Director, Strategy & Planning

The application window is expected to close on: 08/17/2026

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

** Meet the Team*
* Americas Sales Strategy, Planning, and Operations (SP&O) is a dynamic organization where innovation and technology come together to help our sales teams deliver on customer outcomes. We partner closely with Sales Leadership, Operations, Finance, and Business Units to drive strategic initiatives that fuel sales growth. Our team is collaborative, forward-thinking, and focused on enabling success across the Americas Specialist sales organization.

** Your Impact*
* As the Sales GTM Strategy, Planning & Operations Director reporting to the Senior Director, you will:

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** Build Growth Plan:
** Develop Annual/Long Range strategic sales growth plan through structure frameworks, partnerships with cross functional teams, and the build-out of a repeatable sales play engine. Design & operationalize growth priorities (including KPIs) with the structure PMO approach.

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** Holistic Planning Engine:
** Serve as the primary orchestrator for End-to-End planning (meaning bringing everything together that's Including GTM Strategy, Operations, Readiness, Recognition, Events) - which includes process, structure & milestone deliverables by partnering with cross functional groups. Ensure all tasks are meticulously captured, assigned, tracked, and driven to timely completion.

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** Run the Hub (Business Management System):
** Own and Govern Americas Specialist sales/SP&O cadence (Standard operating model / procedure / process / rhythm & run-of-show).

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** Operations Excellence:
** Partner with revenue operations & execution teams on key operations activities (Compensation, Readiness) & initiatives supporting the Specialist group.

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** Strategic Initiative Leadership:
** Identify, develop, and lead high-impact strategic sales initiatives that align with the organization's goals and drive transformation across global markets.

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** Conduct Strategic, Data-Driven Analyses (using Market Research, Business & Competitive intelligence):
** Identify levers to grow across discrete new, renew, and expand sales motions. Advise GTM strategy that supports growth and scale of the global business. Define and leverage GTM levers to instrument growth-driven programs in our business.

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** Advisory:
** Be a strategic partner & advisor to Specialist sales leader (VP/SVP) and support end to end on Strategy, Planning & Operations aspects of Specialist group.

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** People Leadership:
** Serve as a people leader and guide a dynamic Sales GTM Strategy Planning & Operations team by providing strategic guidance and insights to drive innovation and continuous improvement in sales practices.

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** Executive Communication:
** Tell the growth plan & priorities story in both what we need to do and how we will do to senior executives across sales, specialist, product business unit and executive leadership teams. Prepare Americas Sales Head / COO for the Board, ELT and SLT level strategic meetings and presentations.

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* Cross-functional Collaboration:

** Partner with internal stakeholders, including sales, specialist, marketing, product development, and operations, to ensure alignment and successful execution of strategic initiatives.

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** Change Management:
** Advocate for and implement change management practices that facilitate the adoption of new strategies and processes within the sales organization.

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** Strategic Assessment:
** Assess how best to spend a $1 of coverage against what customers, regions, products to increase output, including key strategic questions around renewals, customer success, field roles and Sales organization structure/governance/design.

** Minimum Qualifications*
* + 10+ years of experience in management consulting, GTM strategy, strategy planning, or sales with people leadership/management.

+ Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) required; MBA or equivalent experience preferred.

** Preferred Qualifications*
* + Proven experience in management consulting or equivalent, focusing on strategy planning and transformation within a sales context.

+ Demonstrated success leading strategy teams and developing talent.

+ Sales/GTM Strategy experience in the technology sector highly preferred.

+ Strong skills in framing business problems, conducting complex quantitative and qualitative analysis, and building executive-level recommendations.

+ Experience translating business priorities into actionable GTM programs including offer creation, campaigns, and enablement.

+ Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

+ Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and drive transformation in a complex global organization.

+ Self-starter with high initiative, able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

+ Curious, flexible, and collaborative with a growth mindset and a fail-forward attitude.

** Why Cisco?*
* At…