This role can be performed anywhere in the United States. Application Deadline: December 10, 2025.
Overview:
The Leader, Global Sales Compensation Strategy is responsible for governing, designing, implementing, and managing sales compensation programs that align with Cisco's business objectives and drive sales performance. This role has a focus on Architecture (Specialist) sales teams and requires a strategic mindset to develop compensation plans and programs that motivate sales teams, support revenue growth, and ensure compliance with corporate policies and local regulations.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead and influence the Architecture sales compensation strategy, along with Architecture business partners, ensuring alignment with Cisco's global sales goals and market dynamics.
Design, manage, and govern sales incentive plans, including bonus plans and plan constructs across all Architectures.
Collaborate with sales leadership, finance, HR, and legal teams to ensure compensation plans are competitive, compliant, and effectively communicated.
Analyze sales performance data and market trends to recommend adjustments to compensation plans that drive desired behaviors and outcomes.
Lead cross-functional initiatives related to sales compensation, including policy updates, system enhancements, and training programs.
Serve as a subject matter expert on applicable sales compensation programs, policies, governance, and best practices.
Manage relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners, including worker councils where applicable.
Drive continuous improvement in sales compensation processes and tools to enhance efficiency and seller experience.
Minimum Qualifications:
10 or more years of relevant work experience; 5 or more years of experience in Sales Compensation or a related field.
Strong experience in sales compensation design and strategy, preferably in a technology or complex sales environment.
Analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data and market trends.
Preferred Qualifications:
Expertise in incentive plan design, quota setting, and/or pay mix optimization.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Knowledge of relevant legal and compliance requirements related to compensation.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Familiarity with sales compensation tools and platforms is a plus.
Success Measures:
Understandability and adoption of sales compensation plans
Effective alignment of plans with Cisco's strategic priorities.
High levels of sales team motivation and quota attainment.
Compliance with compensation policies and local regulations.
Positive feedback from sales leadership and employees on compensation programs.
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 $165,000.00 to $208,000.00 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:
$180,400.00 - $261,400.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$170,000.00 - $246,300.00
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.
Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.
Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
