Description
The Cisco Product Operations team is looking for a visionary and experienced leader to scale and provide strategic oversight for our integrated product operations team.
You will be responsible for influencing and driving organizational strategy, mentoring a high-performing team of engineers and program managers, and driving operational excellence across the full product lifecycle.
High-Level Responsibilities
- Define and execute the strategic roadmap for the product operations organization to support global scale and efficiency.
- Provide leadership and career mentorship to a diverse team of Electrical, Mechanical, and Test Development Engineers and Program Managers.
- Foster deep collaboration with Hardware Engineering and Supply Chain partners to ensure seamless transitions from NPI through End-of-Life.
- Oversee organizational quality benchmarks and drive proactive risk mitigation across the product portfolio.
- Champion value engineering and cost avoidance initiatives to maximize gross margins and operational profitability.
- Facilitate executive-level communications to provide status updates, performance insights, and strategic recommendations.
- Lead the development of processes and technology frameworks that enable our teams to innovate faster and solve complex technical challenges.
- Ensure adherence to rigorous operational standards and financial stewardship across all hardware programs.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in product operations, supply chain, or engineering leadership within the high-tech industry.
- Proven track record of building and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment.
- Expertise in full product lifecycle management (NPI to EOL) and deep understanding of manufacturing dynamics.
- Advanced ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive strategy without direct authority.
- Outstanding written, verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated success in managing complex budgets and operational performance metrics.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Engineering or an MBA.
- Experience leading large-scale electronics manufacturing operations or hyper-scaler infrastructure programs.
- Certification in Project Management (PMP) or process improvement methodologies (Six Sigma).
- Deep familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and enterprise PLM systems.
- Experience scaling organizations through periods of significant growth or technical transformation.