Partner Account Executive - Architecture

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  • Location:
    Offsite, San Francisco, California, US
  • Area of Interest
    Sales - Product
  • Compensation Range
    295600 USD - 400200 USD
  • Job Type
    Professional
  • Technology Interest
    *None
  • Job Id
    1445370

The application window is expected to close on: July 18th 2025

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

Meet the Team

Join the Global Partner Networking Sales Team to elevate your role and broaden your impact within Cisco’s largest architecture group—the cornerstone of Cisco’s mission to deliver Platforms, Security, and AI in the next era of Networking.

This high-performing team is driven by excellence and a shared sense of urgency. We thrive on camaraderie, empathy, and a “get it done” attitude, always supporting one another to achieve success.

Your Impact

In this role, you will establish and lead the long-term strategic priorities for Networking and I&MI, concentrating on driving strategic initiatives, accelerating partner sales, and collaborating across functions to successfully expand the Networking business. Your duties encompass implementing comprehensive strategic plans, spearheading Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies, and working closely with teams such as finance, product marketing, and sales to achieve business growth.

You will guide sales teams in delivering on key strategic growth priorities and initiatives, oversee the design and implementation of strategic programs, enable sales acceleration, and ensure the efficient execution of partner-facing engagements at scale. As a strategic problem solver and strong communicator, you will collaborate across all levels of the organization, foster team culture, prioritize cross-functional collaboration, and drive impactful change.

The perfect candidate for this role adopts an entrepreneurial mentality, a historical self-starter, passion for solution selling, and driven to impact the company at scale.

  • Drive strategic growth initiatives focused on Networking control points such as products, solutions, and services e.g. Secure Networking, Industrial IT, Assurance AI, Networking Platform.
  • Engage in strategic planning with key business stakeholder to design growth initiatives that expand wallet share and drive top line growth for Networking. Data and market analysis required to support strategic focus and direction.
  • Translate strategic plans into actionable roadmaps with clear milestones, timelines, and resource allocation for specific growth and partner segments.
  • Identify success metrics such as key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives and key results (OKRs).
  • Gather inputs from and coordinate with internal cross-functional stakeholders while working closely with partners and customers to identify, develop, and adapt and evolve growth strategies.
  • Interface directly with Cisco executives at the VP level and higher in sales, product, and marketing as well as executive leaders from partner companies to win mindshare, align on objectives and achieve partner goals.
  • Build internal, cross-functional ‘Tiger Teams’ to execute sales motions in the field. Identify and partner with internal champions to drive buy-in and scale within the business.
  • Oversee sales pipeline and bookings performance of growth initiatives, including forecasting, partner performance, and the execution of sales campaigns aligned with the Networking portfolio.

Minimum Qualifications

  • 10 years of experience in business development or sales within the technology industry, or in a technical role with a focus on technology.
  • 5+ years leading strategic initiatives and projects with broadscale impact or formal/informal leadership experience.
  • Understanding of Networking and I&MI solutions.
  • Experience in strategy and planning across field sales, architecture sales, solutions engineering, and partner organizations.
  • Readiness to travel globally for customer and partner engagements; Global travel required.

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Experience leading a global team (highly preferred).
  • Outstanding communication and presentation skills.
  • Proven record of achieving sales targets and driving business growth.
  • Cross-functional project management skills.
  • Experience advising executive leadership on complex business problems.
  • Consistent track record in channel sales engagement or partnership management.
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. Simply put - we power the future.

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:

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.

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