Chief of Staff

Cisco•San Jose, CA

About The Position

The Chief of Staff reports to the SVP and General Manager and is a critical member of the Silicon One Business Leadership team. The team’s scope includes product strategy and architecture, product definition, financial planning, business operations, program management, silicon partner and ecosystem development, silicon customer support, employee communications, and cross-functional coordination within Cisco. The Chief of Staff orchestrates and coordinates activities across the General Manager and leadership team, delegates across a broad range of topics, provides critical information and time-sensitive updates, and ensures progress on key initiatives in a rapidly changing environment. As a visible spokesperson for the organization, the role works closely with leadership to communicate clearly and responsively to stakeholders inside and outside Cisco. The position contributes to organizational transformation and industry change, driving positive outcomes for the company and its business units. Cisco’s Silicon One organization develops silicon chips and related technologies for Cisco’s hardware portfolio, including enterprise, service provider, data center, and AI applications. The team develops silicon, optics, and hardware platforms for switching, routing, and wireless products, with full product development spanning design, qualification, and production.

Requirements

At least 15 years of progressive leadership experience within a high-technology product organization.
Bachelor’s degree in a technical, business, or communications-focused discipline.
Prior experience at a company developing semiconductor or technology products.
Prior experience in high-level business operations, including product strategy, financial planning, and program management, ideally within a hardware or silicon-based technology organization.
Prior experience managing high-volume, time-sensitive executive workloads, including effective triage and delegation, and driving progress in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
Prior experience facilitating large-scale organizational transformations and influencing cross-functional teams to align with long-term business goals.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Prior experience within Cisco’s operational environment.
Experience fostering partnerships and driving alignment across diverse, complex organizational structures.
High capacity for rapid technical knowledge acquisition and ability to translate new technology trends into actionable business insights.
Comprehensive working knowledge of the semiconductor lifecycle, spanning design, manufacturing, business planning, and market execution.

Responsibilities

Orchestrate and coordinate activities across the General Manager and the leadership team.
Delegate activities across a wide spectrum of topics.
Provide critical information and time-sensitive updates to the leadership team.
Ensure forward progress on key initiatives in a rapidly changing environment.
Work with the leadership team as a visible spokesperson to demonstrate responsiveness and clarity of thought and message to stakeholders inside and outside Cisco.
Help facilitate organizational transformation and influence cross-functional teams toward positive outcomes for the company and its business units.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Basic life insurance
Restricted stock unit grants may be available, subject to eligibility and vesting conditions
10 paid holidays per full calendar year
One floating holiday for non-exempt employees
One paid day off for an employee’s birthday
Paid year-end holiday shutdown
Four paid days off for personal wellness
Non-exempt employees receive 16 days of paid vacation per full calendar year
Exempt employees participate in a flexible vacation time off program with no defined limit, subject to availability and business limitations
80 hours of sick time off on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, with up to 80 unused hours carried forward
Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family issues
Optional 10 paid volunteer days per full calendar year
Annual bonuses may be available for non-sales roles, subject to Cisco policies
Sales-plan incentive compensation may be available for sales roles, subject to the applicable Cisco plan