Director, Product Management

Meet the Team: Outshift is Cisco’s incubation engine, dedicated to exploring ambitious, innovative ideas and experimenting with technologies that shape the future. Our team is a diverse, distributed group of experts passionate about the "zero to one" journey—taking groundbreaking technology like Quantum and AI from research to enterprise-ready solutions. We value rapid iteration, "failing fast," and solving the hardest problems at the forefront of the tech landscape.

About the role

If you are a dual-natured leader who can shift between technical deep-dives and high-level financial/market strategy, this is a great opportunity! We function as a high-agility startup within the Cisco ecosystem, focusing on the 12-to-60-month innovation horizon. You will influence senior leadership and help steer the direction of our incubation portfolio.

As the Director of Product Management, you will lead the strategy for emerging technologies including quantum networking and cryptography. You will serve as the central resource for market analysis, evaluating startup ecosystems and venture capital trends to inform Cisco’s investment and product roadmap. You will drive the early-stage conceptualization process, collaborating with research and engineering to define product-market fit.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree + 15 years of related experience supporting technical product development and delivery
• Demonstrated experience in early-stage product incubation or "zero to one" market entry
• Confirmed background in venture capital or financial market analysis
• Proven experience and deep familiarity with quantum technologies and markets
• 4+ years of supervisory or leadership experience working directly with infrastructure technology teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a startup or high-growth scale-up environment
• Strong network within the AI and Quantum research communities
• Ability to perform competitive analysis using tools like PitchBook, CB Insights, or Crunchbase
• Experience with Hyperscaler technologies
• The ability to thrive in highly ambiguous, constantly evolving environments

Benefits

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 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 for defined periods
• Paid time away:
  • 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
  • 4 paid days off for personal wellness
  • Non-exempt employees: 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at 4.92 hours per pay period
  • Exempt employees: Flexible vacation time off with no defined limit (subject to availability and business limitations)
  • 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, with up to 80 hours carried forward
  • Additional paid time away for critical or emergency family issues
  • Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
• Annual bonuses for non-sales roles, subject to Cisco’s policies

Pay

The starting salary range for this position is $230,100.00 to $325,300.00 for new hires 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.

For quota-based sales roles, the ranges include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined. Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay, split between quota and non-quota components. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays:

• 0.75% 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%
• 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, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target.

Full salary ranges by location:

• New York City Metro Area: $230,100.00 - $374,100.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $216,500.00 - $337,000.00

Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.