Partner Ecosystem Lead, Platforms and OEM

This remote role is open to US-based candidates; no relocation is available. Application window closes 10/28/2026.

About the team

You will join the Global GTM Incubation & Emerging Technologies team, responsible for commercializing and scaling Cisco’s newest technology innovations. Sourced directly from our Product and Business Units, these rapid innovations require a specialized, agile approach to find market fit before they can be absorbed by the mainstream sales force. Our mission is to partner with Product leaders to develop, test, and validate early-stage GTM hypotheses, secure the company’s first “lighthouse” customer wins, and build the repeatable sales and partner playbooks required to bring these products into the broader Specialist and Generalist sales organizations.

Responsibilities

• Own a defined ISV, neocloud/hyperscaler, and frontier-model-provider portfolio for products under incubation.
• Qualify partner models and customer routes; form joint value propositions.
• Drive product and technical-commercial workstreams for embedded, sell-to, sell-through, marketplace, and OEM offers.
• Produce route-specific blueprints covering API/SDK, tenancy, entitlement, metering, telemetry, RBAC, data handling, branding, lifecycle, support, and partner billing.
• Operate as an autonomous individual contributor tracking partner opportunities through validation gates.
• Ensure independent partner-plan ownership, complex joint-offer design and execution, senior stakeholder coordination, and measurable pilot and commercial outcomes within assigned portfolio.

Requirements

• 8+ years experience in partner ecosystem development, specifically managing ISV, neocloud, hyperscaler, or OEM relationships.
• 5+ years validated background in Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and emerging technologies commercialization, including securing early-stage customer wins.
• 5+ years demonstrated ability to design and execute complex joint offers, including embedded, sell-to, sell-through, and marketplace models.
• Strong technical competence with the ability to produce route-specific blueprints covering APIs, tenancy, telemetry, data handling, and lifecycle management.

Preferred qualifications

• Advanced financial and P&L literacy to validate architecture, economics, and contract structures for partner offers.
• Expertise in strategic negotiation for complex technical-commercial workstreams and partner billing models.
• Experience building repeatable sales and partner playbooks for early-stage technology incubation.
• Deep understanding of neocloud taxonomy, frontier-model providers, and route-specific economics.
• Proven ability to operate autonomously while tracking partner opportunities and validation gates to measurable commercial outcomes.

Pay

Starting salary range for U.S./Canada: $266,100 – $346,200 (base only; excludes incentive compensation, equity, and benefits). Individual pay determined by hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training.

• New York City Metro Area: $266,100 – $398,100
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $246,300 – $380,000

For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, ranges include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined. Non-sales roles eligible for annual bonuses per Cisco policies. Sales incentive structure: 0.75% of incentive target per 1% revenue attainment up to 50% quota; 1.5% per 1% between 50–75%; 1% per 1% between 75–100%; at or above 1% per 1% above 100% with no cap. Non-quota sales elements may pay 0–125% of target. No minimum threshold for sales incentive compensation.

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
• Restricted stock unit grants (vesting with continued employment)
• Paid time away: 10 paid holidays per full calendar year + 1 floating holiday (non-exempt); 1 paid birthday off; paid year-end holiday shutdown; 4 paid personal wellness days (Cisco-determined)
• Non-exempt: 16 days paid vacation per full calendar year (accrued 4.92 hrs/pay period)
• Exempt: flexible vacation program (no defined limit, subject to availability/business limitations)
• 80 hours sick time on hire date and each January 1; up to 80 hours unused sick time carried forward
• Additional paid time for critical/emergency family issues
• Optional 10 paid volunteer days per full calendar year
• Illinois employees participate in a unique time-off program to meet local requirements