Project Manager at Cisco in Chicago, IL

Project Manager Location: Chicago, Illinois, US The application window is expected to close on: 05/10/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received. Location requirement is Chicago, IL Meet the Team Our team is at the heart of the organization’s strategic execution. We are a collaborative group dedicated to driving operational excellence by coordinating multiple projects and teams in parallel to meet evolving organizational priorities. We take pride in our ability to plan, implement, and monitor programs throughout their entire lifecycle, ensuring that every initiative aligns with our long-term strategic direction. By fostering organized governance, clear communication, and proactive risk management, we ensure that our stakeholders are informed and our projects are delivered with precision. We are committed to upskilling and developing our team members to ensure we have the resources and expertise required to tackle complex challenges and drive meaningful change. What You'll Do Strategic Impact: Make decisions that directly impact the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of your functional group, contributing to ongoing business and process improvements. Project Management: Manage medium-sized projects with moderate to high risk. You will collaborate across cross-functional teams to navigate multiple interdependencies and implement solutions that impact various applications. Problem Solving: Solve highly complex problems by identifying viable, innovative options. Use analytical skills and professional judgment to recommend and implement appropriate solutions. Process Leadership: Help drive organizational processes and manage the full project lifecycle. Planning & Execution: Define and validate project scope, plans, and schedules. Establish metrics for success and apply organizational standards regarding delivery processes, roles, responsibilities, and compliance. Risk Management: Proactively identify project risks and develop comprehensive mitigation plans to ensure successful delivery. Delivery & Mentorship: Manage project delivery, scope, and costs with minimal supervision. Drive projects to completion while mentoring junior team members. Stakeholder Engagement: Establish strong partnerships with stakeholders to build support, secure sponsorship, and ensure alignment on project outcomes and solutions. Change Management: Drive organizational change by identifying project impacts, building awareness, and contributing to the development of training materials. Continuous Improvement: Evaluate project results against success metrics and reengineer processes or resources to improve productivity and end-product quality. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree plus 5 years of related project/program management experience. Proven ability to work autonomously with minimal instruction. Capable of managing complex tasks with occasional guidance. Experience providing training and guidance to new team members. Demonstrated history of leading projects and strategic initiatives. Preferred Qualifications Project Management Professional (PMP) or related certification. Experience with Agile or Scrum methodologies. Proficiency in project management software (e.g., Jira, Asana, Microsoft Project). Strong background in financial reporting and budget management for large-scale programs. Experience in change management frameworks 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 $106,400.00 to $135,400.00 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: $124,600.00 - $186,100.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $112,400.00 - $164,900.00 * 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.