Strategy & Planning Manager

Cisco•Rtp, NC

About The Position

The Americas Sales Strategy, Planning & Operations team is seeking a highly analytical, organized professional to support business planning, financial and commercial analysis, and the Run the Business operating rhythm for Americas Sales. This hands-on role combines quantitative analysis with structured execution, executive reporting, and AI-enabled process improvement. The position supports annual and quarterly planning by maintaining milestones, inputs, templates, dependencies, and deliverables. It coordinates operating rhythms such as QBRs, forecast and performance reviews, leadership all-hands, offsites, and business planning meetings, and prepares materials while tracking decisions and actions. The role builds and maintains Excel-based financial and operating models, performs variance, trend, and scenario analysis, and consolidates inputs into executive summaries, factbooks, pre-earnings commentary, and data-backed recommendations. The role also develops Excel reporting models, trackers, templates, visualizations, and dashboards; supports pipeline movement, health, hygiene, and future-quarter build reporting; and improves data quality and reporting consistency. It uses approved AI tools and develops reusable workflows, prompts, templates, and automations while validating outputs and protecting critical data. The position is part of Americas Sales Activation & Acceleration within Americas Sales SP&O and partners with the Run the Business and planning team, Americas Sales leaders, Finance, and cross-functional Strategy & Planning stakeholders. The role connects analysis, planning, and execution across a complex sales organization.

Requirements

Experience in financial analysis, FP&A, sales operations analytics, business planning, corporate strategy, or another quantitatively rigorous business analyst role.
Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including financial or operational modeling, pivot tables, complex formulas, lookups, sensitivity and scenario analysis, and large dataset analysis.
Experience performing variance and performance analysis, developing forecasts or scenarios, and producing decision-ready business reports or executive presentations.
Strong quantitative reasoning and business acumen; ability to challenge assumptions, reconcile discrepancies, interpret financial and sales metrics, and explain implications.
Demonstrated organization, attention to detail, stakeholder coordination, and ability to manage multiple deadlines.
Practical experience using AI tools for research, synthesis, reporting, or workflow productivity, with appropriate validation.
Clear written and verbal communication skills and ability to collaborate during U.S. East Coast business hours.

Nice To Haves

Experience in corporate finance, FP&A, management consulting, commercial analytics, or enterprise Sales Operations.
Understanding of bookings, forecast, pipeline coverage, attainment, conversion, deal slippage, and quarter-end financial or operating reporting.
Experience with Power BI, Salesforce reporting, PowerPoint, financial planning tools, or other business intelligence platforms.
Experience developing repeatable AI-assisted workflows, process automations, or self-service reporting.
Exposure to annual planning, QBRs, leadership offsites, action tracking, or executive factbooks.

Responsibilities

Support annual fiscal year planning, quarterly planning, and next-quarter readiness by maintaining milestones, inputs, templates, dependencies, and deliverables.
Coordinate QBRs, forecast and performance reviews, leadership all-hands, offsites, and business planning meetings; prepare materials and track decisions and actions.
Maintain rolling leadership calendars and action trackers; identify missed inputs, schedule conflicts, risks, and follow-ups across collaborators.
Build and maintain Excel-based financial and operating models to assess bookings, forecast scenarios, attainment, pipeline coverage, conversion, slippage, and performance against plan.
Conduct variance, trend, and scenario analysis to explain performance drivers, identify risks and opportunities, and support planning decisions.
Consolidate Sales, Finance, and Strategy & Planning inputs into executive summaries, end-of-quarter factbooks, pre-earnings commentary, and data-backed recommendations.
Develop sophisticated Excel models, trackers, templates, and recurring reports using pivot tables, complex formulas, lookups, sensitivity analysis, data validation, and structured datasets.
Support pipeline movement, health and hygiene, and future-quarter build reporting; develop visualizations and dashboards using Excel, Power BI, or similar tools.
Validate data quality, reconcile conflicting inputs, document reporting logic, and improve the consistency and timeliness of leadership reporting.
Use approved AI tools to accelerate analysis, summarize inputs, draft executive materials, and support planning workflows while validating outputs and protecting critical data.
Identify repetitive reporting and coordination work; create reusable prompts, templates, automations, and documented processes to reduce manual effort and improve scalability.
Coordinate and collaborate with sales leaders, Finance, and cross-functional Strategy & Planning stakeholders.

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 continued employment
Paid holidays and a floating holiday for non-exempt employees
Paid day off for employee’s birthday
Paid year-end holiday shutdown
Personal wellness days
Paid vacation or flexible vacation time off, depending on employee classification
Sick time off
Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family issues
Optional paid volunteer days
Annual bonuses for non-sales roles, subject to Cisco policies
Performance-based incentive pay for employees on sales plans, subject to the applicable Cisco plan