Senior Finance Director - Cisco - San Jose

Job description
Position Description
This position is responsible for three key financial areas within Cisco.
First, it leads the worldwide commercial finance teams which sets the policy for non-standard deal processing and approvals, manages the large complex deals negotiating team, drives development of new strategic business models and maintains profitability of the company via review and approval for all non-standard pricing. This position will play a pivotal role at improving price realization and the effectiveness, efficiency and customer responsiveness of Cisco’s deal-management process.

Additionally, this leader is responsible for all financial functions for the Global Enterprise Theater sales region, including strategic and annual operating financial planning, forecasting, and analysis. Identify, analyze, communicate and resolve major financial issues that impact business performance. The Enterprise segment is slated to expand significantly in size during the coming year, thereby requiring increased engagement and active development of a high-performing team.


This position also provides oversight of the controls function for Sales & Services Finance. This aspect of the role is also expected to increase in importance as Cisco’s regional and country financial managers assume clear responsibility for the financial control environment in their respective markets.

More generally, this position will provide financial leadership and analytical support that will lead to successful implementation of business strategies, tactics, and annual plans. Actively develop Finance team to improve its capabilities and contribution to the organization.

Position Responsibilities
• Partner with GET leadership team to develop and manage to operating budgets. This includes all sales transactions, including large complex deals, go-to-market strategy investments and potential divestments.
• Support the field sales organization by helping it understand the financial impact of operating decisions.
• Be an advisor to the sales team on changes in the market, compensation plans (e.g., commissions, bonuses, SPIFFs) and policies.
• Ensure that the company and sales leadership understand opportunities and risks in various theaters, product segments and market segments.
• Help establish efficient business processes for products and services operations, leveraging and integrating with those that exist for geographic regions, business entities, services and the corporate center where appropriate. Establish processes for managing integrated product and services sales that can be replicated elsewhere in the organization.
• Ensure adequate controls exist around the recognition of bookings, revenue and expenses; advise on compliance and governance policies and ensure that they are followed.
• Champion the transition to an efficient and responsive deal proposal and approval process that meets customer needs while optimizing Cisco’s sales and profitability for products and services that may be purchased, leased or procured through flexible-consumption models. Ensure that Finance team members have the appropriate skills and training to partner effectively and develop innovative solutions in this environment.
• Provide analysis to support resource-allocation decisions across engineering, marketing, sales and service programs. Work with leadership team to modify those resource-allocation decisions as conditions warrant.
• Develop driver-based sales and earnings plans and forecasts for GET and then help manage the business to meet or exceed those forecasts. Perform variance analyses and review materials, as appropriate.
• Develop and implement performance measures that focus on key business drivers (both financial and non-financial) to support short-term and long-term performance and strategic objectives for both GET and the WW Commercial Finance Teams.
• Collaborate with other functions and finance personnel to ensure that shared resources are deployed effectively and efficiently.
• Attract, develop and retain a high-caliber, high-performing team. Leverage the current team to develop the next generation of Finance leaders for Cisco.

Basic Qualifications:
• BA in Finance or Accounting
• 15+ years varied experience in Accounting, Finance, Planning and/or Business Development
• Strong communication, interpersonal and influence management skills.
• Strong quantitative analysis and problem solving skills, and high degree of initiative and influence management skills.
• In-depth knowledge of commercial finance negotiations and ideally, pricing experience with flexible consumption models and software sales.
• Demonstrated success developing and leading geographically dispersed, high performing teams.

Desired/Preferred Qualifications:
• MBA, CPA, CMA, CFA or similar professional credentials
• Financial systems implementation experience.
• Business partnering: Identifies a broad range of business issues and provides leadership in the decision making process, actively participates in managing the business and establishing its strategic direction.
• Finance and accounting knowledge: Demonstrates a broad and in-depth understanding of Accounting and Finance. Understands, interprets, and applies accounting principles and processes to ensure compliance with legal, business accounting, and ethical standards.
• Operational Knowledge: Operational knowledge of business, Strong commercial background, experience with international markets is a big plus
• Financial analysis: Organizes and structures business information to identify specific risks and opportunities. Applies quantitative and qualitative factors, skills and business experience, to arrive at meaningful conclusions and recommendations. Develops innovative alternatives and solutions when issues arise.
• Internal controls: Understands and effectively applies internal control principles and objectives.
• Planning & reporting: Accurately monitors and projects the organization's financial performance. Provides performance measures and interprets results in view of plans and objectives.
• Professional effectiveness/ Leadership competencies: Ability to operate within a complex organization. Strong influence management skills, demonstrate superior judgment, shape business results, inspire others to excel, communicate with impact, demand ethical behavior, and drive execution.
• Strong results orientation and bias for action, including a high degree of initiative and self-motivation in understanding business needs and leading others to meet those needs.
• Demonstrated ability and success working with minimal supervision, including flexibility to changing priorities in a proactive and self-motivated manner.
• Successful track record developing and retaining outstanding Finance talent.

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