Strategy & Planning Manager: Corporate Legal Affairs

Cisco • Austin, NC

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Business Operations Director serves as a strategic partner and operational engine for the Corporate Legal Affairs organization. This role requires an individual who is highly adept at rapidly learning and mastering the nuances of each team under the SVP’s remit—Corporate Governance (incl. Corporate Securities, M&A Integration and Procurement), Litigation (IP and Commercial), Antitrust, and Brand Protection. You will act as the "connective tissue" for the department, translating sophisticated legal strategies into measurable business outcomes and ensuring seamless communication with key stakeholders in Finance and Operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and 8+ years of experience in strategy and planning, Chief of Staff roles, or a related field within a technology company.
• Consistent track record to lead sophisticated, cross-functional initiatives and handle organizational change.
• Experience in designing, testing, launching, implementing, and supporting workflow processes and tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill sophisticated information into simple, compelling executive briefings.
• Strong interest and experience in AI tools, including sop

Responsibilities

• Develop a working understanding of the operational rhythms, challenges, and goals of the Corporate Governance, Litigation, Antitrust, and Brand Protection teams.
• Lead development and execution of long-range planning and priorities aligned to Legal and Cisco goals.
• Identify commonalities between these teams to eliminate silos and promote a culture of shared knowledge and operational excellence.
• Act as the primary translator: Convert legal and technical work into clear, business-centric narratives for Finance, Operations, and other legal and non-legal stakeholders.
• Bridge the gap between legal risk management and financial performance, ensuring Finance understands the ROI of legal initiatives and the strategic necessity of the department’s resource requirements.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the centralized Legal Operations team, ensuring that department-specific needs are optimally coordinated into Cisco’s broader operational frameworks.
• Lead the annual and quarterly fiscal year (FY) planning process, ensuring all department priorities are mapped to corporate objectives.
• Facilitate department-wide strategic discussions, ensuring decision-making is data-driven and aligned with the SVP’s vision.
• Supervise and report on progress against key strategic outcomes, providing the SVP with actionable insights to share with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).
• Develop and maintain dashboards that visualize the impact of the department’s successes and initiatives.
• Lead the strategy and execution of executive communications, including ELT updates, All-Hands meetings, and board-level presentations.
• Develop and maintain a Knowledge Management framework, ensuring that expertise is assembled and accessible during team reorganizations and succession planning.
• Act as a sounding board for the SVP, translating sophisticated legal/ issues into concise narratives for internal and external stakeholders.

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
• 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
• performance-based incentive pay

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager