Hardware Project Manager
About The Position
The Hardware Project Manager will lead new product introduction (NPI) project and program management activities across Cisco’s Common Hardware Group (CHG) hardware portfolio. The role partners with engineering, product management, operations, marketing, account teams, EPM, power, thermal, and other organizations to coordinate delivery of hardware programs and support business operations. The position manages small to mid-sized programs with moderate complexity, multiple dependencies, and cross-functional stakeholder groups. It develops plans, schedules, milestones, deliverables, communication frameworks, and execution cadences; monitors program health and drives risk, dependency, issue, and decision management. The role also supports planning cycles, business reviews, status reporting, leadership updates, governance, documentation, and improvements to team operating models. Collaboration, automation, and AI-enabled productivity tools may be used responsibly to improve operational efficiency.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of related experience, or master’s degree and 3 years, or PhD and 0 years, or equivalent related work experience.
- Related experience in program/project management, business operations, PMO, chief-of-staff support, hardware design, hardware manufacturing processes, or NPI product development.
- Experience leading cross-functional programs or projects, including project plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, issue resolution, and stakeholder communications.
- Experience supporting business operations or leadership operating rhythms, such as staff meetings, business reviews, action tracking, executive updates, dashboards, or organizational communications.
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting hardware, system-level, networking, telecom, or enterprise infrastructure programs within a PMO or NPI product development environment.
- Experience in business operations, executive operations, or a PMO role supporting senior leadership operating mechanisms.
- Familiarity with product development lifecycles, release readiness, change management, and launch or operational governance processes.
- Ability to work effectively in a highly matrixed, fast-paced, globally distributed environment while balancing program execution with operational priorities.
- Strong analytical problem-solving skills and ability to turn ambiguous inputs into clear plans, owners, actions, and decisions.
- Experience using collaboration, automation, AI-enabled productivity, or workflow tools to improve program execution, executive communications, and team efficiency.
Responsibilities
- Lead NPI project and program management activities across hardware engineering, product management, operations, marketing, account teams, EPM, power, thermal, and other partner organizations.
- Lead small to mid-sized programs with moderate complexity, multiple dependencies, and cross-functional stakeholder groups across the CHG hardware portfolio.
- Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, deliverables, communication frameworks, and execution cadences.
- Track program health, identify risks and dependencies, drive issue resolution, and escalate decisions or blockers with clear recommendations.
- Support HW group operational work, including planning cycles, business reviews, status reporting, leadership updates, and other operating mechanisms.
- Establish and improve documentation frameworks, governance processes, templates, and team execution models.
- Use collaboration, automation, and AI-enabled productivity tools responsibly to improve operational efficiency.
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
- Paid holidays
- Floating holiday for non-exempt employees
- Paid birthday day off
- Paid year-end holiday shutdown
- Personal wellness days
- Paid vacation time for non-exempt employees
- Flexible vacation time off program for eligible exempt employees
- Paid sick time
- Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency issues for family members
- Optional paid volunteer days
- Annual bonuses for eligible non-sales employees
- Potential Cisco restricted stock unit grants
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
