Real Estate Lead, Americas

The application window is expected to close on: 09/24/2026 Locations: San Jose (Bay Area), RTP About the Team At Cisco, our Workplace Resources (WPR) organization is reimagining the future of work. We design, build, and operate dynamic physical and digital environments that empower our global teams to collaborate, innovate, and thrive. Within WPR, the Real Estate Strategy & Planning team acts as the strategic architect of Cisco’s corporate footprint. We translate evolving business priorities into agile, high-value real estate strategies across both enterprise office hubs and mission-critical technical infrastructure. What You’ll Do As the Real Estate Lead for the Americas for our lease transactions and lease administration across North and Latin America, you will manage an annual real estate budget exceeding $100M USD and lead marquee transactions—from large-scale regional hubs to specialized data center facilities. • Drive High-Impact Transactions: Lead end-to-end lease negotiations, acquisitions, renewals, subleases, and dispositions, crafting creative commercial deal structures that mitigate cost while maximizing operational value, enabling experience and flexibility. • Shape Regional Portfolio Strategy: Partner directly with our WPR teams to collaboratively advise and create solutions for our businesses’ occupational needs regarding where and how Cisco should expand, consolidate, or reposition leased properties. • Build Executive Business Cases: Build, review, and utilize data-driven financial models (cash flow, P&L, and US GAAP lease accounting) to present compelling recommendations to Senior Leadership. • Champion Innovation & AI: Identify and integrate AI tools and modern analytics to streamline lease administration, critical date governance, market benchmarking, and executive portfolio reporting. • Orchestrate Global Partners: Direct premier brokerage firms, development advisors, and legal counsel to ensure best-in-class execution and adherence to lease obligations, building codes, local land-use, environmental, and municipal guidelines. • Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Advise and integrate the needs of Design & Construction, Workplace Operations, Legal, Tax, Finance, and Sustainability into our leases and operating practices to ensure strong team partnership in the wider project delivery to our business clients.

You are a seasoned, strategic corporate real estate professional who pairs deep commercial negotiation experience with polished executive presence. You know how to distill complex market dynamics and legal nuances into clear, actionable business storytelling. • Proven Portfolio Leadership: 9+ years of progressive corporate real estate, transaction management, or property investment experience managing large, multi-market corporate portfolios. • Transaction & Scale Acumen: Demonstrated track record of leading large commercial leases and complex market strategies across the Americas; international experience will also be considered. • Market Versatility: Strong background navigating diverse commercial markets, with familiarity in tech office dynamics and data center / mission-critical environments. • Financial & Analytical Fluency: Adept at real estate financial modeling, capital budgeting, and translating US GAAP/lease accounting principles into strategic decisions. • Regulatory & Entitlement Savvy: Working knowledge of site due diligence, easements, environmental considerations (such as CEQA/SEPA), and local municipal approval processes. • Education & Credentials: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Engineering, or a related field (MBA preferred). Industry designations such as MCR (CoreNet) or RICS, with financial modeling, project management, or Lean Six Sigma skills as differentiators. Why Cisco?  At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been