Job Description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/20/2026

“Members of the Legal organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions.”

Meet the Team

The Regulatory Affairs & Compliance team within Cisco’s Legal department is comprised of lawyers, program managers, operational specialists, and subject matter experts focused on topics passionate about topics such as ethics and compliance, global trade and telecom, environmental, accessibility and human rights, public sector and other product and industry regulations, frameworks and programs. We partner with colleagues in Legal and functional teams across the company to drive compliance and impact.

This team is seeking a highly experienced and forward-looking Director, Business and Human Rights to lead strategy and execution at scale for Cisco's global human rights program, which includes regulatory governance and due diligence frameworks. You will serve as direct manager for the Business and Human Rights team. You will partner with your colleagues across the Regulatory & Compliance team, the broader Legal organization, and numerous other functions across the company to have an immediate impact with your analytic rigor, subject matter expertise, business judgment, and ability to get things done.

Your Impact

• You will lead, evolve, and continuously improve Cisco’s enterprise-wide human rights program and strategies, leveraging methodologies that support a dynamic regulatory environment.
• The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in human rights and related due diligence, advising senior leaders on emerging risks, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory developments.
• You will oversee the team responsible for driving and scaling the cross-functional development of human rights standards and processes, ensuring requirements are embedded in the business, in collaboration across Legal, Supply Chain, Procurement, business units, and other global functions.
• You are a strong systems-thinker and strategic leader with exceptional operational, communication, and collaboration skills, and an established track record of presenting directly to senior executive audiences on complex human rights risk and strategy (supply chain and forced labor risks, HRIAs, global regulatory frameworks).
• You will proactively identify and address opportunities to enhance due diligence programs and scalable processes to identify, assess, monitor, and mitigate risks.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school preferred, or equivalent experience and/or training in compliance.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in similar roles responsible for designing, executing, and scaling legal Business and Human Rights programs within a multinational technology company.
• Deep experience and strategic leadership discernment engaging in regulator, external partner, industry, and customer conversations.
• Proven leadership experience and skills with a track record of motivating, empowering, and supporting teams to achieve optimal business results, develop their skills and careers, and enjoy their work.
• Demonstrated proficiency in using technology and AI to streamline processes and improve team efficiency.
• Ability to lead and manage complex projects; excellent presentation and written communication skills to both business and legal audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a large global technology company or similar industry managing digital human rights issues and engaging with multi-stakeholder groups. 

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 $239,700.00 to $303,800.00 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:

$285,500.00 - $420,700.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$256,800.00 - $374,400.00

• 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.