Community Relations Manager

The Government Strategy Office is a global corporate function reporting directly to Cisco's Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy, and Purpose Officer. The team represents Cisco to governments and policymakers worldwide. Government Affairs office works to build strategic relationships with governments, to educate governments and regulators about Cisco and our purpose, and to advocate public policy positions consistent with Cisco's vision.

You will be based in San Jose, CA and will report to the Senior Director for State Government Affairs & Community Relations and will be a part of the team led by the Vice President for Americas Government Affairs. You will work very closely with the wider Cisco team in the US and with colleagues around the world.

You will be the Community Relations Manager for Cisco's San Jose /Bay Area presence in strong partnership with key stakeholders (Sales, Marketing, PR/PA; 3P: GA, PSI, P&C, WPR, SIO, Sustainability, DIO, etc.) to extend our Purpose work locally.

You believe passionately that driving Cisco's purpose in the communities in which we operate is paramount. You will build excellent relationships both within the company and with a wide range of elected, government and community officials in the Bay Area. You will advance our purpose, political, policy and business interests consistent with Cisco's mission to power an inclusive future for all by being a collaborative partner, thought leader and influencer.

Site & Executive Engagement

• Work collaboratively with SJ Site Leadership Council and other senior Cisco executives and teams (Sales, Marketing, PR/PA; 3P: GA, PSI, P&C, WPR, SIO, Sustainability, DIO, etc.)
• Lead and execute programs involving multiple functional areas of complex and diverse scope requiring in-depth analysis of various factors and in tight coordination
• Develop and cultivate a strong governmental, political and community network
• Update site executive leadership on the progress and effectiveness of government and community initiatives
• Contribute to the achievement of site local requirements, including economic / workforce development, pending regulations, permitting and entitlements

Local Government Affairs

• Create a strategic vision for Bay Area local government, elected and community official engagement over the next 5 years, building on a consistent theme for areas of the business that would be most impactful, i.e., expand Cisco's brand awareness and talent recruitment, economic development, etc.
• Monitor and advise on local legislative initiatives and potential impact to the business
• Develop and implement sophisticated local government affairs strategies in support of the business and advocate for a broad range of policies that advance our purpose

Business Accelerator

• Work collaboratively with regional US Public Sector SLED teams and advise on local political and policy trends and potential implications for the business
• Represent Cisco and share our mission with associations and external partners
• Organize and execute association roundtables, CXCs, etc. in partnership with internal stakeholders that demonstrate Cisco's commitment to powering an inclusive future for all and increase our relationships with key government, business & community leaders in the Bay Area

Resilient Communities

• Aligned to policy, political and business goals, develop and execute a comprehensive community affairs / inclusive communities' engagement strategy and execution plan for all key outreach initiatives/activities aligned to the Community Affairs overall strategy. You will develop critical relationships with strategic community opinion leaders to further our company presence, partnerships, and purpose
• Develop and expand relevant outreach opportunities with multicultural communities to enrich and further Cisco's social justice principles and work
• Grow Bay Area community impact and reach through engagements, analyzing data and metrics to evaluate, measure and make recommendations for improvement and continued impact
• Use data to inform strategic community affairs, political, policy, and business outreach and engagement decisions

Our Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years' combined experience in the public, private and/or nonprofit sector, including within government, corporate government affairs, community-based organizations, trade associations, and public policy institutions
• You have an executive presence, and strong advocacy, communication, and collaboration skills
• You would be comfortable presenting Cisco priorities to government, elected and community leaders, as well as explaining complex local policy matters to senior executives

Our Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive knowledge in land use, housing and economic development policy knowledge
• You are an innovative thinker who can formulate and implement solutions that benefit Cisco's business interests and purpose
• You are a self-starter; you love to learn and are resilient. You can handle multiple challenges simultaneously
• You are a results-oriented team player with a strong focus on getting the job done well

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Why Cisco?

#WeAreCisco. We are all unique, but collectively we bring our talents to work as a team, to develop innovative technology and power a more inclusive, digital future for everyone. How do we do it? Well, for starters - with people like you

Nearly every internet connection around the world touches Cisco. We're the Internet's optimists. Our technology makes sure the data traveling at light speed across connections does so securely, yet it's not what we make but what we make happen which marks us out. We're helping those who work in the health service to connect with patients and each other; schools, colleges, and universities to teach in even the most challenging of times. We're helping businesses of all shapes and sizes to connect with their employees and customers in new ways, providing people with access to the digital skills they need and connecting the most remote parts of the world - whether through 5G, or otherwise.

We tackle whatever challenges come our way. We have each other's backs, we recognize our accomplishments, and we grow together. We celebrate and support one another - from big and small things in life to big career moments. And giving back is in our DNA (we get 10 days off each year to do just that).

We know that powering an inclusive future starts with us. Because without diversity and a dedication to equality, there is no moving forward. Our 30 Inclusive Communities, that bring people together around commonalities or passions, are leading the way. Together we're committed to learning, listening, caring for our communities, whilst supporting the most vulnerable with a collective effort to make this world a better place either with technology, or through our actions.

So, you have colorful hair? Don't care. Tattoos? Show off your ink. Like polka dots? That's cool. Pop culture geek? Many of us are. Passion for technology and world changing? Be you, with us #WeAreCisco