Software Sales and Buying Program
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Location:Minato, Japan
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Area of InterestSales - Product
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Job TypeProfessional
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Technology InterestServices & Software
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Job Id1444150
Software Sales Scale Specialist – Strategic Buying Programs
Top 3 Reasons to Apply for This Role at Cisco
1. Be at the Heart of Cisco’s Strategic Growth
Software and recurring revenue are among Cisco’s top three strategic initiatives, and our Software Buying Programs are a critical sales motion driving this transformation. This role puts you in a key position to shape Cisco’s future and make a meaningful impact on our business.
2. Expand Your Expertise in Cutting-Edge IT Solutions
Cisco is at the forefront of workforce transformation, cybersecurity, and AI-driven innovation. In this role, you’ll gain hands-on experience working across these high-impact areas, helping customers solve critical IT challenges while broadening your own technical and commercial expertise.
3. Accelerate Your Career with Global Opportunities
If you’re looking to build an international career in a world-class organization, this role offers unparalleled exposure. You’ll work closely with teams across Japan and APJC, collaborate with global stakeholders, and develop connections that will help you expand your career beyond borders.
Who We Are
At Cisco, we are transforming how organizations purchase, manage, and renew software at scale. Our software-led strategy is driven by strategic buying programs that provide customers with unparalleled flexibility, value, and operational efficiency. As we continue to evolve, we are seeking a highly motivated Software Sales Specialist to accelerate our software renewal business and drive success through Cisco’s buying programs—specifically within the mid-to-select market segment of Japan HQ customers.
What You’ll Do
As a Software Sales Specialist, your primary responsibility will be to drive Cisco’s software renewal business by effectively leveraging our Enterprise Agreement (EA) and strategic buying programs. You will play a critical role in ensuring the successful qualification, progression, and execution of renewal opportunities at scale while working closely with key stakeholders, including our partner organization, to transition from a transactional sales motion to a strategic, value-driven approach.
Primary job rsponsibilities:
1. Own and manage the software renewal pipeline to target EA opportunities – Identify, qualify, and progress renewal opportunities throughout the year, ensuring alignment with mid-to-select market Japan HQ customers and Cisco’s buying programs.
2. Engage directly with customers & partners – Position Cisco’s software renewal value proposition to senior stakeholders within Japan HQ organizations, ensuring alignment with their business and technology strategies.
3. Collaborate with key stakeholders – Work closely with account teams, renewal managers, partners, and the APJC central organization to develop and execute renewal strategies that maximize customer value.
Other responsibilities include:
§ Drive partner alignment for scalable success – Work with Cisco’s partner organization to ensure partners are fully enabled and engaged in this selling motion, shifting from transactional selling to strategic EA offerings.
§ Lead opportunity qualification and progression – Establish a structured approach to qualifying renewal opportunities and transitioning them into executable deals that scale effectively across the mid-market segment.
§ Optimize commercial and operational execution – Work cross-functionally with teams such as product business entities, commercial finance, legal, and Cisco Capital to address complex renewal scenarios and ensure seamless execution.
Who You Are
You are a proactive and commercially savvy sales professional who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. You understand the nuances of working with Japan HQ customers in the mid-to-select market segment and can effectively engage with both customers and partners to drive adoption of Cisco’s Enterprise Agreement and strategic buying programs.
§ Strong consultative sales approach – Proven ability to influence stakeholders, manage complex sales cycles, and negotiate with senior leaders in finance, procurement, and legal.
§ Cross-functional collaboration skills – Excels at working across multiple teams, including account teams, renewal managers, partner organizations, and regional leadership, to drive alignment and execution.
§ Partner enablement mindset – Understands the importance of partner alignment in shifting from transactional to strategic software selling motions.
§ Process-driven and results-oriented – Highly structured in managing opportunities and ensuring qualification criteria are met before progressing deals.
§ Language proficiency – Fluent in Japanese and business-level English (reading/writing) to effectively support Japanese teams, customers, and partners while collaborating with global teams.
Minimum Qualifications
§ Proven experience in software renewals, subscription-based sales, or enterprise software sales.
§ Strong background in demand generation, pipeline management, and opportunity qualification.
§ Ability to manage complex sales cycles and drive deals to closure.
§ Expertise in pricing, proposal generation, and financial modeling for software renewal scenarios.
§ Experience working with mid-to-select market Japan HQ customers and partner organizations to drive software sales at scale.
§ High-level understanding of Cisco’s software portfolio, including Enterprise Networking, Data Center, Collaboration, and Security (preferred).
§ Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
If you are passionate about driving software renewals, enabling partners, and shaping the future of subscription-based buying models in the Japan market, we’d love to hear from you!
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.
