Finance Manager - Cx Finance

Meet the Team Cisco Customer Experience (CX) is an elite organization passionate about accelerating customer success through innovative support and professional services. The CX Finance team provides the strategic financial partnership needed to drive these high-growth portfolios. We are a team of dedicated, hardworking professionals who thrive in an empowered, collaborative environment. As we continue to evolve our business models toward software and subscriptions, this role is at the center of Cisco’s transformation. Join us! Your Impact We are seeking a Finance Manager to support financial planning and analysis for our Customer Success organization, which manages an annual operating budget of approximately $400M. This role will partner closely with business leaders to drive budgeting, forecasting, reporting, variance analysis, and decision support. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with business partnership experience and the ability to translate financial insights into actionable recommendations. Depending on the specific focus area, your responsibilities will include: · Support the annual planning process, including budget development, HC planning, target setting and consolidation for Customer Success Org. · Lead monthly and quarterly forecast cycles, including updates to headcount, operating expenses, and investment priorities. · Perform variance analysis on actual versus budget and forecast, identifying risks, opportunities, and key business drivers. · Build and maintain financial models to support resource planning, expense management, and scenario analysis. · Partner with Customer Success leaders to provide financial mentorship on spending decisions, hiring plans, and strategic investments. · Supervise expense trends and budget performance to ensure alignment with organizational goals. · Support month-end and quarter-end close activities in partnership with accounting and operational partners. · Improve financial processes, reporting tools, and planning methodologies to increase efficiency and accuracy. · Provide ad hoc analysis to support decision-making, business reviews, and leadership requests. · Leverage AI to drive process simplification and efficiency across forecasting and day-to-day operations. Strategic problem solver with a high degree of accountability. You don’t just report the numbers; you provide the "why" and the "what’s next." Minimum Qualifications · Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in Finance, Accounting, Economics or related fields. Experience: · 5+ years of related experience with a BS degree OR 3+ years of related experience with an MBA · Technical Expertise: Consistent record in data analysis, planning and financial modeling. General, cost, or business unit expertise with shown skills in business partnership, forecasting, and budgeting · High proficiency in Excel. · Advanced Analysis: Ability to develop sophisticated financials for business plans and link financial goals to business profitability. Preferred Qualifications · Experience with Business Objects or similar ERP tools (SAP, Oracle, Hyperion, Anaplan) · AI: experience leading or supporting AI-driven projects specifically passionate about optimizing financial models, forecasting, and operational efficiency metrics · Influence: Viewed as a technical resource throughout the organization; able to optimally sell alternative solutions and influence business strategy. · Leadership: Experience delegating assignments, establishing achievements, and mentoring junior team members. · Communication: Clear and concise presentation style, capable of discussing complex business issues with senior leadership. 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.