Hardware Project Manager

Application window closes 11/29/2026. Preferred location: RTP, NC (open to San Jose, CA).

About the role

The Common Hardware Group (CHG) creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco's core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms—like Silicon One—are shaping the technology industry. The CHG HW PMO team is the program management engine for Cisco's hardware portfolio. We partner across engineering, product management, operations, supply chain, marketing, sales, and leadership teams to turn strategy into executable plans, clear decision-making, and predictable delivery. We create operating rhythms, governance, transparency, and multi-functional coordination that help teams manage dependencies, resolve risks, and deliver products that power Cisco's customers at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead NPI project and program management activities across hardware engineering, product management, operations, marketing, account teams, EPM, power, thermal, and other partner organizations.
• Lead small to mid-sized programs with moderate complexity, multiple dependencies, and multi-functional stakeholder groups across the CHG hardware portfolio.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, deliverables, communication frameworks, and execution cadences that keep teams aligned and accountable.
• Track program health, identify risks and dependencies, drive issue resolution, and escalate decisions or blockers with clear recommendations.
• Support operational work for HW groups, coordinate planning cycles, business reviews, status reporting, leadership updates, and other operating mechanisms that improve visibility and execution.
• Establish and improve documentation frameworks, governance processes, templates, and team execution models; use collaboration, automation, and AI-enabled productivity tools responsibly to improve operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor's + 5 years of related experience, or Master's + 3 years, or PhD + 0 years, or equivalent related work experience.
• Related experience in program/project management, business operations, PMO, chief-of-staff support, or hardware design, HW manufacturing processes, NPI product development.
• Experience leading cross-functional programs or projects, including project plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, issue resolution, and stakeholder communications.
• Experience supporting business operations or leadership operating rhythms, such as staff meetings, business reviews, action tracking, executive updates, dashboards, or organizational communications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting hardware, system-level, networking, telecom, or enterprise infrastructure programs within a PMO or NPI product development environment.
• Experience in business operations, executive operations, or PMO role supporting senior leadership operating mechanisms.
• Familiarity with product development lifecycles, release readiness, change management, and launch or operational governance processes.
• Ability to operate effectively in a highly matrixed, fast-paced, and globally distributed environment while balancing program execution with operational priorities.
• Strong analytical problem-solving skills with the ability to turn ambiguous inputs into clear plans, owners, actions, and decisions.
• Experience using collaboration, automation, AI-enabled productivity, or workflow tools to improve program execution, executive communications, and team efficiency.

Pay

Starting salary range: $138,100.00 – $196,500.00 (U.S./Canada, not including incentive compensation, equity, or benefits). Individual pay determined by hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training.

• New York City Metro Area: $138,100.00 – $226,000.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $124,000.00 – $201,000.00

For non-sales roles, employees are eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies. Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of base salary per the applicable Cisco sales plan.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Grants of Cisco restricted stock units (vesting with continued employment)
• 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 (determined by Cisco)
• Non-exempt employees: 16 days paid vacation per full calendar year (accrued at 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time)
• Exempt employees: flexible vacation time off program (no defined limit, subject to availability and business limitations)
• 80 hours sick time off on hire date and each January 1st, up to 80 hours unused sick time carried forward
• Additional paid time away for critical/emergency family issues
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

Employees in Illinois participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.