Inventory Accounting Operations Analyst
Cisco · Austin, United States +2 · 1d ago
Members of the Finance organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions.
Meet the Team
The Inventory Accounting team manages US GAAP inventory accounting for Cisco Services and Supply Chain across more than 20 legal entities. We work at the intersection of Finance, IT, and Inventory Operations. We own the relationships with IT and Tax & Customs for inventory accounting systems and processes, and partner with downstream accounting teams that incorporate our inventory results into broader entity reporting.
Compliance and control are foundational to our work. We encourage thoughtful questions and practical improvements to how work gets done, but any change must preserve the compliance, accuracy, and controls our accounting processes and cross-functional partners depend on.
We support multiple inventory accounting models shaped by local tax laws, statutory requirements, and business needs. Depending on the entity, inventory may be expensed to Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) or capitalized, with tracking based on historical first-in, first-out (FIFO) costs or current value. Each model brings distinct accounting and reporting requirements, which can change as local requirements and global Cisco needs evolve.
Your Impact
We are looking for a curious, self-directed individual who understands that technology is a force multiplier when grounded in a strong understanding of accounting, data, processes, and controls. You will spend much of your time improving how work gets done, first within your assigned responsibilities and, over time, across the team. This includes analyzing current processes, identifying opportunities, building or coordinating practical improvements, and testing their impact.
This is also a hands-on accounting role. You will have assigned close and post-close responsibilities and use that work to assess whether earlier process and system changes delivered the intended results, then identify what needs attention next. Everyone on our small team contributes to routine operational work alongside broader improvement initiatives. Priorities can shift, so the role requires initiative, follow-through, sound judgment, and clear communication.
You will join an experienced team as a valued and respected contributor from day one. You will receive manager-led onboarding and guidance as you take ownership of your responsibilities, with opportunities to participate in mentorship programs available across Cisco and the business unit. Your observations and ideas matter regardless of tenure. The team values fresh perspectives, thoughtful questions, and insightful solutions. We expect everyone to listen respectfully, share their perspective, and help the team decide what to improve. We encourage and value passionate, well-reasoned advocacy for better ways of working. We also expect everyone to work constructively and collaboratively in support of the team’s final decisions.
Key Responsibilities
Systems, Process, and Continuous Improvement
· Evaluate inventory accounting processes within Oracle C3, UiPath, and Excel, including the accounting rationale, data flows, and controls behind them.
· Identify recurring manual work, process pain points, data issues, and opportunities to improve accuracy, efficiency, and reliability.
· Build or improve tools, reconciliations, reports, and workflow automations using advanced Excel and, where appropriate, scripting or Cisco-approved AI tools.
· Apply AI and automation within company policies and established accounting controls, validating outputs before relying on them.
· Translate accounting needs into clear requirements for IT and coordinate testing and implementation timing.
· Review system changes after release, investigate unexpected results, and use subsequent close cycles to assess whether fixes and improvements worked as intended.
· Document processes, entity-specific requirements, controls, and changes so the information is usable across the team.
Inventory Accounting and Close
· Prepare and review subledger-to-general-ledger reconciliations, investigate variances, and document results for assigned entities or processes.
· Prepare journal entries and perform assigned month-end and year-end close activities.
· Review prior-period reconciliation results and coordinate with downstream partners responsible for related accounting items.
· Monitor inventory accounting accuracy and investigate discrepancies with Operations, IT, and other accounting teams.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field.
- One to two years of experience in finance or computer science
- Foundational understanding of accounting and finance, demonstrated through relevant education, work experience, or self-directed learning applied to a project or practical problem. Candidates without direct accounting experience should be prepared to demonstrate their understanding of core concepts such as journal entries, financial statements, and reconciliations.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to learn complex processes and understand how data and accounting decisions flow through connected systems.
- Advanced Excel skills and a demonstrated interest in automation, scripting, data tools, or AI.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to ask thoughtful questions, explain findings, and coordinate work across teams.
- Initiative and follow-through, with sound judgment about when to act independently, seek input, or raise risks and competing priorities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Hands-on experience with accounting analysis, reconciliations, journal entries, or financial close processes.
- Exposure to ERP systems, particularly Oracle, or workflow automation tools such as UiPath.
- Experience with scripting (such as Python), data visualization, or building tools to improve operational processes.
- Familiarity with inventory accounting or with how tax and statutory requirements affect accounting models and processes.
- Experience with generative AI tools such as GitHub Copilot, or other practical applications of AI in business processes.
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 $71,900.00 to $94,400.00 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:
$86,600.00 - $130,600.00Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$76,900.00 - $116,300.00* 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.