Leader, Supplier Management

The application window is expected to close on: 11/17/2026
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

The Material Management Leader is responsible for developing and executing the material strategy required to support the company’s optical transceiver business in a highly dynamic and capacity-constrained supply environment.

This leader owns end-to-end material planning, supply assurance, inventory strategy, supplier allocation management, and material readiness across the optical transceiver supply chain. The role partners closely with Demand Planning, Procurement, Operations, Engineering, Product Management, Sales, Finance, contract manufacturers, and strategic suppliers to balance customer demand, available supply, inventory investment, and business risk.

The successful candidate will operate beyond traditional material planning. They will translate volatile demand and constrained supply into clear business decisions—determining what we can build, when we can build it, where the constraints are, what inventory and capacity commitments are required, and how available supply should be prioritized.

Your Impact

Material Strategy & Supply Assurance

- Own the end-to-end material management strategy for optical transceiver products, from semiconductor and optical components through final assembly.
- Ensure material availability supports production plans, customer commitments, product ramps, and revenue objectives.
- Maintain visibility into component lead times, supplier capacity, allocation status, and material risk.

Planning & Demand/Supply Alignment

- Translate demand forecasts, customer requirements, backlog, and upside opportunities into executable material plans.
- Partner with Demand Planning and Sales to challenge demand assumptions and distinguish forecast signals from actionable material requirements.
- Lead material planning inputs into S&OP/S&OE and demand/supply balancing processes. Coordinate last-time buys, end-of-life planning, component transitions, and supplier discontinuations.
- Manage material risk during technology transitions and product migrations.

Allocation & Constraint Management

- Lead material allocation strategies when component availability is insufficient to support total demand.
- Develop fact-based prioritization frameworks incorporating customer commitments, backlog, revenue, strategic importance, product requirements, and available material.
- Provide leadership with clear scenarios showing the impact of constrained supply on production and customer delivery.

Supplier & Contract Manufacturer Management

- Partner with Strategic Sourcing and Procurement to manage critical supplier relationships and material commitments.
- Work closely with optical component, semiconductor, PCB, mechanical, and contract manufacturing partners to understand capacity and supply constraints.
- Establish supplier visibility into demand while protecting the company from excessive or unsupported material commitments.

Leadership Responsibilities

- Lead and develop a high-performing material planning and management organization.
- Establish clear ownership and accountability for shortages, supplier commitments, and material readiness.
- Build a culture of proactive risk identification rather than reactive shortage management.

Minimum Qualifications:

- 10+ years of experience in material management, supply planning, operations, procurement, or supply chain leadership within optical communications, photonics, semiconductor, networking, electronics, or a related high-tech industry.
- Strong understanding of optical transceiver manufacturing and associated semiconductor, optical, electronic, and mechanical supply chains.
- have a strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems, supply-demand balancing, inventory management, capacity planning, and advanced Excel or analytical tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Demonstrated experience operating in constrained and allocation-driven supply environments.
- Experience working with contract manufacturers and outsourced manufacturing models.
- Strong analytical capability and ability to convert complex supply-chain information into executive-level decisions.
- Proven ability to influence Sales, Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Finance, suppliers, and senior leadership.
- Have the capacity to see and articulate a vision that inspires change!

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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 $134,800.00 to $170,900.00 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:
$150,400.00 - $219,200.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$134,800.00 - $200,400.00

* 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.