Director, Product Management

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Outshift is Cisco's incubation engine, dedicated to exploring ambitious, innovative ideas and experimenting with technologies that shape the future. Our team is a diverse, distributed group of experts passionate about the "zero to one" journey-taking groundbreaking technology like Quantum and AI from research to enterprise-ready solutions.

We value rapid iteration, "failing fast," and solving the hardest problems at the forefront of the tech landscape.

If you are a dual-natured leader who can shift between technical deep-dives and high-level financial/market strategy, this is a great opportunity! We function as a high-agility startup within the Cisco ecosystem, focusing on the 12-to-60-month innovation horizon. You will influence senior leadership and help steer the direction of our incubation portfolio.

As the Director of Product Management, you will lead the strategy for emerging technologies including quantum networking and cryptography. You will serve as the central resource for market analysis, evaluating startup ecosystems and venture capital trends to inform Cisco's investment and product roadmap. You will drive the early-stage conceptualization process, collaborating with research and engineering to define product-market fit.

- Bachelor's degree + 15 years of related experience supporting technical product development and delivery - Demonstrated experience in early-stage product incubation or "zero to one" market entry. - Confirmed background in venture capital or financial market analysis. - Proven experience and deep familiarity with quantum technologies and markets. - 4+ years of supervisory or leadership experience working directly with infrastructure technology teams.

- Experience working in a startup or high-growth scale-up environment. - Strong network within the AI and Quantum research communities. - Ability to perform competitive analysis using tools like PitchBook, CB Insights, or Crunchbase. - Experience with Hyperscaler technologies. - The ability to thrive in highly ambiguous, constantly evolving environments.

The starting salary range posted for this position is $230,100.00 to $325,300.00 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.