U.S. State Government Affairs Manager

Cisco; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 161,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco in Washington, DC is seeking a U.S. State Government Affairs Manager to lead engagements with state governments and technology associations, reporting to the Vice President of State Government Affairs & Community Relations.

You will collaborate with internal teams—People, Policy & Purpose (3P), Sales, Communications, Legal, and Product Development—to advance policy solutions aligned with Cisco’s mission to power an inclusive future.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of political and public policy experience in government, corporate government affairs, public affairs, trade associations, or public policy institutions.
• Strong understanding of legislative and regulatory processes related to technology policy and familiarity with public policy issues affecting the technology industry.
• Excellent political judgment and relationship-building skills.
• Strong communication, writing, collaboration, and advocacy abilities with a demonstrated ability to build consensus across internal teams in pursuit of shared objectives.
• Ability to travel throughout the U.S. and, on occasion, internationally.

Responsibilities

• Advising and preparing senior leaders for engagements with state and local officials, ensuring alignment with Cisco’s business objectives and overall strategy.
• Monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on relevant state legislative, regulatory, and budget developments.
• Building trusted relationships with legislators, legislative staff, governors’ offices, and state agencies to strengthen Cisco’s public sector leadership.
• Educating policymakers on Cisco’s technology and its role in AI, cybersecurity, broadband access, economic development, and public safety.
• Advancing policy priorities aligned with purpose-driven initiatives.
• Representing Cisco in state-level hearings, meetings, and industry coalitions.
• Drafting and presenting testimony, position papers, and advocacy materials.

Skills

Public policy

Government affairs

Stakeholder relations

Policy analysis

Communication

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/05/2026

Location: Washington DC, most preferred

Meet the Team

Cisco is seeking a government affairs and public policy professional to join a global team as a U.S. State Government Affairs Manager. Reporting to the Vice President of State Government Affairs & Community Relations, this individual will help lead Cisco’s government engagements and public policy efforts across multiple states.

Cisco’s Government Affairs team represents the company with governments around the world to build relationships with key leaders, advance Cisco’s public policy goals, and educate governments about our industry. Government Affairs is involved in all key legislative, regulatory, and global issues that impact the technology industry.

We are comprised of government and public policy experts across two dozen countries who represent Cisco at the highest levels of government. The team has extensive experience in and out of government and are recognized leaders in the industry.

Your Impact

As a U.S. State Government Affairs Manager, you will develop and implement strategies to strengthen Cisco’s presence and influence with state government stakeholders and technology associations. In collaboration with internal teams—including People, Policy & Purpose (3P), Sales, Communications, Legal, and Product Development—you will drive innovative policy solutions that support Cisco’s business goals and mission to power an inclusive future for all.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Advising and preparing senior leaders for engagements with state and local officials, ensuring alignment with Cisco’s business objectives and overall strategy


• Monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on relevant state legislative, regulatory, and budget developments


• Building trusted relationships with legislators, legislative staff, governors’ offices, and state agencies to strengthen Cisco’s public sector leadership


• Educating policymakers on Cisco’s technology and its role in AI, cybersecurity, broadband access, economic development, and public safety


• Advancing policy priorities aligned with purpose-driven initiatives


• Representing Cisco in state-level hearings, meetings, and industry coalitions


• Drafting and presenting testimony, position papers, and advocacy materials

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of political and public policy experience in government, corporate government affairs, public affairs, trade associations, or public policy institutions


• Strong understanding of legislative and regulatory processes related to technology policy and familiarity with public policy issues affecting the technology industry


• Excellent political judgment and relationship-building skills


• Strong communication, writing, collaboration, and advocacy abilities with a demonstrated ability to build consensus across internal teams in pursuit of shared objectives


• Ability to travel throughout the U.S. and, on occasion, internationally

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in state and local government relations, government affairs, public policy, public affairs, political campaigns, lobbying, outreach, or research


• Proven success leading policy or public affairs initiatives, such as lobbying or advocacy campaigns


• Extensive experience driving cross-functional collaboration with senior stakeholders and influencing decisions at all organizational levels


• Skilled in managing executives with exceptional leadership, communication, and collaboration skills


• Deep knowledge of technology policy and commitment to Cisco’s vision of a secure and accessible Internet


• Demonstrated ability to integrate public policy with business strategy and corporate development objectives

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 $161,300.00 to $204,800.00 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.

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.