Director, Customer Storytelling

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Location:

San Jose, California, US
Alternate Location

San Jose, CA preferred. Anywhere in the United States
Area of Interest

Marketing and Communications
Compensation Range

175700 USD - 284300 USD
Job Type

Professional
Technology Interest

*None
Job Id

1440793

New

The application window is expected to close on April 28, 2025.

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

Applicant must be located in the United States. San Jose, CA preferred.

Meet the Team

Global Communications is a team of more than 150 best-in-class communications professionals. Our mission is to protect and improve Cisco's reputation through innovative and thought-provoking storytelling, execution excellence and transparency.

Your Impact

Cisco is seeking a Director of Customer Storytelling to lead a centralized program and team that identifies, curates, and amplifies customer stories across Global Communications. This role will be responsible for ensuring consistent, compelling customer success stories and narratives are infused into PR, employee communications, digital & social, international comms, and analyst relations activations. The Director will work closely with the Global Communications leadership team, as well as with sales, marketing, CX, and executive leadership to spotlight the impact of Cisco’s technology through the voice of our customers.

Key Responsibilities:

Build and scale a unified customer storytelling program to serve the needs of all global comms functions.
Partner with cross-functional customers to align stories to business priorities and tailor them for internal, external, and global audiences.
Ensure customer narratives are embedded across communication channels—including media, social, employee comms, analyst briefings, and executive messaging.
Drive alignment between storytelling initiatives and Cisco’s business, brand, and sales goals.
Measure and optimize the reach and impact of customer stories using data and stakeholder feedback.

What Makes This Role Exciting:

Direct access to Cisco’s top customers and executives, shaping strategic stories that demonstrate our innovation.
Influence Cisco’s reputation and brand across every touchpoint—from press to internal culture.
Be a key leader in how Cisco tells its most powerful stories to the world.
Opportunity to build a scalable framework that integrates customer storytelling across a matrixed enterprise.

Minimum Qualifications

12+ years of experience in public relations, communications, or related fields, with a proven track record of developing and executing high-impact customer storytelling programs.
Proven success in building customer storytelling programs to support communications activities.
Outstanding copywriting skills and attention to detail across the breadth of PR and communications assets.
Proven leadership in building and managing high-performing communications teams, ensuring collaboration and execution excellence.
Experience managing global communications initiatives at a Fortune 500 company or major enterprise tech firm, working across regions and industries.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in crafting communications campaigns that showcase the business impact of AI.
Consistent track record of integrating customer communications efforts, including PR, social, analyst relations, and event communications to improve audience reach.
Strong data-driven mindset, with experience using media analytics, competitive intelligence, and digital insights to refine communications strategies.

#WeAreCisco

#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.

Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best.

We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!

Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees have access to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.

Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco’s flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco’s Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.