*The application deadline is Sept. 1, 2025.

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

*Location preferred: San Jose, Ca, West Coast Preferred, US Remote

Senior Director, Executive Communications Role

Your Impact

As the Senior Director of Executive Communications, you will build and drive an integrated executive communications program in support of Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer.

You will be responsible for developing a strategic narrative that excites and inspires both internal and external audiences. You will employ a wide range of messaging platforms and channels including internal meetings (employee, executive leadership, and board of directors), IR/AR/PR engagements, customer engagements, social media, newsletters, and events.

This job requires regular collaboration with senior leaders of teams across the company. Key partners may vary by project but include other General Managers/BU leaders, sales, finance, people and communities, global events, and marketing teams.

Role and Responsibilities Include:

• Lead strategic executive communications support for the Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Strategy, Development, and Incubation (CSDI) organizations. This includes everything from organizational announcements to keynotes.

• Lead the development and execution of a coordinated communications strategy, message, and plan that is aligned to Cisco corporate business goals, outcomes, and priorities and engages customers, partners, industry professionals, and employees.

• Lead the team that creates internal, organizational messages, presentations, and other communication requests such as all-hands meetings or keynote speeches for senior leadership within the organization.

• Work with strategy organization to synthesize our innovations, investments and strategic partnerships into a clear long-term strategic storyline that showcases our current value propositions. The deliverables will drive sales and partner presentations, keynotes for events, marketing messaging, blogs, public statements and interviews, and other opportunities.

• Partner with the Global Communications colleagues to develop communication campaigns including messaging, narratives, presentations, blogs, bylined articles, speaking opportunities and more.

• Partner with other executive leadership communications teams to drive and align consistent messaging and content for joint presentations.

• Lead social media strategy for the Chief Strategy Officer.

You are self-driven, detail-oriented, and constantly learning.

You invest in the growth and development of your team.

You are a trusted coach who encourages the best energy and effort out of those you lead.

You understand the value of progress over precision to help others improve.

You have an analytical mind, a creative spirit, an intellectual curiosity, and a strong interest in technology.

You love to create compelling and simple stories to make complex technical topics more relatable.

You are a problem solver with a growth mindset and are comfortable adapting to a constantly shifting environment.

You are able to see things from the audience’s perspective.

You are able to understand the executive’s role and objectives to create the right image and tonality of communications.

You thrive in building strong relationships with a highly matrixed group of stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent business experience

• 15+ years of executive communications or related experience

• Exceptional skills in presentation, written communication, verbal communication, listening and influencing

· Proven track record in developing strategic executive communications and supporting materials, including emails, blogs, articles, newsletters, presentations, executive meeting and event preparation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting C-Suite Leader

• Prior experience or knowledge of networking and AI technology

• Experience influencing and collaborating with senior leaders across multiple partner organizations

• Demonstrated ability to design and implement executive communication strategies that support organizational goals

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment

• Experience in both strategic and creative communications, with a portfolio of executive-level written and presentation work

• Ability to translate complex business and technology concepts into engaging, memorable stories for diverse audiences

• Experience collaborating with senior leaders and teams to build alignment, trust, and strong cross-functional relationships

• Self-motivated, creative, results-oriented team player

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and deliver results autonomously

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.