ambiguous problems end-to-end. We value clear thinking, sharp executive communication, and a collaborative approach to solving cross-functional business challenges.

Your Impact

• Independently lead strategic GTM projects end-to-end - from problem framing and analysis through executive-ready recommendations - requiring minimal day-to-day direction.
• Build and manage relationships with senior executives and cross-functional leaders, serving as a trusted strategic partner to the CRO organization.
• Develop and apply GTM frameworks and models to evaluate market opportunities, sales strategy options, and business performance.
• Conduct deep quantitative and qualitative analyses, synthesizing sales, pipeline, and business data into clear, actionable executive insights.
• Build and deliver polished, executive-ready presentations and business models (Excel, PowerPoint) for CRO and senior leadership reviews.
• Partner cross-functionally with sales, marketing, finance, product, and, operations to align GTM priorities and drive execution against strategic plans.
• Own analysis, reporting, and materials for recurring strategic planning cycles and executive business reviews.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in GTM strategy, business/sales operations, strategic planning, or management consulting.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, with demonstrated ability to build financial/business models and executive-ready presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex strategic initiatives from ambiguity to executive-ready recommendations.
• Strong executive presence, business writing, and communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with the ability to translate data into strategic insight.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of SQL, Salesforce (SFDC), and/or Tableau for data extraction and analysis.
• Experience developing GTM or strategic planning frameworks used to guide executive decision-making.
• Background in management consulting, corporate strategy, or sales/business operations.
• Proven experience managing relationships with C-suite or senior executive stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Cisco/Splunk's business, sales motion, or enterprise B2B software GTM.
• Self-driven and highly proactive, with a track record of operating effectively with minimal oversight.

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 $155,500.00 to $226,800.00 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. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. 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.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$198,500.00 - $324,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$180,200.00 - $278,600.00

* 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.