Manager, Strategy & Special Projects 1438498
-
Location:Offsite, San Jose, California, US
-
Alternate LocationUS-Remote
-
Area of InterestBusiness Strategy and Operations
-
Compensation Range170800 USD - 225900 USD
-
Job TypeProfessional
-
Technology Interest*None
-
Job Id1438498
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.
The application window is expected to close on: April 28, 2025.
Meet the Team
Cisco Operations aims to power a secure Cisco with simplicity, speed, and growth so customers, partners, and employees choose Cisco every time. Growth Operations, within broader Cisco Operations, helps Cisco incubate, accelerate, and scale new and better ways of operating to the best position Cisco for future success. Growth Operations (GO) focuses on cross-functional initiatives that are critical to Cisco’s strategy and future, with a focus on driving four outcomes:
- Fully enabling a recurring revenue model
- Elevating Cisco’s revenue from software
- Demonstrating what an integrated Cisco portfolio can do for customers
- Re-imagining our customers’ experience with our technologies at every step of technology lifecycle to delivery simplicity, agility, and innovation
The role will be in our Strategy & Special Projects team within Growth Operations. This team serves two key objectives; 1. Taking on cross functional projects that merge and are critical to the success of Cisco. 2. Supporting other teams within GO & Operations to help accelerate their efforts.
Cisco Operations aims to power a secure Cisco with simplicity, speed, and growth so customers, partners, and employees choose Cisco every time. Growth Operations, within broader Cisco Operations, helps Cisco incubate, accelerate, and scale new and better ways of operating to the best position Cisco for future success. Growth Operations (GO) focuses on cross-functional initiatives that are critical to Cisco’s strategy and future, with a focus on driving four outcomes:
- Fully enabling a recurring revenue model
- Elevating Cisco’s revenue from software
- Demonstrating what an integrated Cisco portfolio can do for customers
- Re-imagining our customers’ experience with our technologies at every step of technology lifecycle to delivery simplicity, agility, and innovation
The role will be in our Strategy & Special Projects team within Growth Operations. This team serves two key objectives; 1. Taking on cross functional projects that merge and are critical to the success of Cisco. 2. Supporting other teams within GO & Operations to help accelerate their efforts.
Your Impact
As a Manager on the Strategy & Special Projects team, you will be a generalist strategic problem solver and doer. You will collaborate on exciting projects with our team members and leaders from across Cisco's Growth Operations and beyond on a variety of topics such as:
- Standing up a new program to drive licensing improvements across Cisco products
- Building a comprehensive experience map to understand Seller, Partner, and Customer struggles when engaging in commerce activities
- Leading a diagnostic on support operations and processes
- Collaborating with product management to create a new automated tool
- Drive enterprise-wide change across a key topic
This team will also own the change management required to get BUs, Sales & Marketing, Finance, and CX ready to implement changed to support the best outcomes. This role will report to the Senior Director of Strategy & Special Projects and will work with other Growth Operations leaders.
As a Manager on the Strategy & Special Projects team, you will be a generalist strategic problem solver and doer. You will collaborate on exciting projects with our team members and leaders from across Cisco's Growth Operations and beyond on a variety of topics such as:
- Standing up a new program to drive licensing improvements across Cisco products
- Building a comprehensive experience map to understand Seller, Partner, and Customer struggles when engaging in commerce activities
- Leading a diagnostic on support operations and processes
- Collaborating with product management to create a new automated tool
- Drive enterprise-wide change across a key topic
This team will also own the change management required to get BUs, Sales & Marketing, Finance, and CX ready to implement changed to support the best outcomes. This role will report to the Senior Director of Strategy & Special Projects and will work with other Growth Operations leaders.
Core responsibilities:
Own and drive topic “sprints” based on a defined objective or problem, with the ability to scope out a workplace, build an engagement cadence with team members, and perform the vital analysis with the support and guidance of team leadership. Independently perform high-quality quantitative analysis. Handle components of strategy & planning, operations, and communications topics. Assist Engineering, Sales, Operations, CX, Finance, and all other functions to become a collaborative unit that can provide clarity and alignment for the strategic pillars set by Cisco. Gather and analyze sophisticated data shrewdly and expeditiously. Develop compelling and insightful strategic recommendations for leadership and team. Lead execution against recommendations quickly and with flawless accuracy. Drive the "right" conversation at the senior level on risks and roadblocks. Build operational processes and practices that drive efficiency across Growth Operations and throughout Cisco's Operations. Build consensus among cross-functional teams and influence decision-making within our senior level and peer audiences. Enable and lead a culture of high organizational performance through partnerships and collaboration.
Own and drive topic “sprints” based on a defined objective or problem, with the ability to scope out a workplace, build an engagement cadence with team members, and perform the vital analysis with the support and guidance of team leadership. Independently perform high-quality quantitative analysis. Handle components of strategy & planning, operations, and communications topics. Assist Engineering, Sales, Operations, CX, Finance, and all other functions to become a collaborative unit that can provide clarity and alignment for the strategic pillars set by Cisco. Gather and analyze sophisticated data shrewdly and expeditiously. Develop compelling and insightful strategic recommendations for leadership and team. Lead execution against recommendations quickly and with flawless accuracy. Drive the "right" conversation at the senior level on risks and roadblocks. Build operational processes and practices that drive efficiency across Growth Operations and throughout Cisco's Operations. Build consensus among cross-functional teams and influence decision-making within our senior level and peer audiences. Enable and lead a culture of high organizational performance through partnerships and collaboration.
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree and MBA (or equivalent) required, preferably from a Top 10 program.
- 4+ years of work experience, with 3+ years at Management Consulting Firm is required for consideration.
- As a strategic problem solver, you break down complex, ambiguous problems into component parts. You come up with creative ways of resolving these issues while leading on and enjoying both strategic and tactical work.
- Exceptional communication both written and verbal (including PowerPoint presentations). This is compelling and precise in both in-person and virtual settings. You can quickly take complex concepts and communicate them briefly, simply, and persuasively at all levels especially with executives. You effectively navigate and engage senior-level partners and leaders to shape discussions and drive outcomes.
- Handles high level sensitive and confidential information is necessary; must possess mature judgment and discretion in keeping sensitive information confidential
- Bachelor's degree and MBA (or equivalent) required, preferably from a Top 10 program.
- 4+ years of work experience, with 3+ years at Management Consulting Firm is required for consideration.
- As a strategic problem solver, you break down complex, ambiguous problems into component parts. You come up with creative ways of resolving these issues while leading on and enjoying both strategic and tactical work.
- Exceptional communication both written and verbal (including PowerPoint presentations). This is compelling and precise in both in-person and virtual settings. You can quickly take complex concepts and communicate them briefly, simply, and persuasively at all levels especially with executives. You effectively navigate and engage senior-level partners and leaders to shape discussions and drive outcomes.
- Handles high level sensitive and confidential information is necessary; must possess mature judgment and discretion in keeping sensitive information confidential
Preferred Skills:
- Experience from a Corporate Strategy / Corporate Development role is highly preferred.
- Exceptional cross-organization and collaboration-building skills, including the uncanny ability to influence teams with multiple different priorities. You're a dynamic teammate able to build senior-level & peer-to-peer relationships across a diverse audience in order to challenge and shape perspectives. In past roles, you have been sought out as an active voice in driving groups to alignment.
- High initiative, self-starting capabilities and can drive accelerated progress, often without decision-rights. You demonstrate an ability to identify and seize opportunities for impact in ambiguous contexts without direction or oversight. You have a sense of humbleness with no job being too big or too small to undertake.
- Organizational skills: meticulous attention to detail, high sense of responsibility, and general skills to tackle a wide range of high priority tasks in support of GO & the leadership team. You are diligent and always deliver high quality work. You are able to multitask and understand how to prioritize tasks based on importance vs. immediacy
- Experience from a Corporate Strategy / Corporate Development role is highly preferred.
- Exceptional cross-organization and collaboration-building skills, including the uncanny ability to influence teams with multiple different priorities. You're a dynamic teammate able to build senior-level & peer-to-peer relationships across a diverse audience in order to challenge and shape perspectives. In past roles, you have been sought out as an active voice in driving groups to alignment.
- High initiative, self-starting capabilities and can drive accelerated progress, often without decision-rights. You demonstrate an ability to identify and seize opportunities for impact in ambiguous contexts without direction or oversight. You have a sense of humbleness with no job being too big or too small to undertake.
- Organizational skills: meticulous attention to detail, high sense of responsibility, and general skills to tackle a wide range of high priority tasks in support of GO & the leadership team. You are diligent and always deliver high quality work. You are able to multitask and understand how to prioritize tasks based on importance vs. immediacy
Why Cisco?
#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!
#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!
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.
