Sr. AI Engineering Technical Program Manager - Hybrid

Cisco•San Jose, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The AI Automation team is a high-impact, cross-functional group formed to lead Cisco’s enterprise AI strategy, reporting to the Principal Technical Program Manager. Our team is a fast-paced, collaborative, and highly strategic environment where we bridge the gap between AI innovation and scalable enterprise operations. We are the central engine for delivering AI at the fingertips of every Cisco employee, ensuring our tools are secure, efficient, and transformative. As a Senior Engineering Technical Program Manager (Sr. TPM), you will play a critical role in the execution of strategy, driving complex, cross-functional programs that bring AI automation—such as Circuit Pulse—to life. You will manage two primary buckets of work: operational programs that establish company-wide AI standards and champions programs, and high-stakes, time-bound engineering initiatives that redefine the future of work across departments like HR, Legal, and IT. You will own the charter, steer decision-making among leadership, and drive engineering-led workstreams to completion. Your role is pivotal in balancing technical delivery with resource management and value frameworks, ensuring that as we scale our AI footprint, we remain operationally excellent and aligned with Cisco’s security and privacy standards.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in technical program management or engineering project leadership, preferably in enterprise software, automation, or AI environments.
Demonstrated experience managing engineering projects with multiple integrations and cross-functional dependencies.
Familiarity with enterprise software development, APIs, and workflow automation.

Nice To Haves

Strong project planning, tracking, and organizational skills.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills; able to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Proactive problem-solving and risk management abilities.
Working knowledge of agile methodologies and tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence).
Experience with AI-specific operational challenges, such as token cost management or large-scale AI deployment.

Responsibilities

Drive the planning, tracking, and execution of engineering projects for AI automation initiatives, ensuring timely delivery of features and integrations (e.g., with Webex, Outlook, SharePoint, Jira, MCP).
Break down complex product requirements (from PRDs) into actionable engineering tasks and deliverables.
Serve as the primary point of contact between engineering, product, security, and UX teams to resolve dependencies and remove blockers.
Facilitate effective communication and alignment across global, distributed teams.
Identify project risks and issues early; develop and execute mitigation plans in collaboration with engineering leads.
Track critical technical and operational metrics, reporting progress and escalations as needed.
Support implementation of privacy, data retention, and security best practices, ensuring features like persistent memory and data access align with Cisco’s standards.
Recommend and implement improvements to engineering and program management processes.
Advocate for agile practices and tools that drive better collaboration and delivery outcomes.

Benefits

medical, dental and vision insurance
a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
paid parental leave
short and long-term disability coverage
basic life insurance
grants of Cisco restricted stock units
10 paid holidays per full calendar year
1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
1 paid day off for employee’s birthday
paid year-end holiday shutdown
4 paid days off for personal wellness
16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year (non-exempt)
flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter
up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward
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
annual bonuses (non-sales roles)
performance-based incentive pay (sales roles)