Cisco

Senior Director, Engineering (Customer Engineering - AI Team)

Cisco • $293K — $406K *
Milpitas, CA 95035In-Person
Information Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years in software, cloud, or security engineering, with hands-on customer-facing engineering experience.
  • Success in managing, building, and scaling engineering teams dealing with complex issues in multi-tenant systems.
  • Direct partnership with enterprise technical leadership during high-stakes incidents.
  • Experience creating triage models and defining SLAs and runbook rotations.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent industry experience.

Responsibilities

  • Build and scale the Customer Engineering operating model from the ground up, defining key processes and guardrails.
  • Lead the resolution of complex production issues for enterprise accounts, presenting insights to C-suite executives.
  • Architect AI-driven tools and automate workflows to improve resolution times and efficiency.
  • Create a streamlined interface between Customer Engineering and Core Engineering for effective issue escalation.
  • Design and implement an engineering rotation program to enhance hands-on troubleshooting and knowledge sharing.
  • Collaborate with Product Management to integrate feedback into roadmap enhancements, reducing repeat issues.
  • Hire and mentor a proficient team of engineers, establishing procedures and career paths.

Benefits

  • Work within a pioneering AI-native engineering organization with a strategic focus on customer success.
  • Opportunity to shape and define the global operating model from its inception.
  • Engage with top-tier enterprise clients during critical production events.
  • Access to cutting-edge tools and technologies in a high-stakes environment.
  • Collaborative culture bridging various teams including Engineering, Product Management, and Sales.
Full Job Description
The application window is expected to close on: 09/10/2026Meet the Team

Within this group, we are building Customer Engineering (CE) as a strategic, AI-native engineering organization designed to revolutionize how we diagnose, resolve, and prevent complex technical escalations for our most demanding global enterprise customers. Sitting at the direct intersection of Engineering, Product Management, Customer Experience (CX/TAC), and Sales, this founding leadership role will define, scale, and lead the global operating model from the ground up.

In this role, you will be the senior engineering voice when top-tier customers need answers during high-stakes production events, while pioneering AI-driven diagnostic automation and developer tooling that allows our engineering organization to scale non-linearly.

Your Impact

As the Head of Customer Engineering, you will:

  • Build & Scale the Operating Model: Establish the end-to-end CE function from scratch, defining triage tiers, response/resolution SLAs, and a "treat and discharge" motion that empowers engineers to write, test, and ship hotfixes/patches directly under rigorous safety guardrails.

  • Lead High-Stakes Escalations & RCAs: Serve as the senior engineering authority for strategic enterprise accounts, leading the resolution of complex multi-tenant production issues and presenting Root Cause Analyses (RCAs) directly to customer C-suite and technical executives.

  • Drive AI-Native Automation: Architect and deploy AI agents, intelligent diagnostic tooling, and automated workflows that dramatically reduce Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) and eliminate repetitive triage without linear headcount growth.

  • Bridge CE and Core Engineering: Establish a high-integrity escalation interface where handoffs to core R&D arrive fully pre-triaged (reproduced, scoped, and root-caused); negotiate and enforce bidirectional SLAs between CE and core engineering teams.

  • Pioneer the Core Engineering Rotation Program: Design and lead a continuous rotation program embedding core R&D engineers into CE for live customer troubleshooting, facilitating two-way knowledge transfer and real-world system resilience insights.

  • Close the Product Feedback Loop: Partner with Product Management and R&D to translate recurring field telemetry, incident post-mortems, and customer pain points into platform-level roadmap enhancements that permanently eliminate repeat escalations.

  • Recruit & Develop Top Talent: Hire, mentor, and lead a high-caliber team of customer-facing engineers and frontline managers, establishing on-call protocols, runbooks, and clear technical career pathways.

  • Drive Operational Metrics: Own and report on key operational health indicators including time-to-triage, time-to-resolution, % resolved at CE vs. escalated, repeat-issue rates, escalation SLA adherence, and customer CSAT/NPS.


Minimum Qualifications

  • 15+ years of software, cloud, or security engineering experience, with significant hands-on depth in customer-facing engineering, escalation engineering, or SRE/incident response roles.
  • People management experience, including proven success building, structuring, and scaling engineering teams that debugs and triage complex distributed, multi-tenant cloud systems across the full stack.
  • Proven track record partnering directly with enterprise technical leadership and C-level executives during critical production incidents.
  • Experience designing triage models, severity frameworks, SLA definitions, and on-call runbook rotations.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent industry experience.


Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience building or deploying AI agents, LLM-backed diagnostic tools, or intelligent workflow automation within engineering or support environments.
  • Proven experience founding or standing up a Customer Engineering, Tier-3 Escalation, or Production Operations organization from ground zero in a fast-scaling cloud or SaaS business.
  • Track record of managing people managers and scaling distributed, multi-region engineering teams.
  • Deep domain expertise in Cloud Security, SaaS architectures, Microservices, and Distributed systems.
  • Experience designing and executing engineering rotation programs that bridge product R&D with field support.
  • Strong executive gravitas with the ability to act as the decisive tiebreaker between rapid hotfix deployment and long-term architectural platform health.

About Cisco

Cisco Careers

Join the vibrant team at Cisco, a global leader in networking and cybersecurity solutions, where innovation and leadership thrive. Cisco offers a plethora of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and experiences, making it an ideal place for both seasoned professionals and those seeking an internship to jumpstart their career. Work You’ll Do At Cisco, you’ll be part of a culture that values diversity, leadership, and professional growth. Engage in work that matters with a team that combines technology, creativity, and the power of human connection to redefine networking. Cisco’s commitment to innovation isn’t just about technology, but also about transforming the way we work and collaborate. Cisco’s employment philosophy supports career advancement and nurtures a leadership pipeline that is equipped with diversity training and opportunities for growth. Whether you’re applying your skills to drive our latest innovations or using our vast networking capabilities to solve complex problems, at Cisco, every role is impactful. Join Our Dynamic Team Explore job opportunities in areas ranging from engineering to marketing, sales to cybersecurity. Cisco is hiring individuals who are passionate, curious, and ready to drive change. Positions at Cisco offer competitive benefits, a supportive culture, and the chance to work with cutting-edge technology. Internship Programs Kickstart your career with a Cisco internship. Gain invaluable industry experience, enhance your resume, and build professional networks that last a lifetime. Our internships provide hands-on experience and the chance to work on projects that matter. Leadership and Development Cisco is committed to fostering leadership skills and providing employees with the training needed to succeed. Our leadership programs help you develop new skills, manage teams effectively, and lead with confidence. Cisco’s commitment to professional development ensures that your career path is as dynamic as our technologies. Benefits and Culture Cisco understands the importance of a balanced life. Our benefits package is designed to ensure that our team members are healthy, happy, and secure. At Cisco, you’ll find a supportive culture that encourages open communication, teamwork, and mutual respect. Stay Connected Join Cisco’s Talent Network Stay informed about new positions that match your skills and interests. At Cisco, we value the curiosity and unique perspectives of our team members. Subscribe to receive personalized job alerts and insider tips directly from our hiring managers. Explore Cisco Jobs Ready to advance your career at Cisco? Search open positions, prepare your resume, and get ready for an interview that could lead to your next big opportunity. At Cisco, we’re not just filling positions—we’re investing in leaders. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. READ CAREERS BLOG Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that await you at Cisco.
Learn more about Cisco
Size
79,500 employees
Market Cap
$194.5 billion
Industry
Telecommunications & Hardware
Net Income
$10.1 billion
Founded
2014
5 Year Trend
+1.4%
Revenue
$48 billion
NASDAQ
CSCO
* Ladders Estimates

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