Solutions Engineer - Technical Program Manager
Job Description
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Candidate must live in or be willing to relocate to location.
About the Role:
We are seeking a highly organized and results-oriented Technical Program Manager (TPM) to join our strategic sales partnerships team. In this critical role, you will be instrumental in driving the success of Cisco's engagement with top-tier hyperscaler accounts. You will act as a key liaison between our Engineering and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) teams and the technical program management leads at our most strategic customers. Your primary focus will be to manage the end-to-end lifecycle of key features and programs, from initial concept through development and production, ensuring a seamless handoff to our Customer Experience (CX) teams.
This role requires an exceptional ability to manage multiple complex projects concurrently, bring order to ambiguous or chaotic environments, and translate intricate technical discussions into clear, concise executive-level reports. You will be expected to drive results and influence stakeholders across various organizations, even without direct reporting lines.
Key Responsibilities:
Program Lifecycle Management: Own and manage the execution of technical programs and feature development initiatives from ideation to production, ensuring alignment with strategic customer roadmaps and Cisco's product strategy.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Engineering, PLM, and Sales teams to define, prioritize, and track feature requirements, ensuring technical solutions meet market and customer needs.
Customer Engagement: Build and maintain strong working relationships with Technical Program Management leads at strategic hyperscaler accounts, understanding their technical challenges and roadmaps.
Strategic Alignment: Ensure that program deliverables and timelines are aligned with the strategic goals of both Cisco and our hyperscaler partners, directly supporting sales objectives and account growth.
Executive Reporting & Communication: Translate complex technical information and program status into high-level, actionable reports and presentations for senior management and key stakeholders.
Organizational Leadership: Bring structure, process, and clarity to complex, multi-project environments, proactively identifying and mitigating risks.
Influencing Without Authority: Effectively drive progress and achieve objectives by influencing cross-functional teams and external partners, leveraging strong communication and negotiation skills.
Handoff to CX: Ensure a smooth and well-documented transition of programs and features to Customer Experience (CX) teams post-production.
Qualifications:
Proven experience in technical program management, product management, or a related field, with a strong understanding of software development lifecycles.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, concurrent projects in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Exceptional organizational skills and a track record of bringing structure and clarity to complex initiatives.
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior executives.
Experience working with or understanding of major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their ecosystems is highly desirable.
Experience working with large, strategic enterprise accounts or hyperscalers is a significant plus.
Proven ability to influence and drive results from cross-functional teams and external partners without direct authority.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in a technical program management role
Understanding of the sales cycle and customer engagement.
Familiarity with program management tools and methodologies.
Experience managing programs related to cloud infrastructure, networking, or enterprise software solutions.
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 $170,300.00 to $215,000.00 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:
$170,300.00 - $247,200.00Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$163,800.00 - $237,800.00* 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.