New

Senior Director, Associate General Counsel: Patent

Cisco Systems, Inc.
$276,300.00 to $349,800.00
life insurance, vision insurance, parental leave, paid holidays, sick time, 401(k)

7025 Kit Creek Road (Show on map)
Apr 11, 2026
The application window is expected to close on: 04/17/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received. 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 At Cisco, the Intellectual Property team sits at the crossroads of technology, business, and law. We work across an extraordinary breadth of innovation that spans networking, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, collaboration, observability, and beyond. This isn't a narrow, single-lane IP shop. Our team is a diverse, multidisciplinary group of curious, collaborative, and strategically minded professionals who work hand-in-hand with engineers and business leaders across the company to protect and leverage Cisco's most valuable innovations. In this role, you'll develop and drive the strategic direction of Cisco's IP program, navigate complex IP landscapes across multiple technology domains, and lead and grow an outstanding team that flourishes with intellectual rigor and creative problem-solving. This is your chance to work on technology that matters, lead a talented team, and build a strategy that will define Cisco's innovation legacy for years to come. Your Impact We're looking for a seasoned patent leader who's ready to raise the bar - someone who can sharpen portfolio quality, elevate decision-making, and reimagine how a world-class patent program operates at scale. This isn't about maintaining the status quo. You'll be at the center of building a patent program that's ready for the next wave of innovation, serving as a senior strategic partner in shaping how Cisco protects and leverages its most important ideas. Reporting to the VP of IP, this role blends big-picture strategic vision with real, hands-on leadership - leading the shaping portfolio strategy and operational execution while developing members of the team. The right person for this role brings sharp judgment, a bias toward action, and a track record of driving measurable improvement through smart, scalable, and data-informed processes. Here's how you'll make an impact: Elevate the team: Lead, mentor, and manage a team of patent attorneys and other IP professionals, encouraging a culture where collaboration, inclusion, continuous improvement, and thoughtful decision-making aren't just values on a wall; they're how the team operates every day. Shape the portfolio strategy - Evolve and drive Cisco's patent portfolio strategy to stay ahead of the innovation curve and strengthen competitive positioning across a rapidly shifting technology landscape. Modernize how we work - Champion and drive the adoption of data-driven, technology-enabled approaches and tools for patent development and portfolio management - including using AI where it makes sense - to unlock operational efficiency across internal teams and outside counsel. Connect the dots across the organization - Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate tools, systems, and workflows that lead to smarter, faster, and better portfolio outcomes. Be the strategic voice on IP - Serve as a trusted advisor to business and legal stakeholders on IP matters across transactions, including licensing, M&A, and partnerships - ensuring intellectual property is always part of the strategic conversation. Minimum Qualifications: 12+ years of validated experience in patent law, witha great foundation across patent prosecution, patent litigation, and/or IP strategy. Validated experience leading, managing, and developing high-performing teams of IP professionals. Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. Registered U.S. Patent Attorney in good standing with the USPTO, or the ability to obtain registration. Licensed attorney in good standing in at least one jurisdiction where Cisco does business. Preferred Qualifications: Sharp judgment and exceptional communication skills: you have the ability to move fluently across legal, engineering, and business teams - translating sophisticated IP issues into clear, actionable insights for any audience. A run-toward-the-problem attitude: you don't wait for issues to raise or for someone else to step in. When challenges emerge, you're already in motion, bringing clarity and calm to high-stakes situations. A solutions-first orientation: you don't just identify problems, you show up with options, recommendations, and a point of view. You're wired to move things forward, not just flag what's broken. A deep sense of ownership and accountability: you treat the program, the portfolio, and the team's success as your own. You follow through, close loops, and hold yourself to a high standard without being asked. The ability to build trust and influence: you know how to bring people along, earn credibility quickly, and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders who don't all speak the same language. 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 $276,300.00 to $349,800.00 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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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: $317,200.00 - $478,900.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $285,200.00 - $425,700.00 * 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.