Director, SE Strategy, Planning & Operations

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/09/2026Meet the TeamAmericas Sales Strategy, Planning, and Operations (SP&O) is a dynamic organization where innovation and technology come together to help our sales teams deliver on customer outcomes. We are seeking a best-in-class Sales GTM Strategy, Planning & Operations Director who can be strategic partner & advisor to sales Solutions Engineering (SE) leader (VP/SVP) to help shape Americas Sales SE strategy, support Run the Business & execute key initiatives that translate into sales growth in partnership with the Sales Leadership Team and cross-functional collaborators (Theaters, Operations, Specialist, Finance, & Business Units). Your ImpactThis Director will be reporting to Senior Director and will own below for Engineering group in Americas Sales Build Growth Plan: Develop Annual/Long Range strategic sales SE plan through structure frameworks, partnerships with cross functional teams, and the build-out GTM playbooks. Design & operationalize SE priorities (including KPIs) with the structure PMO approach. Holistic Planning Engine: Serve as the primary orchestrator for End-to-End planning (meaning bringing everything together that’s Including GTM Strategy, BE Interlocks, Operations, Readiness, Recognition, Events) – which includes process, structure & milestone deliverables by partnering with cross functional groups. Ensure all tasks are meticulously captured, assigned, tracked, and driven to timely completion. Run the Hub: Own and Govern Americas SE sales/SP&O cadence (Standard operating model / procedure / process / rhythm & run-of-show). Operations Excellence: Partner with revenue operations & execution teams on key operations activities (Compensation, Readiness) & initiatives supporting the Sales SE group. Strategic Initiative Leadership: Identify, develop, and lead high-impact strategic sales SE initiatives that align with the organization's goals and drive transformation across global markets. Conduct Strategic, Data-Driven Analyses (using Market Research, Business & Competitive intelligence): Identify levers to grow across discrete new, renew, and expand sales motions. Advise GTM strategy that supports growth and scale of the global business. Define and leverage GTM levers to instrument growth-driven programs in our business. Advisory: Be a strategic partner & advisor to sales SE leader (VP/SVP) and support end to end on Strategy, Planning & Operations aspects of Sales Solutions Engineering group. People Leadership: Serve as a people leader and guide a dynamic Sales SE GTM Strategy Planning & Operations team by providing strategic guidance and insights to drive innovation and continuous improvement in sales practices. AI-Forward: Leverage AI tooling to accelerate ideation, strategic planning, and execution — using AI-driven insights to sharpen decision-making and drive faster, more informed outcomes. Executive Communication: Tell the growth plan & priorities story in both what we need to do and how we will do to senior executives across sales, specialist, product business unit and executive leadership teams. Prepare Americas Sales SE Head for the Board, ELT and SLT level strategic meetings and presentations. Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with internal stakeholders, including sales, specialist, global SE, marketing, product development, and operations, to ensure alignment and successful execution of strategic initiatives. Change Management: Advocate for and implement change management practices that facilitate the adoption of new strategies and processes within the sales organization. Strategic Assessment: Assess how best to spend a $1 of coverage against what customers, regions, products to increase output, including key strategic questions around renewals, customer success, field roles and Sales organization structure/governance/design. Who You Are: You are a dedicated people leader with strong experience coaching and developing dynamic sales and corporate strategy teams. As a trusted partner and advisor to the C-suite, you have a consistent track record of building cross-functional relationships and driving successful outcomes in a complex, matrixed environment. You are a natural problem-solver and synthesizer who can quickly structure ambiguous information, draw out patterns, and build hypotheses backed by data and insights. Armed with AI tools, you are a compelling storyteller who confidently presents these data-driven perspectives to peers and senior executives alike. Highly organized and a true self-starter, you efficiently manage your priorities and workload, always knowing when to ask for help or take on new projects. Above all, you are a curious, flexible, and multi-functional professional who embraces variety and tackles evolving business challenges with an unwavering growth mindset. Minimum Qualifications10+ years' experience including experience in management consulting, GTM strategy, strategy planning, or sales SE including people leadership/management. Preferred QualificationsProven experience in management consulting (or equivalent experience), with a focus on strategy planning & transformation, preferably within a sales context. BS/BA Degree. MBA Preferred. Demonstrated management experience leading strategy teams with a proven track record of team development. Sales/GTM Strategy experience within the tech sector highly preferred. Strong in framing & structuring business problems, prioritizing the effort, conducting complex quantitative and qualitative analysis, building an exec level story complete with recommendations. Experience translating Business Priorities into actionable GTM Programs including (but not limited to) offer creation, campaign creation, and enablement all of which are measurable Strong AI tools, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels. Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and drive transformation in a complex, global organization; executing programs that can span 6-12 months through to completion. Self-starter with a high degree of initiative, capable of working independently and managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Curious and flexible, you enjoy variety and are willing to tackle different roles/responsibilities as business needs evolve. A standout colleague: You love a challenge, you've always got your teammate's ask, and you're inspired working with others to achieve success. Fail forward demeanor, leads as a natural innovator in the face of change and adversity. 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. 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: The starting salary range posted for this position is $200,600.00 to $258,400.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experi