Strategy & Planning Manager

Cisco Systems, Inc; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 199,000 - 274,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a seasoned technical program manager to consolidate strategies across Networking, Security, Collaboration, and Cloud Security. You will influence senior leaders, build cross-functional teams, and deliver leadership-ready decks, scorecards, and decision documents under tight deadlines.

Applicants should have 8+ years of senior TPM experience, strong systems thinking, and outstanding written and verbal communication. Familiarity with AI-assisted planning is a plus.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of senior-level experience in technical program management, strategy & operations.
• Cross-functional program experience across Cisco's core segments (Networking, Security, Collaboration, Cloud Security).
• Ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong systems thinking and prioritization for ambiguous problems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to produce decks and scorecards.

Responsibilities

• Consolidate program strategies across Cisco workstreams to provide a single source of truth.
• Build and coordinate a cross-functional virtual team and influence senior leaders.
• Develop leadership-ready presentations, scorecards, and decision documents under tight deadlines.
• Own and evolve program governance, including success metrics and definitions of done.
• Apply structured frameworks and AI-assisted tools to scale planning, documentation, and coordination.

Skills

Senior-level experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Systems thinking

Job description

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

MEET THE TEAM

Our team serves as the vital link that transforms strategic cybersecurity priorities into actionable operational plans across Cisco's Security and Trust Organization (S&TO). We operate at the intersection of security, trust, product, and engineering, collaborating across multiple pillars and workstreams to provide leadership with a unified, clear view of priorities and progress. The team is a dynamic, cross-functional group that thrives on influence and coalition-building rather than formal authority, fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation. What makes our team exciting is the opportunity to shape the playbook for a rapidly evolving organization, leveraging advanced tools including AI to scale impact and drive meaningful change.

YOUR IMPACT

Drive the consolidation of program strategies and priorities across numerous Cisco workstreams to provide leadership with a coherent and actionable source of truth. Build and coordinate a cross-functional virtual team, influencing mid-to-senior leaders to bring clarity and momentum to complex decision-making processes. Develop leadership-ready presentations, scorecards, and decision documents under tight deadlines to support strategic execution. Own and evolve program governance elements, including success metrics and definitions of done, to unify previously siloed initiatives. Apply structured frameworks and AI-assisted tools to scale planning, documentation, and coordination, amplifying your impact and that of the broader organization.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of senior-level experience in technical program management, strategy & operations, or business operations, preferably with exposure to security or engineering.
• Proven experience managing cross-functional programs within Cisco's core business segments such as Networking, Security, Collaboration, or Cloud Security.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and build coalitions across engineering, security, and business stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong systems thinking skills with the ability to create structured frameworks and prioritization models for ambiguous, cross-functional problems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of producing clear, executive-ready materials such as decks, scorecards, and one-pagers.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with Agile methodologies or Agile Commit-style operating models and organizational rhythms.
• Domain knowledge in AI, security/vulnerability management, secure software supply chain, or secure build pipeline concepts.
• Experience building or maintaining program dashboards, scorecards, or portfolio-tracking tools.
• Hands-on experience using AI tools to enhance planning, documentation, or coordination efforts.
• Familiarity with business models and processes such as OKRs, KPIs, VSEM, V2MOM, and QBRs.

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 $198,500.00 to $273,800.00 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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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.