Hybrid- Prefer San Jose, CA & Austin Texas

The application window is expected to close on 1/30/26

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

We’re seeking an exceptional Director of Operations to serve as the operational backbone of the Office of the CMO (OCMO). This leader will orchestrate the day-to-day rhythm, communication flow, and executive-level coordination required to advance the priorities of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Marketing Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

In addition, this leader will ensure critical deliverables flow seamlessly from conception through delivery by ensuring flawless execution, orchestrating complex stakeholder inputs, and building AI-first systems that enable our SLT to operate at peak performance. We’re looking for someone who thrives as an operator as well as anticipates needs before they surface, holds a strong executive presence, maintains impeccable discretion, and brings a low-ego, service-oriented mindset.

Your Impact

Strategic Office Operations & Prioritization

-Serve as the operational deputy to the VP, Strategy & Operations (VP/SPO), ensuring the smooth functioning of OCMO.

-Manage the CMO’s email inbox; ensuring timely and appropriate responses or delegation.

-Act as the “traffic controller” for all priority deliverables, ensuring quality, timeliness, and strategic alignment through effective AI-led project management.

-Maintain awareness of timelines, cross-functional dependencies, and risks; anticipate needs and proactively escalate or resolve issues (using precision and judgment) to address potential roadblocks before they impact delivery.

-Enable the daily operations of the CMO and VP/SPO by bridging the most strategic objectives to their agendas.

Leadership Team Operations

-Design and lead the operational cadence of the SLT, including weekly meetings, offsites, and quarterly reviews.

-Own agenda design, materials preparation, follow-up actions, and progress tracking to ensure meetings drive clarity, decisions, and accountability.

-Implement decision-tracking and reporting mechanisms leveraging AI to drive follow-through on leadership commitments.

-Establish and continuously refine operating mechanisms, ensuring world-class consistency, efficiency, and rigor.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Communications

-Provide day-to-day operational leadership with the CMO’s Executive Assistant and Executive Communications Leader (without direct-line management); ensure alignment, role clarity, and smooth execution.

-Serve as an integrator across other Executive Leadership Team organizations by bridging information, resolving bottlenecks, and ensuring tight coordination.

-Navigate matrixed teams with strategic insight and executive presence.

-Ensure CMO preparedness for meetings, including creation of briefings.

Operational Excellence & Process Leadership

-Build and maintain AI-first systems, SOPs, and processes that strengthen the scalability and performance of OCMO.

-Drive improvements to workflow, governance, document hygiene, and cross-functional operating models.

-Instill high standards of executional rigor, confidentiality, and responsiveness across all touchpoints with the CMO.

Minimum Qualifications

12+ years of progressive experience in operations, chief of staff roles, strategy, program management, or consulting – with preference for experience operating in global, matrixed enterprises.

Proven success enabling C-suite executives in a high-velocity environment.

Exceptional organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills; adept at managing multiple competing deadlines without compromising quality.

Strong executive presence with excellent written and verbal communications; ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across senior leadership teams.

Mastery in building and improving processes, workflows, and governance models. Expertise in tools and certifications are an added bonus, along with demonstrated examples of AI usage for an executive office.

Demonstrated commitment to a growth mindset throughout your career.

You’re energized by the following statements:

You find fulfillment in enabling others’ success and by building trust through consistency and delivery;

You identify issues and opportunities with an intellectually curious mind, consistently staying two steps ahead;

You discern when to ask, when to act, and when to escalate;

You navigate highly confidential situations and complex stakeholder dynamics with maturity, composure, and humility;

You shift seamlessly from strategy to granular execution details; able to switch contexts throughout the day.

Additional Considerations

Strong desire for San Francisco Bay Area or Austin, TX, with an ability to take critical, in-person meetings from our San Francisco, San Jose, or Austin offices, as needed.

Ability to support both Pacific and Central time zones.

Limited travel required, less than 10% of the time (role does not support CMO at external events).

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 $200,400.00 to $258,200.00 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:

$244,200.00 - $375,900.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$217,400.00 - $318,100.00

* 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.