Sr Director - Chief of Staff & Strategic Operations Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 07/24/2026 **Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received** . Location: anywhere in U.S. **Meet the Team** We are seeking an experienced, highly strategic Chief of Staff and Strategic Operations Leader to serve as a key partner to senior leadership in scaling and optimizing a large, complex organization of approximately 500 employees. This role goes beyond traditional operational support. The Chief of Staff will help shape organizational strategy, drive execution against business priorities, and establish the planning, governance, and operating frameworks that enable teams to scale effectively. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker, exceptional problem solver, and influential leader who thrives in ambiguity, challenges conventional thinking, and continuously seeks innovative ways to improve organizational efficiency. As a trusted advisor to leadership, this individual will play a meaningful role in aligning strategy to execution, ensuring resources are focused on the highest-value work, and driving cross-functional collaboration across the organization and its key partners. **Responsibilities** + Lead strategic planning and execution by partnering with senior leadership to translate business strategy into roadmaps, priorities, governance, and measurable outcomes across a 500-person organization. + Drive organizational design and workforce strategy through headcount planning, budgeting, organizational effectiveness, operating model evolution, and talent planning in partnership with Finance and HR. + Advise executives and lead strategic programs by managing cross-functional initiatives, facilitating executive decision-making, and developing data-driven business cases and recommendations. + Champion operational excellence by improving planning processes, business rhythms (QBRs/QBOs), governance, metrics, and scalable operating models that accelerate execution and productivity. + Enable cross-functional alignment by coordinating Product, Engineering, Sales, Customer Success, Finance, and HR to manage dependencies, align priorities, and ensure execution remains focused on customer and business outcomes. **Minimum Qualifications** + 10+ years of experience in strategic operations, management consulting, business transformation, Chief of Staff, program leadership, or similar strategic roles. + Demonstrated success supporting large, complex organizations (300+ employees preferred) through periods of growth, transformation, or scale. + Proven ability to influence senior executives and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups without direct authority. + Strong experience in organizational planning, workforce strategy, operating model design, portfolio management, and strategic execution. + Outstanding critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical capabilities with the ability to navigate ambiguity and make data-driven recommendations. **Preferred Qualifications** + Experience leading large-scale cross-functional initiatives involving multiple teams and business functions. + Outstanding executive communication and storytelling skills, including development of board-level and executive-level content. + Strong business acumen with the ability to balance strategic thinking and execution. + Demonstrated ability to challenge existing processes and introduce innovative approaches that improve organizational performance. **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 $287,200.00 to $364,300.00 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, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process. U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time. U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies: + 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 + Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees + Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations) + 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next + Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members + Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies. Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. 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 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid. The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below: New York City Metro Area: $287,200.00 - $418,900.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $252,700.00 - $374,400.00 * For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined. ** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements. Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.