Strategy & Planning Manager

Cisco Systems, Inc; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 232,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Corporate Strategy professional to lead high-impact, enterprise-level strategic projects across the company.

You will partner with leaders from Strategy, Product Management, Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, and GTM to develop actionable recommendations and business cases that shape Cisco's long-term growth and investments. The role emphasizes structured problem solving, data-driven decision making, and the ability to translate complex analyses into clear

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional experience in business strategy, corporate planning, finance, or technology product strategy.
• 2+ years post-MBA experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, corporate development, investment banking, private equity, or strategic business functions in technology.
• Experience evaluating complex enterprise technologies, including cloud architectures, AI infrastructure, optical networking, or silicon.
• Experience developing and evaluating financial models and business cases (P&L, DCF, ROI, scenario analysis).
• Experience synthesizing analyses into clear recommendations for senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic workstreams from problem definition through research, analysis, and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Structure ambiguous business questions and evaluate internal and external data to develop business cases.
• Develop strategic frameworks and assess scenarios, trade-offs, and investments.
• Apply analytical and technology fluency to synthesize information and inform enterprise decisions.
• Present findings to cross-functional stakeholders and executives.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Financial modeling

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Problem solving

Education

MBA or equivalent advanced degree

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/05/2026

Meet the Team

Our Corporate Strategy & Planning team serves as an internal strategy consulting function, helping Cisco leaders evaluate complex business and strategic questions and translate analysis into actionable recommendations. The team works across the organization on priorities that may include AI and emerging technologies, market and competitive strategy, business and investment decisions, long-term growth, M&A and ecosystem opportunities, and business transformation. This is an opportunity to work on high-impact, enterprise-level questions, rapidly develop expertise across new topics, and influence strategic decisions across Cisco.

Your Impact

Operating in a matrix environment, you will work across a range of strategic projects and partner with leaders across Corporate Strategy, Product Management, Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, Go-to-Market, Corporate Development, and other organizations. Lead strategic workstreams from problem definition through research, analysis, and development of recommendations for senior leadership. Structure ambiguous business questions, evaluate internal and external data, develop business cases and strategic frameworks, and assess scenarios, trade-offs, and potential investments to support informed decision-making. Apply analytical and technology fluency to synthesize complex information, identify key insights, and develop clear, defensible recommendations that inform enterprise-level business decisions.

Minimum Qualifications

• MBA or equivalent advanced degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field, with 6+ years of professional experience in business strategy, corporate planning, finance, or technology product strategy.
• 2+ years of post-MBA experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, corporate development, investment banking, private equity, or strategic business functions in the technology or semiconductor industry.
• Experience evaluating complex enterprise technologies, including cloud architectures, AI infrastructure, optical networking, or silicon, and translating technical capabilities into business or commercial value.
• Experience developing and evaluating financial models and business cases, including P&L, discounted cash flow (DCF), ROI, scenario analysis, or comparable financial analyses, to support strategic decision-making.
• Experience synthesizing complex analyses into clear recommendations and presenting findings to senior executives and cross-functional stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience in the technology, semiconductor, networking, cloud, AI, or enterprise technology industry.
• Experience in corporate strategy, corporate development, M&A, competitive strategy, or a related strategic function.
• Experience operating effectively in an unstructured, team-oriented environment with demonstrated progression toward increased scope and responsibility.

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 $173,400.00 to $231,800.00 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:

$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.