Leader, Employee Relations-Accommodations at Cisco in San Jose, CA

Leader, Employee Relations-Accommodations
Location: RTP, North Carolina, US
The application window is expected to close on: 09/01/2026
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Location: US Remote

Employee Relations Leader – Accommodations
Overview
We are seeking an experienced Human Resources leader with deep Employee Relations expertise to establish and lead a new centralized ER Accommodations function, initially focusing on US operations with strategic influence over future global frameworks. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Global Employee Relations within our People & Communities organization, you will build scalable workflows, mentor a growing team, and shape how Cisco supports employees navigating accommodation requests—setting a foundation for clarity, respect, and timely resolution.  Your work will directly influence the experience of employees with disabilities and medical needs, helping them feel heard and supported during periods of challenge.
What You'll Do
Strategic Leadership & Team Development
Build and lead a high-performing ER Accommodations team, establishing best practices, training curricula, and enablement materials that drive consistency and employee confidence across the organization.
Develop team members as subject matter experts, coaching them through complex scenarios and fostering a culture of continuous learning and inclusive decision-making.
Partner closely with Global ER leaders, regional teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to align accommodation strategy and create scalable frameworks for future global expansion.
Compliance, Process & Risk Management
Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local disability laws (ADA, ADAAA, PWFA, FMLA, state-specific requirements) and relevant privacy laws; monitor legislative changes and lead timely implementation of regulatory updates in partnership with People Legal, Benefits, and relevant stakeholders.
Own the design, documentation, and continuous improvement of accommodations, workflows and standard operating procedures; establish governance structures and case management protocols that ensure consistency, auditability, and risk mitigation.
Lead the interactive process end-to-end: review complex medical and religious accommodation requests, evaluate leave as an accommodation, conduct objective and thorough conversations with employees and managers, document interactions meticulously, and communicate clear, timely outcomes.
Coordinate with third-party leave administrators, external vendors and Benefits team to integrate accommodation and return-to-work processes; ensure seamless communication and data flow across systems.
Employee Experience & Organizational Enablement
Design and own the employee experience throughout the accommodation journey—from request intake through resolution—ensuring clarity, responsiveness, and respect at every touchpoint.
Develop and maintain comprehensive knowledge articles, guides, and decision trees that enable People Partners, managers, and employees to understand policies, navigate the process, and feel supported throughout.
Lead training initiatives and coaching efforts to help leaders and People Partners understand their role in supporting employees; promote a culture where accommodation requests are met with confidence and empathy, not uncertainty or hesitation.
Create simple feedback process to gather feedback from employees and managers to identify friction points and opportunities to simplify the process and improve outcomes.
Insights & Continuous Improvement
In partnership with the ER Strategy and Operations team, establish a robust data and reporting infrastructure for accommodation metrics and leave trends; analyze patterns to identify opportunities for process refinement and to support strategic decision-making.
Monitor the end-to-end employee experience through feedback, case reviews, and trend analysis; use insights to continuously refine processes, timelines, and communication.
Contribute to regional and global initiatives aimed at consistency, operational excellence, and scalability; collaborate on solutions that honor legal requirements while prioritizing employee experience and belonging.
Future-Ready Capability Building
Establish processes and governance structures designed for global scalability; document lessons learned and best practices to support the team's potential transition into global accommodations leadership.
Stay current on emerging legal requirements, industry best practices, and technology solutions; evaluate and adopt tools and approaches that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.
What You'll Bring
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field.
Experience:
7+ years of progressive Employee Relations or Human Resources experience.
4+ years handling complex accommodation and leave-of-absence situations.
2+ years in an HR or ER leadership role with demonstrated ability to build and develop teams.
Expertise: Deep, current knowledge of US employment, privacy and disability laws (ADA, ADAAA, FMLA, PWFA, relevant state laws) and proven ability to apply them to real-world scenarios.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated experience partnering with Benefits, People Legal, People Support, Crisis teams and external vendors to deliver integrated solutions.
Core Competencies:
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to translate data into actionable operational insights.
Exceptional judgment, integrity, and confidentiality in handling sensitive situations.
Clear, persuasive communication tailored to diverse audiences (employees, managers, executives, and legal partners).
Systems and process thinking; comfort with documentation, governance, and continuous improvement.
Preferred Qualifications:
Process & Scale: Experience designing or owning accommodations processes at scale or in complex organizational environments.
Vendor Management: Track record of successfully partnering with third-party administrators to streamline integrated solutions.
Employee-Centric Design: Experience designing HR processes with employee experience as primary lens; comfort gathering and acting on employee feedback.
Global Perspective: Knowledge of accommodation and disability law frameworks across regions; ability to translate global insights into scalable approaches.
Leadership & Change: Proven ability to lead teams through change, build trust and psychological safety, foster inclusive decision-making, and influence senior leaders.
Mindset:
Growth-oriented, intellectually curious, and comfortable with ambiguity and complexity.
Comfortable challenging the status quo and championing smart, evidence-based approaches.
Proactive, accountable, and able to execute with quality and urgency despite competing priorities.
Open to emerging technologies and committed to continuous learning.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with HR case management systems (e.g., HR Acuity) and HRIS platforms.
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 $164,700.00 to $209,000.00 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:
$195,400.00 - $289,500.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$177,200.00 - $257,500.00
* 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.
Additional Locations: San Jose, California, US