Strategy & Planning Manager

The application window is expected to close on 11/07/2026. Splunk, a Cisco company, builds a safer and more resilient digital world with an end-to-end full stack platform for hybrid, multi-cloud environments. Leading enterprises use the unified security and observability platform to keep digital systems secure and reliable.

Responsibilities

• Act as the consultative technical authority on Observability Cloud and OpenTelemetry (OTel) for Partner CX Practice Leads and Principal Architects.
• Whiteboard, review, and advise on complex multi-cloud monitoring architectures (APM, Infrastructure Monitoring, Log/Digital Experience/Synthetic Monitoring) delivered by partner technical teams.
• Guide partners on Kubernetes instrumentation standards, distributed tracing methodologies, and standardizing data ingestion pipelines using the OpenTelemetry Collector.
• Provide expert consultative guidance to partner delivery teams to de-risk complex implementations, eliminate deployment friction, and accelerate customer time-to-value.
• Develop and execute partner-led customer success strategies, drive strategic business model projects, and influence cross-functional leaders to formulate long-term priorities for ecosystem growth.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of total experience across enterprise architecture, partner solutions architecture, technical consulting, or partner strategy.
• 5+ years of experience focused on cloud-native observability, APM, or distributed systems monitoring.
• Deep architectural proficiency in modern observability domains (APM, RUM, Metrics/Logs/Traces correlation, and OpenTelemetry standards) and containerized environments (Kubernetes, Docker).
• Demonstrated leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills to influence senior leaders across various geographies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current certifications or consultant accreditations in Splunk (e.g., Splunk Observability Consultant I/II, Splunk Core Certified Consultant) or equivalent enterprise platforms (Datadog, Dynatrace, New Relic).
• Current Cloud-Native & Open Source Accreditations such as CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator), CKAD, OpenTelemetry Certified Associate (OTCA), or Prometheus Certified Associate (PCA).
• Current Hyperscaler Certifications including AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, or Google Cloud Certified Professional.
• Excellence in strategy development, including project management, business analysis, and complex problem-solving.
• Outstanding business judgment with the ability to combine strategic decision-making with tactical execution.

Benefits

Cisco offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S. employees, subject to plan eligibility rules:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Eligibility for grants of Cisco restricted stock units (vesting over 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 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 of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, with up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward
• Additional paid time away for critical or emergency family issues
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
• Annual bonus eligibility for non-sales roles (subject to Cisco policies)

Employees in Illinois participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements. See the Cisco careers site for more benefits and perks.

Pay

The starting salary range for this position in the U.S. and/or Canada is $155,500.00 to $226,800.00, not including incentive compensation, equity, or benefits. Individual pay is determined by hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. Specific ranges by location:

• New York City Metro Area: $198,500.00 – $324,100.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $180,200.00 – $278,600.00

For locations not listed, the recruiter can share compensation details during the hiring process. For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, posted ranges include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined. This is a non-sales role eligible for annual bonuses.