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Remote United States- West Coast Preferred

Meet the Team

We're building the future of Digital Communications.

Cisco is transforming its Digital Communications organization into a world-class, AI-native owned media organization, combining the discipline of a newsroom, the innovation of a lab, the creativity of a studio, the intelligence of a performance analytics team, and the speed of AI.

Our ambition isn't simply to keep pace with the communications industry; we're building the blueprint we believe others will benchmark against.

At the heart of that transformation is Editorial Strategy.

This newly created function serves as the front door for all owned storytelling. It sets the editorial agenda, leads story prioritization, establishes governance, and creates the systems that enable our organization to operate like a modern media company.

If you're energized by building something from the ground up, not just managing an existing program—this is a rare opportunity to shape how one of the world's most recognized technology brands tells its story.

What You'll Build

As Director, Editorial Strategy, you'll build and lead Cisco's editorial strategy function.

You'll establish Editorial Strategy as the single intake point for all owned storytelling, connecting business priorities, audience insights, editorial judgment, and channel strategy into one integrated editorial roadmap.

Rather than reacting to content requests, you'll shape the stories Cisco chooses to tell. You'll determine where we invest editorial resources, how stories fit together across channels, and how we consistently deliver content that earns attention, builds trust, and advances Cisco's reputation.

You'll lead editorial strategy across Story Lab, the Cisco Newsroom, blogs, and future owned media experiences while partnering closely with leaders across Content Studio, Visual Storytelling, Digital Channels, Executive Communications, Product Communications, Public Relations, Analyst Relations, and the broader Global Communications organization.

Most importantly, you'll build the editorial planning processes, governance, and operating model that enable Cisco to move faster without sacrificing quality.

This isn't simply an editorial leadership role.

It's an opportunity to build the editorial engine behind one of the world's most respected technology brands.

What You'll Do

Own Cisco's Editorial Strategy

• Develop and own Cisco's editorial strategy, translating business priorities into a proactive editorial agenda.
• Define what stories Cisco tells, and just as importantly, what it doesn't.
• Lead the editorial direction for Story Lab, the Cisco Newsroom, blogs, and future owned media experiences.
• Establish a cohesive editorial roadmap that aligns business priorities with audience needs.

Lead Editorial Planning & Prioritization

• Build and lead annual, quarterly, monthly, and sprint-based editorial planning.
• Establish Editorial Strategy as the single intake point for all owned storytelling requests.
• Evaluate and prioritize opportunities based on strategic value, audience relevance, editorial quality, and available capacity.
• Create transparency around priorities, tradeoffs, and resource allocation.

Build Editorial Governance

• Design Cisco's editorial governance framework and operating model.
• Partner with Visual Storytelling to establish shared editorial and creative standards across every owned storytelling experience.
• Develop planning processes, quality standards, and decision-making frameworks that improve consistency while increasing speed.
• Ensure every story reflects Cisco's editorial standards, audience needs, and business priorities.

Build an AI-Native Editorial Organization

• Reimagine editorial workflows using AI.
• Embed AI across planning, ideation, research, drafting, production, and measurement while maintaining strong editorial judgment.
• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency, unlock creativity, and improve editorial decision-making through AI.

Build and Lead a High-Performing Team

Lead and develop a growing editorial organization, including:

• Editorial Planning & Enablement
• Editorial Operations & Intake
• Newsroom & Blogs

Create a culture grounded in editorial excellence, experimentation, accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

Partner Across Global Communications

Partner closely with leaders across:

• Content Studio
• Visual Storytelling
• Digital Channels
• Executive Communications
• Public Relations
• Analyst Relations
• Product Communications
• Employee Communications

Ensure Cisco speaks with one integrated editorial voice across every owned channel.

Minimum Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience leading editorial strategy, digital publishing, journalism, owned media, enterprise content, or related disciplines.
• Proven success building editorial planning processes, governance models, and operating frameworks.
• Exceptional editorial judgment and storytelling instincts.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives within complex, matrixed organizations.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leaders and build alignment across functions.
• Experience hiring, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational transformation and operational change.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a modern newsroom, digital publisher, media company, or owned media organization.
• Experience building or scaling editorial or owned media functions.
• Experience implementing AI-enabled editorial workflows.
• Strong understanding of audience-first storytelling, digital publishing, SEO, newsletters, analytics, and emerging content platforms.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide content transformation initiatives.
• Passion for experimentation, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Success in Your First Year

Within your first 12 months, you will:

• Establish Editorial Strategy as the trusted front door for all owned storytelling.
• Launch a transparent editorial planning and prioritization process that improves strategic focus and operational clarity.
• Build governance that improves both quality and speed across every owned channel.
• Shift the organization from reactive content production to proactive, audience-first storytelling.
• Strengthen Story Lab, the Cisco Newsroom, and blogs as flagship owned media destinations.
• Embed AI into editorial workflows to improve efficiency and unlock new creative possibilities.
• Help establish Cisco as the benchmark for owned media in enterprise technology.

Why This Role Matters

Every great media organization starts with a strong editorial function.

At Cisco, Editorial Strategy sits at the center of our Digital Communications operating model. It ensures we're telling the right stories, at the right time, for the right audiences—and that every piece of owned storytelling reflects the quality, consistency, and ambition of our brand.

This role isn't simply leading an editorial team.

It's building the editorial strategy function that will define the future of Digital Communications at Cisco.

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 $230,000.00 to $289,800.00 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:

$230,000.00 - $333,300.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$207,000.00 - $300,000.00

* 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.