Cisco

Staff Software Engineer - AI/Security Platform

Cisco$186K — $267K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree with 8+ years of experience or Master's with 6+ years.
  • Experience in distributed systems design, especially with storage systems.
  • Familiarity with implementing data platforms, data lakes, and warehouses.
  • Proficient in Python for building scalable backend services and APIs.
  • Knowledgeable in CI/CD practices and version control systems.
  • Experience in cross-functional collaboration with product teams, SMEs, and engineers.

Responsibilities

  • Design and build systems for combined security data and threat detection.
  • Prototype and test new AI features for detecting anomalies and threats.
  • Develop a DevOps pipeline for rapid data experimentation.
  • Architect distributed platforms to correlate and synthesize trillions of signals.
  • Collaborate with teams to create AI-enhanced threat detection workflows.
  • Contribute to the core architecture for AI-native security operations.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
  • 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contributions.
  • Paid parental leave and disability coverage.
  • Flexible vacation policy without a set limit for exempt employees.
  • Paid time off for holidays, personal wellness, and birthdays.
  • Eligibility for volunteer days to support community service.
Full Job Description
The application window is expected to close on: 09/26/2026
Your Impact
  • Design and build systems that combine security-relevant data, detection signals, context, and foundation models to spot and predict threats, those in action and those that are about to happen.
  • Prototype and test new AI features - from decoding events and system environments to predicting anomalies and threats - working closely with security SMEs and security researchers to validate real-world utility.
  • Develop an AI DevOps pipeline to enable rapid experimentation with data. Knowledge bases, models, and context memory, using clear, measurable success criteria to evaluate iterations.
  • Architect and build the distributed platform that can correlate trillions of events & signals, and can synthesize them into explainable findings and alerts, consumed by our triage resolution agents - you will be building a key capability of the Agentic SOC.
  • Collaborate with product and platform teams to co-design AI-enhanced threat detection and prediction workflows that are intuitive, scalable, and immediately useful to analysts.
  • Contribute to the core architecture powering AI-native security operations, helping to shape how Splunk and Cisco scale trusted automation across the enterprise.


Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's Degree with 8+ years of related experience or Master's with 6+ years of related experience.


Engineering Qualifications:
  • Distributed Systems design and implementation - Experience with an emphasis on storage systems and storage access layers
  • Data Platform/Fabric - Experience implementing data platforms and/or data lakes and warehouses.
  • Proficient Python Development - Experience building scalable backend services, APIs, and automation workflows in Python.
  • DevOps/SecOps Practices - Experience, proficient with CI/CD pipelines, version control (GitHub/GitLab), Jira, and automated testing frameworks.
  • Agentic development - Experience designing agent systems that will perform coding tasks for you.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration - Experience partnering with product managers, security SMEs, and engineers to iterate quickly and deliver impactful solutions.

Security Qualifications:
  • Security Telemetry Fluency - Experience working with common telemetry data sources such as endpoint logs, network traffic, authentication events, or cloud audit trails and understanding how they're used in detection and investigation workflows.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Security Data Engineering - Experience building and maintaining pipelines for ingesting, parsing, and normalizing large-scale security telemetry.
  • Enterprise-grade Security Product Experience - Familiarity with TDIR/SIEM architectures, correlation searches, threat hunting support systems. Bonus if you've worked with Splunk's APIs, internals, or have experience developing on the Splunk platform.
  • Security Operations Experience - Understanding of security operations concepts, including attack surface management, threat analytics, detection, triage, investigation, and response. Alternatively, former Tier 3 SOC analyst or equivalent, with experience automating SecOps workflows and building scalable, resilient detection infrastructure.
  • Data Encoding & Embeddings - Exposure to event storage systems or generating custom embeddings for domain-specific tasks in cybersecurity.
  • RAG and GraphRAG Search Implementation - Hands-on experience developing retrieval-augmented generation pipelines and working with databases (e.g., FAISS, Pinecone).
  • Model Integration - Skilled in crafting, testing, and optimizing training workloads for large language or special-purpose models such as GNNs, GCNs, GATs. Ideally, you have contributed to or shipped an AI-powered feature or product and understand the nuances of integrating models into real-world workflows - including usability, performance, and trust considerations.
  • AI Evaluation & Experimentation - Capable of designing experiments to evaluate model output for accuracy, usability, performance, and cost
  • UX and Human Factors for Analysts - Background or interest in designing intuitive, AI-assisted analyst workflows with a focus on usability, trust, and decision support.


Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $186,900.00 to $267,700.00 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:
$186,900.00 - $307,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$166,300.00 - $274,100.00

* 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.

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
Net Income
$10.1 billion
Founded
2014
5 Year Trend
+1.4%
Revenue
$48 billion
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