Sr Director - SBG (Data Analytics, Business Operation and AI Transformation)

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

Meet the Team

Cisco's Security Business Group (SBG) is a global leader in delivering advanced security solutions, helping customers address ever-evolving security challenges. As Cisco shifts aggressively to a software and recurring revenue model, SBG leads this transformation, with over $2B in annual revenue and 40%+ YoY growth in software recurring revenue.

We are seeking a dynamic, innovative, and technically strong Senior Director, Data Analytics, Business Operations and AI Transformation to enable the organization's AI-driven growth and operational excellence by integrating advanced analytics and AI capabilities into business operations and strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

The Senior Director will lead and oversee the strategic direction and execution of data analytics, business operations, and AI transformation initiatives. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence, leveraging data-driven insights, and spearheading AI adoption to enhance business performance and innovation. The Senior Director will collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage resources, and ensure alignment with organizational goals to deliver measurable business outcomes.

• Lead the development and implementation of data analytics strategies to support business decision-making and operational efficiency.
• Oversee business operations to optimize processes, reduce costs, and improve productivity across departments.
• Drive AI transformation initiatives by identifying opportunities for AI integration, managing AI projects, and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
• Collaborate with executive leadership, business units, and technical teams to align AI and analytics initiatives with overall business strategy.
• Establish governance frameworks for responsible AI use, ensuring compliance with ethical, legal, and regulatory standards.
• Manage and develop a high-performing team of data scientists, analysts, operations managers, and AI specialists.
• Monitor AI performance, ROI, and impact on business outcomes, adjusting strategies as needed to maximize value.
• Champion workforce development by promoting AI literacy, upskilling, and reskilling programs to prepare teams for evolving technology landscapes.
• Oversee risk management related to data quality, security, privacy, and AI implementation.
• Foster partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including AI developers, legal, compliance, and business leaders, to support AI initiatives and operational goals.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in data analytics, business operations, or digital transformation, with at least 10 years in a leadership role within a global technology organization.
• Demonstrable experience directly managing and developing high-performing, cross-functional teams of 100+ individuals, including data scientists, analysts, and operations managers or similar talent.
• Proven experience working directly with AI technologies, data science lifecycles, and business process optimization frameworks (e.g., Lean Six Sigma or Agile).
• Demonstrable experience establishing and overseeing AI governance and data privacy frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree (e.g., Science, Business, Statistics, Economics, or Engineering)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in AI literacy, prompt engineering, and data fundamentals.
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and project management in AI and analytics contexts.
• Experience with AI governance frameworks and risk mitigation strategies.
• Demonstrated success in fostering innovation and continuous improvement in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment.
• Strong collaboration skills with legal, compliance, finance, and IT teams.

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.

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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* 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.