Global Head of Retail Vertical AI Sales

The application window is expected to close on:
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

Meet the Team

Join our team and help shape a lasting impact on the world. Cisco is the engine of modern artificial intelligence-the most significant technology breakthrough of our time-and is redefining the Retail landscape. The Cisco Global AI Sales Team exists to build and drive a unified AI go-to-market strategy across Cisco's global sales organization that will expand our customer base and exceed on-target revenue goals. We are seeking a Retail Vertical Leader to define, industrialize, and globally scale differentiated Retail solutions. Our focus is above the hardware - bringing together deep industry fluency and world-class Secure AI solutions that will help customers navigate the AI landscape with confidence, precision, and a decisive competitive edge. We drive AI-led growth by activating teams worldwide, delivering vertical expertise, and building the scalable tools and programs that empower every seller to win with AI.

Your Impact

As the Global Retail Leader of AI Solutions, you will own the end-to-end strategy, pipeline, and revenue narrative for your vertical. You are the senior thought leader and primary cross-functional point of contact across GEO sales, Business Units, Channel, Marketing, and ISV / solution partners. You define how Cisco wins in your vertical - setting GTM direction, leading executive engagements, influencing investment decisions, and coaching a matrixed vertical team of "Peaked" sellers who execute in the field. Responsibilities include:

• Develop, build and implement the vertical growth strategy
• Team Leadership & organizational alignment across global cross matrixed vertical team; Serving as primary thought leader and senior stakeholder across GEOs, Business Units, Channel, Marketing, and ISV/solution partners for your vertical
• Define, create and communicate the AI vertical strategy and GTM direction - the "what to sell and how to sell" for your vertical
• Own vertical P&L narrative, pipeline and bookings performance against vertical targets
• Create a strong vertical pipeline through solution-led motions including programs and sales resources. (use-case plays, co-sell with partners, executive value stories) rather than product-led selling
• Build and develop lighthouse customer relationships that serve as references and demand generators, value proof points, and reusable assets that make solutions easier to sell, deliver, and scale
• Lead executive-level customer and partner engagements, including competitive escalations and C-suite conversations
• Influence investment decisions and resource allocation across a matrixed organization without direct authority
• Translate AI market trends, customer signals, and competitive dynamics into actionable GTM plays
• Lead vertical QBRs and drive pipeline health reviews across the global team
• Coach and guide both the matrixed vertical team and "Peaked" GEO sellers assigned to your vertical
• Collaborate with Alliance and Channel teams to maximize ISV and partner co-sell value within the vertical
• Travel at >30% of time with focus on customer facing engagements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in vertical Business
• 10+ years of enterprise technology sales or go-to-market experience
• 5+ years working in senior roles in Retail market
• Demonstrated experience in the Retail ecosystem
• Demonstrated track record of owning revenue targets and building vertical sales strategies at scale
• Deep understanding of the Retail industry's regulatory environment, buying dynamics, and technology priorities
• Executive presence, with the ability to operate and influence at C-suite level
• Proven ability to lead and align cross-functional, matrixed organizations without direct authority
• Comfort operating at a fast pace with ambiguity and driving alignment across global, matrixed teams spanning product, engineering, channel, delivery, and sales

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business, Computer Science, or a related field
• Hands-on experience with AI, ML, or data platform solutions in vertical context
• Background in full-stack technology solutions (networking, security, compute, observability)
• rack record of building and scaling new GTM motions in competitive markets
• Experience leading global or multi-region teams and programs

Why 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.


Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $313,900.00 to $418,000.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position 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. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, 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 determined by Cisco
• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
• Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and 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 also 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, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .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%; and
• 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 such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:
$313,900.00 - $471,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$304,300.00 - $441,700.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

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