Director, Internal Communications

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead strategic internal communications. Connect AI vision, technology strategy, business priorities, organizational transformation, and employee experience to Cisco’s broader AI journey.
• Advise and influence senior leaders. Serve as a trusted communications partner to executives, shaping compelling narratives, keynotes, town halls, leadership presentations, and high-stakes communications that bring complex strategies and innovations to life.
• Translate complex technology into compelling narratives. Simplify sophisticated AI, engineering, research, cloud, networking, and platform concepts into clear, engaging narratives that resonate with employees, strengthen alignment, and inspire action.
• Transform communications through AI and innovation. Modernize how content is built, personalized, distributed, and measured by using GenAI, automation, analytics, new technologies, and intelligent content workflows to improve speed, relevance, quality, and scale.
• Drive employee listening and engagement. Lead Voice of the Employee and listening strategies, using employee sentiment, engagement data, organizational insights, and AI-powered analytics to identify emerging themes, inform communications, and continuously improve the employee experience.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in internal, executive, technology or product, communications, ideally within a global technology company or high-growth technology environment.
• AI-forward attitude and fluency, with a strong understanding of how AI is transforming technology, the workplace, employee experience, and the communications function, along with willingness to experiment with emerging AI technologies.
• Experience leading communications for complex and technical ground-breaking organizations, with exposure to AI, engineering, software, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, or related technology domains.
• Executive communications and advisory experience, with the ability to influence senior leaders, navigate highly matrixed organizations, and translate business and technology strategy into compelling narratives.
• Exceptional storytelling, content creation, and communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts into clear, differentiated, and engaging narratives. Experience developing compelling content across multiple formats and channels, including executive communications, town halls, digital platforms, social media, video, and other employee engagement experiences.

Preferred

• Experience in an AI startup or mid-sized technology company, bringing an entrepreneurial attitude, agility, and a hands-on approach to developing communications strategies, creating compelling content, and amplifying emerging technologies and innovations.
• Experience using Gen AI, data, analytics, automation, and digital platforms to modernize communications, accelerate content creation, strengthen employee engagement, and generate actionable organizational insights.
• Strong executive presence and strategic influence, with experience serving as a trusted thought partner to senior engineering, product, research, and business leaders and communicating effectively in high-stakes environments.

Benefits

• 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.
• Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
• 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