Director Strategic Alliances

The application window is expected to close on: 08/07/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received . Location: San Jose or Seattle, WA (Hybrid) Travel: minimal travel to be expected Meet the Team The Strategic Alliances team is part of Cisco’s Corporate Strategy organization, and defines the company’s global strategy for our most critical partnerships. You will operate as a key strategic bridge to our Alliance Partners, to understand their priorities and capabilities and align them with Cisco’s alliance strategy. You will work with teams across Cisco including product leaders, sales leaders, CTOs, systems architects and marketing professionals to ensure that our global go-to-market and technical integration efforts are synchronized to drive mutual growth.

Global Strategic Leadership:   Define and execute the multi-year global alliance strategy for our most significant cloud partners. Serve as the primary architect for joint initiatives that span multiple geographies and business units. Cross-Company Influence:   Drive complex initiatives by influencing senior leaders across Cisco’s product, engineering, and sales teams. You will be the catalyst for alignment, ensuring that internal stakeholders prioritize the partnership’s objectives. Complex Initiative Management:   Incubate and manage high-stakes, cross-functional programs that require deep collaboration to ensure successful product integration and market adoption. Executive Presence:   Act as a primary point of contact for executives at both Cisco and our partner. Navigate the "coopetition" landscape to secure long-term commitments and strategic alignment. Strategic Insight:   Provide actionable intelligence to Cisco’s leadership team regarding the partner’s strategic direction, competitive positioning, and emerging technology trends, directly shaping Cisco’s executive-level decision-making.

BA/BS degree with 10+ years of experience in business development, product management, or high-level partner management, specifically within the global cloud or networking ecosystem. Proven track record of managing large-scale, complex technology partnerships with significant strategic impact. Deep technical fluency in cloud-native architectures, including hybrid/multi-cloud, containerization, SaaS, and the security requirements of large-scale cloud environments. Expert-level communication and influence skills, with a demonstrated ability to align diverse, global stakeholders and senior executives toward a unified vision without direct line authority. Strong grasp of the strategic and competitive dynamics of the cloud industry, with the ability to translate technical concepts into high-level business strategy.

MBA or advanced degree preferred. Management Consulting Extensive experience working with U.S.-headquartered hyperscale cloud providers. Demonstrated ability to navigate the organizational complexities of a large-scale multinational technology conglomerate. Advanced proficiency in data-driven decision-making and the ability to articulate innovative thought leadership to both technical and business audiences. Why Cisco?  At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big