Leader, Employee Relations

Location: US Remote

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Human Resources leader with strong Employee Relations (ER) experience to lead a team of ER Consultants in the Americas region. The role will report to the Regional Director of Employee Relations for Americas and is part of Cisco’s People & Communities (P&C) organization. The Global ER team is responsible for the fair and respectful treatment of employees through the investigation of workplace complaints and advising on HR policies and practices and complex employment matters. The role will collaborate with business leaders, P&C partners, and cross-functional stakeholders to address employee concerns, conduct investigations, and be a consultative partner on complex employee relations matters. The position requires deep subject matter expertise, HR leadership experience, strong communication, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing ER team as part of the Americas ER leadership team, working in close alignment and collaboration with other ER Leaders in the US and globally.
• Guide the team in conducting complex workplace investigations, maintaining comprehensive case files, and providing timely communication to relevant parties.
• Provide collaborative guidance to People Partners and management on topics ranging from policy interpretation, workplace investigations, disciplinary action recommendations, and workforce reductions.
• Ensure consistent application of policies and procedures and provide guidance on best practices, solutions, and ways to mitigate risks while balancing business needs with fair resolution of issues.
• Review and advise on discipline and termination documentation—tailoring and delivering recommendations to help influence the right outcomes with stakeholders while mitigating risk to Cisco.
• Drive a continuous improvement culture within the Employee Relations team, role-modeling change and driving operational rigor and accountability.
• Inspire and mentor team members, enabling their professional growth and development.
• Partner closely and collaboratively with People Partners, People Legal, People Care Crisis, Leader Consulting, Offboarding, and other teams to deliver HR strategies.
• Uphold and integrate Cisco’s Guiding Principles and conscious culture in all actions, decisions, and interactions. Foster a culture of integrity, respect, and accountability in every aspect of Employee Relations.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources.
• 5+ years’ experience handling complex Employee Relations investigations.
• 2+ years in an HR or ER leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of US employment and labor laws and compliance requirements; experience in Canada and Latin America preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to exercise good judgment during challenging, sensitive, complex, and ambiguous situations.
• Ability to execute with quality, a sense of urgency, and accountability.
• Comfortable challenging the status quo and taking smart risks.
• Experience leading a team through change, building trust, and fostering inclusion.
• Experience influencing and coaching senior-level and executive business leaders.
• Inclusive team leadership style embracing a growth mindset and continuous learning.
• Ability to multi-task and work proactively, managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly motivated, confident, proactive, and intellectually curious.
• Willing to embrace new approaches and technologies.
• Technically proficient in Microsoft tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint (Experience with HR Acuity a plus).

About Cisco

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era—and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Pay

The starting salary range for this position is $164,700.00 to $209,000.00 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 certain locations, the full salary range is listed below:

• New York City Metro Area: $195,400.00 - $289,500.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $177,200.00 - $257,500.00

For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

Benefits

• 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.
• Eligibility for grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
• Paid time away, subject to Cisco’s policies:
  • 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.
  • Non-exempt employees receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees.
  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, with no defined limit on vacation time (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 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.
• 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 their base salary, split between quota and non-quota components.