Leader, Product Operations

The application window is expected to close on: 07/06/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

The application window is expected to close on: June 25, 2026.

NOTE: Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Candidate must be local to the San Jose, RTP, or Austin area, as this is a hybrid role requiring 2-3 days in office.

Meet the Team

The Global Process Operations (GPO) group is a core part of the Product Operations Central team, providing centralized expertise that strengthens the strategic and operational framework for Business Units (BUs) across Cisco’s product portfolio. This team partners with cross-functional leaders to define product lifecycle management (PLM) strategies, improve operational efficiency, and drive innovation and transformation across NPI, sustaining, and end-to-end supply chain processes.

Your Impact

In this role, you will serve as a key partner to Business Units and cross-functional teams, ensuring operational processes are scalable, efficient, and aligned with business objectives. You will leverage data, analytics, and process expertise to find opportunities for transformation, improve operational performance, and influence strategic decision-making.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-impact team at the intersection of product operations, supply chain, and business transformation, helping Cisco deliver innovation at scale while driving operational excellence across the enterprise.

• Lead and mentor a team of Global Process Owners (GPOs), process owners, and data teams leading data-oriented process enhancements.
• Drive process governance, accountability, and operational excellence across NPI and sustaining product lifecycles.
• Define and implement process strategy by standardizing and optimizing global operations to improve scalability, efficiency, quality, and business agility.
• Establish governance frameworks, policies, and lifecycle controls that ensure consistent execution, compliance, and alignment across the organization.
• Leverage data analytics and performance metrics to identify risks, uncover improvement opportunities, and communicate actionable insights to executive leadership through compelling storytelling and dashboards.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to deliver integrated solutions and support strategic business objectives.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, using data-driven decision making to resolve operational challenges, measure transformation outcomes, and strengthen end-to-end supply chain performance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in supply chain, product operations, compliance, program management, or related functions within a global hardware manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in process design, governance, standardization, and continuous improvement across complex, cross-functional organizations.
• Strong knowledge of global supply chain operations, trade compliance, country-of-origin regulations, tariffs, and supplier compliance management.
• Proven leadership, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders, leverage data-driven insights, and drive organizational change at scale.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep understanding of hardware manufacturing, NPI, and end-to-end supply chain dynamics.
• Familiarity with compliance-tracking tools, trade compliance, and Country of Origin (COO) regulations.
• Experience in managing competing priorities and driving measurable business results in a fast-paced, global environment.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

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 things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. 

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:The starting salary range posted for this position is $159,800.00 to $202,300.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks.  Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and 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

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$159,800.00 - $232,600.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$141,700.00 - $206,400.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.