Strategy & Planning Manager - GES

The application window is expected to close on 12/31/25.

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Location: Raleigh, NC or Richardson, TX (preferred locations); U.S. remote

MEET THE TEAM

You will be in Global Enterprise Segment (GES) where we lead 500 of Cisco's most strategic accounts. Our responsibility to Cisco's business is great, and our responsibility to each other and our culture is greater. We have an unrelenting focus on our customers' success; we are Cisco's growth engine and shape the company's future. Our values Customer-Driven Always, Show Up to Win Every Day, and Harness the Power of Cisco is how we get the job done, and our Win As One mentality embodies the spirit of the journey and how we will show up with each other, partners, and customers.

YOUR IMPACT

The GES Engineering Strategy & Planning Leader plays a pivotal role in supporting the VP of Engineering and the leadership team in executing the technology strategy in alignment with the sales priorities and growth initiatives. This role is critical in driving efficiency and effectiveness of pre-sales activities, enabling GES to secure new business opportunities and maintain a competitive edge. The position requires a blend of strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making, operational excellence, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Planning & Growth: Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for the SE team to support GES growth objectives. Align team goals and priorities with broader sales, marketing, and product strategies.
• Strategic Alignment & Execution: Create and execute operational strategies that support SE and Arch team objectives and overall business goals. Identify potential risks, develop mitigation strategies, and present insights to leadership for informed decision-making.
• Operational Efficiency & Scalability: Design and maintain workflows and processes that enhance the efficiency and scalability of SE activities. Analyze metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for operational improvement, enabling the team to meet increased demand effectively.
• Cross-functional Coordination: Serve as a central coordination point between the GES Pre-Sales Engineering team, Americas SE leadership, Sales, and Marketing. Act as a liaison with external stakeholders, including customers and partners, to ensure alignment on goals and deliverables.
• Tool & Platform Influence: Advocate for SE requirements in the development and enhancement of tools and platforms that support SE activities.
• Performance Monitoring & Improvement: Define success metrics and monitor progress against strategic objectives. Track and analyze KPIs to assess the effectiveness of pre-sales strategies and initiatives, adjusting as needed.
• Data Analysis & Corrective Action: Evaluate data and performance metrics to identify improvement areas and implement corrective actions. Establish a framework for continuous feedback and iteration to refine pre-sales engineering strategies.
• Go-to-Market & Business Review Support: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive segment-wide go-to-market initiatives and support Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs). Provide strategic insights, prepare actionable business analyses, and ensure alignment of engineering plans with broader sales and marketing objectives.
• Culture of Excellence: Promote a high-performance culture by encouraging collaboration, innovation, and accountability, fostering a positive and results-driven work environment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of experience in strategy and planning, a technical background, or a related field.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to interpret data and identify actionable insights.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Salesforce and productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree (MBA is a plus).
• A results-driven mindset with the ability to think long-term and align initiatives with organizational goal.

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.

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:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* 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.