Strategy & Planning Manager

Translates visions into strategic goals, market positions, and transformation priorities. Forms insights and observations from internal and external data sources, including advanced analytics and AI‑driven signals, to inform forward‑looking strategies and planning decisions. Leads market and competitive analysis to inform future direction, augmenting traditional research with AI‑enabled tools. Shapes enterprise‑wide initiatives (e.g., digital transformation, recurring revenue models) while driving a holistic "One Cisco" AI strategy to identify and implement high‑impact AI opportunities across the organization.

Advises executives on business/functional strategy, investment strategy, and resource optimization, supported by data‑driven and AI‑enhanced insights. Acts as internal consultants to align cross‑functional strategic agendas, applying rigorous prioritization discipline to identify low‑value initiatives for outsourcing or termination. Develops business plans that connect long‑term vision to short‑term goals, establishing clear success criteria for every recommendation to ensure measurable outcomes. Sets targets, builds forecasts, and conducts scenario modeling, leveraging AI and advanced planning tools to evaluate trade‑offs, outcomes, and long‑term feasibility.

Facilitates annual and multi‑year planning processes, embedding rigorous feedback loops to evaluate whether initiatives are moving the needle and adjusting course accordingly. Aligns resources and capabilities with strategic priorities. Supports data‑driven decisions through planning analytics, modeling AI proficiency by embedding advanced tools and prompt engineering into daily workflows to increase analytical depth.

• Drives incremental advancements by supporting focused S&P priorities through AI-augmented modeling
• Typically, provides:
  Support to a part(s) of global S&P areas (e.g., scenario modeling for changes to key products, competitive analysis for potential new market entry), or;
  Broad enabling S&P support for a region
• Surfaces friction or divergence in developing strategic priorities or plans by leveraging AI-powered conflict-identification analysis
• Sequences activities and aligns timing with resourcing using AI-driven optimization models
• Identifies strategic opportunities and/or misalignments
• Integrates multiple analyses to shape strategic storylines supported by AI-powered synthesis models
• Monitors trends across metrics and flags gaps to intended objectives using AI-driven anomaly detection
• Advises on course corrections by connecting issues to risks and identifying resource needs based on AI-modeled impact assessments
• Drives enhancements to S&P processes that reduce friction and increase business relevance by integrating AI-driven process optimization
• Connects external shifts to customer priorities to uncover future opportunities
• Leverages competitive and portfolio knowledge to guide work of self and others
• Coordinates across teams to integrate broader perspectives
• Ensures deliverables reflect cross-functional interdependencies by leveraging AI-driven dependency mapping
• Articulates own team’s position and reinforces clarity around deliverables
• Uses setbacks and new information to strengthen own capabilities

• Previous experience using data and business insights to support planning, forecasting, scenario analysis, or strategic decision-making.
• Prior experience and ability to manage work streams independently, prioritize deliverables, and execute against defined business objectives and timelines.
• Comfortable collaborating across multiple teams and functional stakeholders to gather inputs, resolve dependencies, and deliver business outcomes.

• Strong analytical…