Cisco

Adoption & Activation Manager, AI For Sales

Cisco$127K — $161K *
Consumer Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BA/BS or equivalent in Business, Communications, Marketing, Organizational Development, Sales Operations, or related field.
  • 9+ years in executive communications, go-to-market/sales strategy, program management, enablement, or change management.
  • Experience owning a recurring, executive-facing program with accountability and deadlines.
  • Ability to translate complex inputs into compelling narratives and influence senior stakeholders.
  • Hands-on fluency with generative AI tools and ability to build confidence with senior audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement tailored adoption plans for AI CoE initiatives.
  • Design and execute multi-channel communications and training strategies for sales leadership engagement.
  • Prioritize and activate frontline-manager engagement to model AI adoption.
  • Own and provide follow-through on senior-leadership briefings to drive adoption actions.
  • Design executive micro-learning programs for consistent leadership engagement on AI.
  • Partner with teams to integrate AI discussions into leadership routines and forums.
  • Translate data into actionable insights and track AI adoption progress.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution.
  • Paid parental leave and short & long-term disability coverage.
  • Flexible vacation time for exempt employees with no defined limit.
  • 16 days of paid vacation for non-exempt employees, plus additional paid time away for wellness and volunteering.
Full Job Description
The application window is expected to close on: 08/08/2026
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Your Impact

As the Adoption & Activation Manager, AI for Sales, you own the health and momentum of the AI for Sales CoE (Center of Excellence) and the program that enables our AI CoE for Sales Engagement Leads to drive adoption with leaders and sellers. You establish a reliable operating cadence for the AI for Sales CoE and turn inputs from across our broad AI capabilities, tools, and initiatives into the clear, consistent story, proof points, and materials the Engagement Leads use to move sellers and sales leaders from a conversation about tools and features to one about outcomes and workflows.

This role that spans the full AI for Sales capabilities rather than any single tool. You are the connective tissue and single point of accountability across initiatives - owning the AI for Sales CoE's operating rhythm and system of record, and equipping the Engagement Leads with the narrative and proof points they take to senior leaders.

You are an AI-forward professional with genuine conviction about the technology - credible enough to be a trusted thought partner to the Engagement Leads and, when needed, to build confidence directly with senior stakeholders.

Working with the AI for Sales CoE team and cross-functional partners, your responsibilities include:

Enabling Executive & Frontline-Manager Engagement
  • Develop and implement tailored adoption plans for the AI CoE sales initiatives, programs and sales leadership personas
  • Design and execute detailed adoption plans, including multi-channel communications, training, and support strategies, that are tailored to effectively inform, engage, enable, and motivate the global sales organization throughout key AI transformations.
  • Prioritize frontline-manager activation as a high-leverage audience, building the messaging and touchpoints the Engagement Leads use to turn managers into visible AI role models for their teams.
  • Own the format, content, and follow-through for recurring senior-leadership briefings, equipping the Engagement Leads to run them and land the specific actions that drive adoption and behavior change.
  • Design and sequence a program of executive micro-learnings for the Engagement Leads to deliver, so each leadership touchpoint builds on the last.
  • Partner with the communications and Activation & Adoption teams to equip Engagement Leads to embed AI for Sales into existing leadership routines - leadership forums, team meetings, all-hands - anchored on clear messages and proof points, so it becomes part of how leaders run their business.
  • Help elevate the conversation to leadership outcomes - such as forecast accuracy and the quality of customer conversations - connecting each to the AI capabilities that support them.


AI for Sales CoE Program Health & Accountability
  • Own AI for Sales CoE program-level health: the operating cadence, participation, and system of record, ensuring nothing falls between forums and every action has a named owner and a due date.
  • Provide one coherent, current view of program performance for executive audiences, drawn from across the AI portfolio.
  • Work with cross-functional partners to build a clear narrative and adoption plans that leaders and sellers can act on.


Adoption Insight & Measurement
  • Partner with the AI for Sales CoE engagement leads and other AI for Sales teams to make workflows the unit of adoption, measuring whether sellers work differently and the business impact that follows.
  • Translate complex adoption data into measurable actions for leaders to drive action.
  • Track honest progress along an AI-maturity path, showing leaders where they stand and what it takes to advance, while ensuring measurement stays a valid signal.


Cross-Functional Orchestration
  • Connect platform, communications, product, sales strategy, operations, and regional stakeholders, translating priorities into practical operating plans and field-ready, executive-ready content.
  • Influence without authority across a complex, global, matrixed organization, and use AI-enabled tools to improve program operations, reporting, and follow-through.


Minimum Qualifications
  • BA/BS or equivalent experience in Business, Communications, Marketing, Organizational Development, Sales Operations, or a related field.
  • 9+ years in executive communications, go-to-market/sales strategy, program management, enablement, change management, or a related discipline.
  • Demonstrated experience owning a recurring, executive-facing program - running leadership cadences, managing a system of record, and driving accountability to named owners and deadlines.
  • Proven ability to translate complex, multi-source inputs into clear, compelling executive narratives, and to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
  • Hands-on fluency with generative AI tools in daily work, with genuine conviction about their value and the ability to build confidence with senior audiences.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience supporting sales, go-to-market, customer success, or other revenue-facing organizations, ideally within the Americas.
  • Experience with AI-powered tools, sales technology, or seller-productivity initiatives.
  • Chief-of-staff, executive-communications, or senior-leadership-facing program experience.
  • Ability to turn adoption data and field sentiment into actionable insight, with executive presence across regions and functions.
  • Proven experience / certification with change management methodologies (Prosci ADKAR, CCMP, or equivalent).


Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $127,600.00 to $161,700.00 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:
$148,500.00 - $234,600.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$135,400.00 - $215,200.00

* 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.

About Cisco

Cisco Careers

Join the vibrant team at Cisco, a global leader in networking and cybersecurity solutions, where innovation and leadership thrive. Cisco offers a plethora of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and experiences, making it an ideal place for both seasoned professionals and those seeking an internship to jumpstart their career. Work You’ll Do At Cisco, you’ll be part of a culture that values diversity, leadership, and professional growth. Engage in work that matters with a team that combines technology, creativity, and the power of human connection to redefine networking. Cisco’s commitment to innovation isn’t just about technology, but also about transforming the way we work and collaborate. Cisco’s employment philosophy supports career advancement and nurtures a leadership pipeline that is equipped with diversity training and opportunities for growth. Whether you’re applying your skills to drive our latest innovations or using our vast networking capabilities to solve complex problems, at Cisco, every role is impactful. Join Our Dynamic Team Explore job opportunities in areas ranging from engineering to marketing, sales to cybersecurity. Cisco is hiring individuals who are passionate, curious, and ready to drive change. Positions at Cisco offer competitive benefits, a supportive culture, and the chance to work with cutting-edge technology. Internship Programs Kickstart your career with a Cisco internship. Gain invaluable industry experience, enhance your resume, and build professional networks that last a lifetime. Our internships provide hands-on experience and the chance to work on projects that matter. Leadership and Development Cisco is committed to fostering leadership skills and providing employees with the training needed to succeed. Our leadership programs help you develop new skills, manage teams effectively, and lead with confidence. Cisco’s commitment to professional development ensures that your career path is as dynamic as our technologies. Benefits and Culture Cisco understands the importance of a balanced life. Our benefits package is designed to ensure that our team members are healthy, happy, and secure. At Cisco, you’ll find a supportive culture that encourages open communication, teamwork, and mutual respect. Stay Connected Join Cisco’s Talent Network Stay informed about new positions that match your skills and interests. At Cisco, we value the curiosity and unique perspectives of our team members. Subscribe to receive personalized job alerts and insider tips directly from our hiring managers. Explore Cisco Jobs Ready to advance your career at Cisco? Search open positions, prepare your resume, and get ready for an interview that could lead to your next big opportunity. At Cisco, we’re not just filling positions—we’re investing in leaders. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. READ CAREERS BLOG Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that await you at Cisco.
Learn more about Cisco
Size
79,500 employees
Market Cap
$194.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$10.1 billion
Founded
2014
5 Year Trend
+1.4%
Revenue
$48 billion
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