Strategy & Planning Manager

Cisco Systems, Inc; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 117,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Disability coverage

Basic life insurance

Restricted stock units (RSU) grants

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is advancing strategic planning to evaluate opportunities and guide future investments. You will analyze market trends, build financial models, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to forecast resources and plan initiatives with AI-powered tools. This role supports Cisco's growth and transformation with data-driven recommendations.

The position emphasizes rigorous analysis, planning accuracy, and proactive engagement with leaders to align priorities across the company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with related experience, or advanced degree with relevant work history.
• Experience in corporate strategy, business planning, operations or consulting.
• Experience with market research, competitive analysis and growth opportunity evaluation.
• Experience with financial modeling, forecasting, scenario planning and data analysis.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop plans linking Cisco's long-term goals to near-term priorities.
• Analyze market trends, competitors, and customer needs to identify opportunities and risks.
• Build forecasts, financial models, and scenarios to evaluate investments and resources.
• Collaborate with teams across Cisco to coordinate priorities, timelines, and resources.
• Apply AI and advanced analytics to improve research, forecasting, and planning.
• Review performance metrics, identify gaps, and recommend improvements.
• Contribute to annual and multi-year planning and measure outcomes.
• Present findings and recommendations to leaders clearly and practically.
• Identify ways to simplify planning processes and improve collaboration.
• Evaluate how changes in technology, markets, and customer priorities affect plans.

Skills

Market research

Competitive analysis

Financial modeling

Forecasting

Scenario planning

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree + related experience

Master's degree + related experience

PhD + related experience

Tools

AI analytics tools

Planning tools

Financial modeling software

Job description

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

Meet the Team

Cisco’s Strategy and Planning team helps set priorities, evaluate opportunities, and plan for the future. We work with teams across the company to understand market changes, assess investments, and align resources with Cisco’s goals! Our work combines market research, financial analysis, and AI-powered tools to support decisions that influence Cisco’s growth and transformation.

Your Impact

In this role, you will help Cisco evaluate opportunities, develop plans, and make informed decisions about future investments. You will collaborate with colleagues and leaders across the company to analyze market trends, assess risks, and recommend approaches that support long-term goals.

You will also use AI and advanced analytical tools to explore different scenarios, improve planning processes, and help teams measure progress. Your work will connect research and analysis with practical recommendations that support Cisco’s priorities.

What You'll Do

• Develop and support plans that connect Cisco’s long-term goals with near-term priorities.
• Analyze market trends, competitors, and customer needs to identify opportunities and potential risks.
• Build forecasts, financial models, and scenarios to evaluate investments and resource decisions.
• Collaborate with teams across Cisco to coordinate priorities, timelines, and resources.
• Apply AI and advanced analytics to improve research, forecasting, and planning.
• Review performance metrics, identify gaps, and recommend changes to improve results.
• Contribute to annual and multi-year planning, including setting targets and measuring outcomes.
• Present findings and recommendations to leaders in a clear, practical way.
• Identify ways to simplify planning processes and improve collaboration across teams.
• Evaluate how changes in technology, markets, and customer priorities may affect future plans.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 6+ years of related experience, Master's degree with 3+ years of related experience, PhD with 1+ year of related experience, or equivalent relevant work experience.
• Experience in corporate strategy, business planning, operations, or management consulting.
• Experience conducting market research, competitive analysis, and evaluating growth opportunities.
• Experience with financial modeling, forecasting, scenario planning, and data analysis.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to support planning and business decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field.
• PMP, CPMAI, or Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Background in technology, corporate strategy, or management consulting.
• Experience supporting annual planning, long-term business plans, or organizational transformation.
• Familiarity with AI-powered analytics, generative AI, or sophisticated planning tools.
• Experience preparing business cases and presenting recommendations to senior leaders.

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 $117,400.00 to $172,500.00 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

$148,800.00 - $238,300.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State

$143,600.00 - $211,900.00

• 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.