Director, Product Management
About The Position
Outshift is Cisco’s incubation engine, dedicated to exploring ambitious, innovative ideas and experimenting with technologies that shape the future. Our team is a diverse, distributed group of experts passionate about the "zero to one" journey—taking groundbreaking technology like Quantum and AI from research to enterprise-ready solutions. We value rapid iteration, "failing fast," and solving the hardest problems at the forefront of the tech landscape. If you are a dual-natured leader who can shift between technical deep-dives and high-level financial/market strategy, this is a great opportunity! We function as a high-agility startup within the Cisco ecosystem, focusing on the 12-to-60-month innovation horizon. You will influence senior leadership and help steer the direction of our incubation portfolio. As the Director of Product Management, you will lead the strategy for emerging technologies including quantum networking and cryptography. You will serve as the central resource for market analysis, evaluating startup ecosystems and venture capital trends to inform Cisco’s investment and product roadmap. You will drive the early-stage conceptualization process, collaborating with research and engineering to define product-market fit.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree + 15 years of related experience supporting technical product development and delivery
- Demonstrated experience in early-stage product incubation or "zero to one" market entry.
- Confirmed background in venture capital or financial market analysis.
- Proven experience and deep familiarity with quantum technologies and markets.
- 4+ years of supervisory or leadership experience working directly with infrastructure technology teams.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working in a startup or high-growth scale-up environment.
- Strong network within the AI and Quantum research communities.
- Ability to perform competitive analysis using tools like PitchBook, CB Insights, or Crunchbase.
- Experience with Hyperscaler technologies.
- The ability to thrive in highly ambiguous, constantly evolving environments.
Responsibilities
- Lead the strategy for emerging technologies including quantum networking and cryptography.
- Serve as the central resource for market analysis, evaluating startup ecosystems and venture capital trends to inform Cisco’s investment and product roadmap.
- Drive the early-stage conceptualization process, collaborating with research and engineering to define product-market fit.
- Influence senior leadership and help steer the direction of our incubation portfolio.
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 employees)
- flexible vacation time off program (exempt employees)
- 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 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 (for non-sales roles)
- performance-based incentive pay (for sales roles)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
