Responsibilities

• Thought Leadership: Drive a consistent, high-impact media drumbeat to strengthen Cisco’s positioning across key People priorities, including AI workforce transformation, organizational leadership and key skilling initiatives related to AI, cybersecurity and more.
• Executive Positioning: Serve as a trusted advisor to key People executives and their benches, identifying and securing high-profile external platforms, including bylines, awards, speaking opportunities at premier industry conferences and events.
• Media Relations & Storytelling: Proactively pitch and secure high-visibility feature stories, quotes, and strong message pull-through across top business, tech, policy, and HR vertical outlets, as well as emerging media platforms like podcasts.
• Issues Management: Counsel internal stakeholders and help coordinate swift, thoughtful communications strategies on sensitive topics; help ensure message clarity and factual reporting.
• Agency Management and Operational Efficiency: Direct external PR agency partners as an extension of the internal team; ensure our PR strategy is well understood and translated into high impact results.
• Communicate Impact: Track, measure and communicate results to stakeholders and team leadership, with emphasis on impact and outcomes.
• AI Innovation & Workflow Automation: Continuously optimize PR operations and accelerate team deliverable timelines by actively experimenting with and adopting generative AI tools, agents and automated AI workflows.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, or related fields.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with top-tier business, technology, HR or policy media; demonstrated success in securing high-impact feature coverage.
• Experience developing and executing communications strategies for a defined portfolio or business area; strong knowledge of competitive landscape and stakeholder needs.
• Demonstrated capability in crisis and issue management on sensitive topics under tight deadlines.
• Experience leading and collaborating on cross-functional campaigns and project timelines for multi-channel initiatives.
• Comfort with ambiguity and proven ability to balance global communications goals with functional and regional needs.

Preferred

• Experience in artificial intelligence, people, HR, policy, or corporate culture communications.
• Track record of developing and executing transformational corporate narratives during periods of organizational change.
• Established experience using AI tools to streamline workflows or automate communications tasks.
• Experience working with or managing external PR agency partners on integrated campaigns.
• Familiarity with measurement and analytics frameworks that tie PR programs to strategic outcomes.

Benefits

• medical, dental and vision insurance
• a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
• paid parental leave
• short and long-term disability coverage
• basic life insurance
• 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)