Sales Leader (Isovalent)

Cisco•San Francisco, CA

13d•$348,200 - $505,500•Remote

About The Position

At Cisco, we're helping organizations connect, monitor, secure and modernize their cloud-native and AI environments at scale. Isovalent is at the forefront of this transformation, delivering innovative technologies that empower platform engineering, cloud infrastructure, and security teams to build, operate, and secure modern applications and architectures. Built on open-source innovation and trusted by some of the world's most advanced engineering organizations, Isovalent technologies are redefining how enterprises approach networking, observability, runtime security, AI and cloud-native operations. As a Sales Leader, you will lead a team responsible for driving adoption of the Isovalent, Hypershield and Secure Workload portfolio across Commercial, Service Provider, Cloud, and Enterprise customer segments. This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-growing business within Cisco that operates with the energy, speed, and technical depth of a startup. Your Impact As a Sales Leader, you will lead a team responsible for helping organizations modernize and secure cloud-native environments through solutions spanning Kubernetes networking, cloud-native security, runtime protection, workload security, microsegmentation, and distributed security enforcement. The team supports customers navigating increasingly complex application and infrastructure environments by leveraging innovative technologies across the Isovalent portfolio, including the Isovalent Enterprise Platform, Tetragon, HyperShield, Secure Workload, and other emerging cloud-native security solutions. Success in this role requires far more than traditional sales leadership. You will be expected to actively engage with customers, support highly technical sales motions, and help your team navigate complex cloud-native conversations and strategic pursuits with platform engineering, DevOps, cloud infrastructure, and security teams.

Requirements

10+ years of successful enterprise sales and leadership experience, building highly successful, overachieving sales teams and organizations.
Experience leading, mentoring, or developing technical sales professionals within cloud, infrastructure, networking, security, platform engineering, or cloud-native technology markets.
Demonstrated success building new business and driving growth in emerging technology categories.
Strong understanding of cloud-native architectures, modern application environments, AI and customer adoption challenges.
Experience engaging technical buyers including platform engineers, DevOps teams, cloud architects, infrastructure teams, and security practitioners.
Proven ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, highly dynamic, and evolving technology environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Kubernetes ecosystems and cloud-native technologies.
Solid track record of leading large, highly technical and complex sales pursuits, including forecasting and business planning, quota attainment, sales presentations skills, and short/mid/long term opportunity management.
Familiarity with technologies such as Cilium, eBPF, Tetragon, runtime security, container networking, cloud-native observability, or related technologies.
Background in selling to cloud security, platform engineering, infrastructure security, DevSecOps, workload protection, and/or open-source technologies.
Successful track record & experience working within high-growth technology companies or startup environments.
Demonstrated ability to build, scale, and develop teams in emerging technology markets.
Strong executive communication, coaching, and leadership capabilities.
Ability to translate highly technical concepts into business value for customers, partners, and executive stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of specialized sellers.
Responsible for driving, sales planning and accurate forecasting of both ACV and TCV for your business
Drive business growth across Commercial, Enterprise, Service Provider, and NeoCloud segments while building a scalable pipeline for long-term success.
Partner closely with Sales Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, Open Source communities and the broader Cisco GTM Teams to accelerate customer adoption and market awareness.
Possessing strategic business logic and methodology, and being able to succeed as a leader and mentor in a demanding and rewarding sales environment.
Building and maintaining a positive work environment, while building trust and respect among your team, extended team resources, and the partner ecosystem.
Participate directly in customer engagements, executive discussions, technical whiteboarding sessions, and strategic account planning.
Coach teams through complex technical sales cycles involving Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, networking, observability, workload security, AI and modern application architectures.
Build and execute territory strategies that create new market opportunities and expand existing customer relationships.
Foster a culture of accountability, technical curiosity, innovation, and customer obsession.
Help scale a rapidly evolving business while maintaining the agility, urgency, and entrepreneurial mindset of a startup organization.