Strategy & Planning Manager

The application window is expected to close on: 10/30/2026Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team This role sits at the intersection of Americas sales strategy, people leadership, talent development, business planning, and operational execution. The Strategy & Planning Manager shapes the strategic direction of assigned initiatives and personally drives the work required to launch, operate, measure, and scale them. This is a hands-on strategy and execution role, not a strategy-only advisory position.

Program Strategy, Insights & Business Alignment • Translate Americas business vision and strategic priorities into clear program goals, quarterly/annual roadmaps, success criteria, and prioritized investment decisions on where to allocate time and resources. • Synthesize Voice of the Field feedback, internal sales performance data, leadership capability needs, external market trends, and AI-assisted analysis to identify gaps, opportunities, and recommended changes. • Build compelling strategic narratives and arguments for people leadership initiatives; advise executive participants on program priorities, trade-offs, resourcing, and expected outcomes. • Apply focused prioritization frameworks to recommend what to launch, simplify, pause, consolidate, or discontinue based on business relevance, field capacity, and organizational readiness. Planning, Governance & Hands-On Execution • Own end-to-end program execution: comprehensive delivery plans, landmark tracking, dependency mapping, decision logs, risk mitigation, customer commitments, and delivery of critical work products. • Sequence initiatives against resource capacity and sales calendars; anticipate friction points, surface misalignment early, and recommend practical course corrections. • Personally develop executive briefings, communications, management toolkits, launch packets, operating cadences, and program scorecards; coordinate speakers, rehearsals, production, and live delivery when needed. • Handle changes in scope or direction without losing accountability for quality, deadlines, participant experience, or measurable results. People Leadership, Development & Field Activation • Design and complete scalable people leadership, mentorship, career acceleration, and field activation experiences aligned to the evolving Americas portfolio. • Develop practical operating clinics, leadership sessions, executive panels, coaching resources, management job aids, and AI-enabled playbooks that strengthen day-to-day frontline sales leader behaviors. • Lead cohort-based program lifecycles as applicable, including recruitment, application review, onboarding, mentor matching, participant engagement, and alumni follow-through. • Build experiences around real field workflows and existing operating rhythms rather than adding unnecessary administrative burden to sellers and leaders. Executive Partnership & Cross-Functional Influence • Partner with Americas Sales Executives, Area Vice Presidents (AVPs), Operations Directors (ODs), Global Enablement, People & Communities (HR), Communications, and field leaders to align objectives and execution. • Serve as an internal strategic partner: connect cross-functional perspectives, clarify ownership and dependencies, frame sophisticated decisions, and influence outcomes without direct line authority. • Prepare concise executive storylines and recommendations that connect business context, analytical insights, risks, resource needs, and immediate next actions. Measurement, Sophisticated Analytics, AI & Continuous Improvement • Define critical metrics, targets, automated dashboards, and feedback loops to assess participation, sentiment, leadership behavior adoption, talent outcomes, and program effectiveness. • Analyze operational results and identify gaps to objectives; recommend adjustments and resource trade-offs based on evidence rather than activity volume alone. • Leverage Generative AI, sophisticated analytics, prompt engineering, and workflow automation where appropriate to improve planning, synthesize insights, streamline communications, reduce manual work, and scale delivery. • Continuously improve strategy and planning processes by removing friction, documenting repeatable practices, and testing whether initiatives are producing intended business value.

Your Impact You are a strategic problem solver and hands-on executor who connects enterprise priorities to practical, measurable outcomes. You thrive in dynamic, fast-moving environments and are comfortable operating across both high-level business strategy and deep operational execution. • Strategic Problem solver & Hands-On Executor: You see the big picture and translate sophisticated company goals into clear, actionable roadmaps, while personally ensuring flawless operational execution. • Autonomous Owner & Proactive Problem Solver: You anticipate risks, exercise sound judgment within your scope, solve problems proactively, and deliver without requiring step-by-step direction. • Analytical Storyteller & AI-Enabled Decision Maker: You integrate quantitative sales data, qualitative field feedback, and AI-enabled insights into clear, persuasive recommendations and business cases. • Collaborative, Low-Ego Influencer & Matrix Multiplier: You bring alignment across matrixed teams, navigate organizational complexity with compassion, build high-trust partnerships, and remain adaptable through change. • Executive Communicator & Leader-Enablement Champion: You communicate with clarity, warmth, and precision when engaging senior sales leaders, keynote speakers, and large field cohorts, with a practical understanding of adult learning and operational discipline.

Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree plus 7 years of related experience, Master’s degree plus 4 years, PhD plus 1 year, or equivalent relevant work experience. • 5–7+ years of experience in strategy and planning, business operations, program leadership, sales enablement, or people leadership and talent development in an enterprise technology environment. • Demonstrated track record of owning complex cross-functional initiatives from strategy and planning through direct execution and measurement. • Strong executive communication, stakeholder influence, data analysis, prioritization, and delivery management skills. • Confirmed ability to influence across matrixed organizations without direct authority, lead executive stakeholders, and independently resolve operational risks. Preferred Qualifications • Experience with enterprise B2B sales motions, frontline sales leadership dynamics, Systems Engineering (SE) environments, and large-scale leadership or mentorship programs. • Experience with scenario planning, resource optimization, program telemetry/analytics, and AI-enabled workflow improvement. • Familiarity with SalesConnect, SharePoint, digital enablement platforms, and virtual/hybrid executive programming. • Hands-on experience applying Generative AI tools, prompt engineering, and workflow automation for communications, tracking, reporting, and operational efficiency. • Professional certification: PMP, CPMAI (Certified Professional in AI), Lean Six Sigma, Prosci Organisational Change, or relevant leadership coaching certification preferred.

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 $148,800.00 to $208,200.00 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: $148,800.00 - $238,300.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $143,600.00 - $211,900.00 * 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.