Executive Assistant to VP, Portfolio Strategy and Marketing

About this role

The application window is expected to close on: 10/24/2026Meet the Team

We are looking for an experienced and highly organized Executive Assistant to provide direct support to the VP, Portfolio Strategy & Marketing Office. This role requires exceptional judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Your Impact

Responsibilities include:

• Calendar Management: Management of VP's calendar and daily schedule to include prioritizing conflicting meeting requests, supervising action items and commitments of executive and following-up to ensure completion. This will require outstanding organization skills, prioritizing multiple priorities and keeping a lively executive on track and on schedule.

• Event Speaking Engagement Coordination: Responsible for a running list of VP's engagements and works closely with communications team to ensure content needs are understood and set in motion so the VP is prepared for each engagement.

• Meeting Planning and Organization: Assisting VP in planning and coordinating meetings by taking ownership for assembling the agenda, location, accommodating technology requirements based upon participant needs, and all other meeting logistics. May further prepare meeting briefing documents by taking and disseminating notes and formulating post meeting action item list.

• Travel Briefing Preparation: Crafting travel packs for international trips. This work includes combining all event information in addition to coordinated logistics of travel and also customer/team asks.

• Correspondence/Approvals: Supporting VP by acting as proxy for communications and approvals as authorized. Answering general questions as crucial, referring (filtering) routine matters to appropriate parties, and following up to ensure accurate disposition. Taking initiative to resolve issues within specified policies and guidelines, and providing mentorship to administrative community members on problem solving. Resolving when executive action is required and supplying a recommendation where appropriate.

• Travel and Expense Management: Responsible for making in-depth global travel arrangements for VP. Carefully considers and decides the optimum travel arrangements and itinerary for calendared meetings while handling Cisco expenses. Works diligently to go above and beyond, working with the airlines directly to accommodate Global Services benefits for upgrades whenever they are available.

• Special Projects: Providing analytical support to assist executive on special projects. Researching issues, analyzing problems, compiling data, and preparing reports.

• Large Corporate Events: Prepare and brief itinerary as well as accompany VP for large Corporate Events such as GSX, where EA's are used for executive support.

• Confidentiality: Candidate will deal expertly with highly critical and confidential matters and materials.

• Mentor new Executive Administrative Assistants and other administrators. Participates in a cross-functional EA network and will lead the organization’s community of Admins.

In addition to general administrative duties of an EA, daily tasks are carried out at a higher level of complexity. Specifically, the critical behaviors of this role are:

• Self-motivated and proactive around needs of the VP and the Organization

• Able to operate successfully with limited direction and ambiguity

• Use tact, subtlety and a practical knowledge of company policies, practices and procedures

• Responsiveness to all levels of inquiry

• Challenge ‘the way we’ve always done it’ and provide a deeper more innovative way of doing things

• Keep the big picture in mind when making independent decisions that affect the VP’s calendar

• Have the ability to exercise critical and independent judgment with the VP’s calendar and time

• Organized and efficient with their own time

• Able to think creatively and calmly when it comes to quick and unplanned changes in schedule

• Earn administrative community respect and have the ability to work with and through others as needed

You take initiative, can handle a full desk with ease and thrive in a lively environment. You have high-energy with a passion for thinking bigger and broader than the role itself. This position requires strong interpersonal skills, independent judgment, utmost integrity and ability to balance both strategic and tactical actions. You have outstanding attention to detail and the ability to handle confidential information. You enjoy a collaborative environment, are committed to improvement, solve problems and make decisions. You have a proven ability to multitask and work in a focused manner. You are comfortable working without instruction on routine tasks and very little instruction on new projects.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in administrative environment, and a minimum of 2 years supporting at the VP level or above.

• Expert level knowledge of Windows desktop computer applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Experience in calendar management, planning meetings and coordinating travel.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to connect with all levels of Executive/Senior staff and clients.

• Ability to navigate web and email at high competency knowledge.

Preferred Qualifications

• BA/BS or equivalent experience

• Past work experience in the high-tech industry

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…