Director, Editorial Strategy

Cisco•San Jose, CA

3d•$230,000 - $333,300•Remote

About The Position

The application window is expected to close on: 08/07/2026. Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received. Remote United States- West Coast Preferred. Meet the Team: We're building the future of Digital Communications. Cisco is transforming its Digital Communications organization into a world-class, AI-native owned media organization, combining the discipline of a newsroom, the innovation of a lab, the creativity of a studio, the intelligence of a performance analytics team, and the speed of AI. Our ambition isn't simply to keep pace with the communications industry; we're building the blueprint we believe others will benchmark against. At the heart of that transformation is Editorial Strategy. This newly created function serves as the front door for all owned storytelling. It sets the editorial agenda, leads story prioritization, establishes governance, and creates the systems that enable our organization to operate like a modern media company. If you're energized by building something from the ground up, not just managing an existing program—this is a rare opportunity to shape how one of the world's most recognized technology brands tells its story.

Requirements

12+ years of experience leading editorial strategy, digital publishing, journalism, owned media, enterprise content, or related disciplines.
Proven success building editorial planning processes, governance models, and operating frameworks.
Exceptional editorial judgment and storytelling instincts.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives within complex, matrixed organizations.
Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leaders and build alignment across functions.
Experience hiring, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
Demonstrated success leading organizational transformation and operational change.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a modern newsroom, digital publisher, media company, or owned media organization.
Experience building or scaling editorial or owned media functions.
Experience implementing AI-enabled editorial workflows.
Strong understanding of audience-first storytelling, digital publishing, SEO, newsletters, analytics, and emerging content platforms.
Experience leading enterprise-wide content transformation initiatives.
Passion for experimentation, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Own Cisco's Editorial Strategy
Develop and own Cisco's editorial strategy, translating business priorities into a proactive editorial agenda.
Define what stories Cisco tells, and just as importantly, what it doesn't.
Lead the editorial direction for Story Lab, the Cisco Newsroom, blogs, and future owned media experiences.
Establish a cohesive editorial roadmap that aligns business priorities with audience needs.
Lead Editorial Planning & Prioritization
Build and lead annual, quarterly, monthly, and sprint-based editorial planning.
Establish Editorial Strategy as the single intake point for all owned storytelling requests.
Evaluate and prioritize opportunities based on strategic value, audience relevance, editorial quality, and available capacity.
Create transparency around priorities, tradeoffs, and resource allocation.
Build Editorial Governance
Design Cisco's editorial governance framework and operating model.
Partner with Visual Storytelling to establish shared editorial and creative standards across every owned storytelling experience.
Develop planning processes, quality standards, and decision-making frameworks that improve consistency while increasing speed.
Ensure every story reflects Cisco's editorial standards, audience needs, and business priorities.
Build an AI-Native Editorial Organization
Reimagine editorial workflows using AI.
Embed AI across planning, ideation, research, drafting, production, and measurement while maintaining strong editorial judgment.
Identify opportunities to increase efficiency, unlock creativity, and improve editorial decision-making through AI.
Build and Lead a High-Performing Team
Lead and develop a growing editorial organization, including: Editorial Planning & Enablement, Editorial Operations & Intake, Newsroom & Blogs
Create a culture grounded in editorial excellence, experimentation, accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Partner Across Global Communications
Partner closely with leaders across: Content Studio, Visual Storytelling, Digital Channels, Executive Communications, Public Relations, Analyst Relations, Product Communications, Employee Communications
Ensure Cisco speaks with one integrated editorial voice across every owned channel.

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
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
16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees (non-exempt)
flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
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
annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies (for non-sales roles)
performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary (for sales roles)