Senior Engineering Program Manager

The application window is expected to close on: 11/29/2026

The application window is expected to close on: 11/13/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

Preferred location for this role : Remote everywhere within USA.

Meet the Team

Every line of code Cisco ships carries a promise of trust. Our Security Engineering team builds the foundations that enable us to keep that promise, embedding protection across the development lifecycle so security moves at the speed of engineering. The AI era is revolutionizing how we build and protect software, creating a unique opportunity to modernize security at its core. This is your chance to be a leader in this transformation.

This role lives at the heart of our Program Management Office, the team that turns security strategy into predictable, measurable delivery of services that teams across Cisco depend on. Our vision is simple: deliver the greatest security value with the lowest possible friction for Cisco's developers, winning their trust by making security the easy path. Success means protection feels effortless, costs stay low, and the services we build become ones that engineers genuinely love to use.

Above all, you'll join a team that's passionate about revolutionizing security — curious, collaborative people who love the mission and enjoy tackling the hard, meaningful problems that come with it.

Your Impact

As a Senior Engineering Program Manager, you'll lead some of Cisco's most consequential security programs. These are cross-functional, multi-year efforts that secure the software the company runs on, shape where the business is headed, and earn the attention of its most senior leaders. You'll own the outcomes end to end and the story we tell about them.

In this role, you'll face some of the hardest challenges in the industry today, and when you solve them, security lands across the board — developers across Cisco adopt the services you ship, the commitments leadership is counting on are met predictably, and Cisco's software grows measurably safer over time.

If you like to operate in deeply technical spaces, driving measurable outcomes, few roles will stretch you further, or make as material a difference in an organization.

What You'll Do

• Turn service vision into strategy and execution in partnership with Security Engineering Service Owners and Engineering Managers:

• Set the roadmap and objectives and key results, then drive delivery, holding teams accountable for KPIs to prove it's working.

• Clear the path as you go. Spot issues early, untangle dependencies, and unblock teams before they stall.

• Think like a product leader. Treat every service as a product and its developers as customers you must win:

• Optimize the security value each service delivers and make it the best it can be.

• Win hearts and minds by hunting down developer friction and redesigning in partnership with key stakeholders, so the secure path is the one they would choose anyway.

• Be the signal in the noise for leadership. Turn progress, risk, and tradeoffs into the clear picture leaders need to make the right decisions.

• Steer a portfolio of concurrent service programs. Make the tough prioritization calls when programs compete for the same people, time, and attention.

• Raise the bar for the whole team. Sharpen the program management practices, standards, and tooling everyone relies on.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's + 9 years of related experience; or Master's + 7 years; or PhD + 4 years — or equivalent combination of education, skills, and experience.

• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, complex, high-visibility programs to measurable outcomes.

• Exceptional learning agility: a track record of ramping quickly in unfamiliar, technical domains, digging beneath the surface to find the real problem, and driving resolution.

• Skilled at influencing without direct authority: a trusted team player who builds alignment across teams and partners and rallies others toward a shared goal.

• Highly self-directed: operates autonomously under ambiguity and broad scope, delivering with minimal direction.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with substantial experience at the executive level, to turn complexity into clear, decision-ready narratives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluency in how modern software is built and secured across the software development lifecycle (SDLC) — enough to partner credibly with engineers. A background in software engineering or DevOps is ideal, and hands-on security experience is a strong plus.

• An understanding of how AI is reshaping software development and security.

• Product management experience, or program management working hand in hand with product teams, with a track record of turning customer needs into shipped outcomes

• A program management certification (e.g., PMP, PGMP) is a plus.

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 $169,300.00 to $237,200.00 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:

$194,600.00 - $328,600.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$179,000.00 - $294,000.00

* 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.