[Hiring] Strategy & Planning Lead @Cisco

Role Description

The application window is expected to close on: 09/17/2026. This role can be performed anywhere in the USA.

The Deal Strategy & Execution (DSE) team is a dynamic, cross-functional group that touches billions of dollars in deals annually, uniting professionals across Sales, Operations, Finance, Legal, and Technology to drive revenue and strategic success through:

• Deal structuring
• Business and cloud advisory
• Technical escalation management
• Policy/process/product optimization

At the heart of this organization is the Global Programs pillar—the strategic engine that ensures operational readiness, process excellence, and seamless alignment across the company. As the Enterprise Policy & Program Liaison, Global Programs represents sales interests in broader enterprise initiatives, provides complex deal advisory, manages knowledge assets, drives AI adoption, orchestrates Splunk+Cisco and leads cross-functional launch and impact assessments to mitigate risk when rolling out new offers, products, processes, and policies.

The team sits at the forefront of major Cisco integration and go-to-market efforts, translating enterprise policy into actionable guidance and enabling strategic customer transitions across Cisco's buying programs portfolio—making it a high-impact, highly visible pillar for candidates looking to shape the future of Splunk & Cisco.

Your Impact: As the Strategy & Planning - NPI (Cloud and AI) Lead, within Splunk Sales Deal Strategy & Execution - Global Programs team, you’ll guide critical initiatives across Splunk & broader Cisco’s product portfolio. Your focus will be Cloud and AI domains, partnering with business and technical teams to deliver impactful GTM initiatives.

• Apply NPI methodologies and GTM process knowledge, while partnering with various Cisco product & cross-functional teams, to ensure sales/deal strategy perspective is baked into launch & scaling of new offers, products, and solutions.
• Deliver business writing, reporting, and analysis for executive audiences, leveraging tools such as SFDC and Tableau to drive insights.
• Architect and develop AI solutions that drive business value, especially in sales and finance domains. Experience should be well beyond hobbyist level.
• Lead and manage programs spanning cloud infrastructure, software solutions (SaaS & OnPrem), and advanced AI projects.
• Support deal structuring and negotiation for cloud and AI offerings, collaborating with sales, finance, legal, and operations.
• Facilitate workshops, meetings, and program reviews, ensuring alignment and collaboration across business stakeholders.
• Support One Cisco approach, melding Cisco and Splunk portfolios & processes for synergies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years’ experience in program management, cloud infrastructure/software or New Product/Offer Introductions.
• Deep technical knowledge of cloud platforms (public, private, hybrid), SaaS, OnPrem solutions.
• Advanced data analysis skills & presentation (SFDC, Tableau).
• Demonstrated ability to architect and deliver AI projects in business environment at scale.

Requirements

• Experience with NPI methodologies and GTM processes.
• Strong business process design, business writing, reporting, deal structuring and negotiation skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate, communicate, influence & enable/train across functions.
• Experience with Cisco/Splunk platforms, products & processes.
• Knowledge of partner led sales motion.
• Project Management certification (PMP, PMI-ACP, or similar) is a plus.
• Self-driven, highly proactive, and consistently goes above and beyond.

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Basic life insurance.
• 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.
• 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year for non-exempt employees.
• Flexible vacation time off program for exempt employees.
• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter.
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer.