US Commercial SE Strategy & Planning Leader

Cisco; United States; Remote; USD 156,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a seasoned strategist for the US Commercial SE organization to translate business objectives into actionable engineering initiatives.

You will drive efficiency through data-driven decisions and cross-functional orchestration, aligning sales priorities with engineering execution to maximize impact across customer initiatives. The role emphasizes KPI-driven planning, leadership, and collaboration across Sales, Marketing, and Global SE teams, with a focus on

Qualifications

• 5+ years in strategy, operations, program management, or pre-sales engineering.
• Proven field experience as a Solutions Engineer with US Commercial knowledge.
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business-related field.
• Proven KPI definition, monitoring, and strategic planning in large organizations.
• Executive presence with strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategies to support US Commercial growth objectives.
• Coordinate SE and Architecture objectives; identify risks and mitigation plans.
• Define KPIs and monitor progress against strategic goals.
• Analyze performance metrics and drive corrective actions.
• Coordinate between US Commercial Sales Engineering, Americas SE leadership, Global SE, Sales, and Marketing.
• Mentor team leaders to enhance strategic thinking and technical capabilities.
• Advocate for US Commercial SE within Americas and Global SE organizations.

Skills

Strategy

Operations

Program management

Pre-sales engineering

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical or business field

Tools

Salesforce

AI tools

Analytics platforms

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/12/2026

Meet the Team

The SE US Commercial community is a high-performing, dynamic group of professionals dedicated to driving innovation and technical excellence across our most critical Country. We operate in a unique, fast-paced market where we co-define next-generation products directly with our customers. We serve as the strategic backbone of our sales organization, ensuring our engineers are empowered with the tools and insights needed to navigate state-of-the‑art industry trends. Our culture is defined by a "Win As One" mentality, where cross-functional collaboration, recognition, and accountability drive our collective success in an ever‑evolving market. Joining this team offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of our operational strategy while working alongside industry leaders committed to excellence, growth, and customer success.

Your Impact

Partner with the Senior Director of Engineering to translate complex business objectives into actionable engineering strategies that support US Commercial growth. Act as the operational heartbeat of the organization, driving efficiency through data-driven decision-making and cross-functional orchestration. Foster a high-performance culture of inspiration and recognition, ensuring our Solutions Engineering team remains enabled, engaged, and empowered to deliver their best work. Bridge the gap between high-level sales priorities and day-to-day engineering execution to maximize the impact of our SEs across all customer initiatives. Utilize critical thinking and innovation to drive continuous improvement, ensuring the team is always positioned for long-term success.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning & Growth: Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for the SE team to support US Commercial growth objectives, aligning goals with broader sales, marketing, and product strategies.
• Strategic Alignment & Execution: Create and execute operational strategies that support SE and Architecture team objectives; identify potential risks, develop mitigation plans, and present insights to leadership.
• Performance Monitoring & Improvement: Define success metrics and track progress against strategic objectives; monitor KPIs to assess the effectiveness of pre‑sales strategies and initiatives.
• Data Analysis & Corrective Action: Analyze performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions; establish a framework for continuous feedback and iteration.\
• Cross‑functional Coordination: Act as a central point of coordination between the US Commercial Sales Engineering team, Americas SE leadership, Global SE, Sales, and Marketing to ensure alignment on goals and deliverables.
• Professional Development & Mentorship: Identify skill needs and implement training programs to support the SE team; mentor and guide team leaders to enhance strategic thinking and technical capabilities.
• Culture & Advocacy: Foster a high-performance culture of inspiration and recognition, serving as the primary advocate for the US Commercial SE community to ensure our impact and requirements are represented within the broader Americas and Global SE organizations.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in strategy, operations, program management, or pre‑sales engineering.
• Proven field experience as a Solutions Engineer (SE) with an understanding of US Commercial business/market landscape and portfolio.
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business‑related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Salesforce, data analysis, and modern AI‑driven productivity platforms.
• Proven experience in defining KPIs, monitoring performance, and executing strategic planning in large organizations.
• Strong critical thinking skills with a proven track record of driving innovation and change management in complex environments.
• Executive presence with superior verbal and written communication skills for high‑level storytelling and presentations.

Preferred Qualifications

• AI tools knowledge
• Based in US East/Central Coast
• Demonstrated leadership in fostering a high‑performance culture through mentorship, team recognition, and professional development.
• Extensive experience in cross‑functional collaboration, specifically in aligning engineering teams with global sales and marketing 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 $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 Benefits

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.

• Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
• 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.
• 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.

U.S. Employees State Salary Ranges

• New York City Metro Area: $198,500.00 - $324,100.00
• Non‑Metro New York state & Washington state: $180,200.00 - $278,600.00

Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.