Senior Director, Business Operations (Splunk Security)

Senior Director of Business Operations

As part of the Splunk organization at Cisco, you will sit at the center of the observability and security data revolution. Our team provides an end-to-end platform for security and observability at enterprise scale. We are seeking a Senior Director of Business Operations to serve as the primary strategic and operational partner to the SVP/GM Splunk Security. You will operate at the intersection of business strategy and execution, helping to shape our long-term direction while driving the operational rigor vital to scale a fast-paced, highly collaborative software business.

Your impact will be felt across the following pillars:

• Strategic & Business Planning Partner with the SVP/GM Splunk Security on medium- and long-term planning, including business potential, resourcing needs, and organizational design; lead annual and quarterly planning cycles and translate strategic priorities into actionable plans.
• Operational Excellence & Process Design Identify and implement initiatives that create efficiency, remove obstacles, and improve processes and cross-functional business partnerships; design scalable systems and processes that keep pace with organizational growth.
• Operating Cadence & Business Reviews Own the design and execution of the organization's operating rhythm, including Quarterly Business Reviews, weekly business meetings, monthly program updates, staff meetings, and offsites driving clear agendas, consistent reporting, and follow-through on action items.
• Budget & Resource Management Manage budget status and tracking, workforce planning and headcount, equipment and tooling availability, and other operational capabilities in partnership with Finance and HR.
• Cross-Functional Leadership Act as a trusted advisor and connective tissue across the leadership team and key partners; represent the SVP/GM in select forums and drive alignment across a matrixed organization.
• Metrics, Insights & Reporting Define and track indicators KPI / objectives and key results, build executive-ready dashboards and reporting, and surface insights that inform leadership decision-making.
• Objective Setting & Execution Drive the process to establish business objectives, lead regular reviews of progress against those objectives, identify the key tasks and owners required to achieve results, and hold the team and business accountable to meet commitments.
• Executive Communications Prepare strategic narratives, leadership updates, and organizational communications that convey clarity and impact across the business.
• Special Projects Lead high-priority, often ambiguous initiatives on behalf of the SVP/GM Splunk Security from organizational changes to cross-team programs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 15+ years of industry experience, with a background in strategic operations, or Chief of Staff, or PMO leadership roles within large-scale, global technology companies.
• Proven track record in high-growth SaaS, observability, or cybersecurity environments.
• Deep understanding of software development lifecycles and cloud-native architectures; ability to partner effectively with CTO/Engineering leadership.
• Expert in managing executive-level prioritization processes and driving organizational change in matrixed environments.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree in Business, Finance, or Engineering is highly preferred.
• Experience leading cultural transformation and operationalizing new business models (e.g., cloud transformation, product-led growth) complex M&A or similar integrations, crafting GTM operating models or planning headcount, quotas, coverage, and compensation initiatives for the org.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with Splunk's product ecosystem or Cisco's security portfolio.
• Sophisticated verbal and written communication skills, with a history of advising C-suite leaders (CPO, CRO, CMO).
• Track record of driving process improvement and organizational scale in ambiguous, fast-moving settings.
• High degree of emotional intelligence, discretion, and the ability to "zoom out" to strategic vision and "zoom in" to operational execution.

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 $262,400.00 to $332,700.00 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:

$262,400.00 - $382,600.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$233,400.00 - $340,400.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges