After issuing a companywide layoff notice earlier this month affecting approximately 5 per cent of its global workforce, Cisco Systems has provided further details regarding its cuts. The company revealed its intention to eliminate approximately 729 jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area by April. 

The most recent job reductions are concentrated in San Jose, Milpitas, and San Francisco, California, as indicated by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications (WARN) submitted by Cisco on February 15. 

According to CRN, the tech giant, headquartered in San Jose, California, confirmed on February 14 its plans for global job cuts to align expenses and investments with the prevailing macroeconomic conditions. 

Additionally, the company aims to redirect its focus towards "key priority" areas. These measures entail reducing approximately 5 per cent of its workforce, equating to about 4,250 employees. 

The subsequent week, Cisco's Chairman and CEO, Chuck Robbins, announced that Maria Martinez, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, would be leaving the company, and the position of COO would be eliminated. 

The job cuts in the Bay Area, classified as "permanent in nature" according to the WARN notices, encompass a range of positions. In San Jose, affected roles include 11 engineering technical leaders, eight engineering product managers, six business analysis managers, and five customer delivery engineering technical leaders. 

In Milpitas, over 50 software engineers and 29 software engineering technical leaders are being affected, while in San Francisco, various engineering and product manager roles are being eliminated. Additionally, marketing and communication roles, as well as positions in user experience, customer experience, and product management, are among those included in the job cuts. 

The WARN notices for each city state that affected employees have been notified and will be terminated as of April 15. Cisco mentioned that some affected employees have the opportunity to apply for and secure another position within the company. 

A spokesperson for a leading Cisco partner, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed concerns about the recent round of layoffs. While acknowledging that Cisco has undergone layoffs in the past to align its workforce with company priorities, the partner noted that the latest job cuts felt distinct. 

They observed that this round included more sales leaders and field sales employees who had close relationships with partners. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Cisco has prioritised consolidating its cybersecurity portfolio and enhancing its market presence in the security sector. 

In late 2022, Cisco issued layoff notices to around 4,000 employees, equating to approximately 5 per cent of its workforce across key business segments. This initiative was part of the company's strategy to "rebalance" its operations and achieve cost savings.