AI DevSecOps Engineer Technical Leader

Cisco; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 216,000 - 281,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc in Milpitas is seeking a highly experienced security-focused DevSecOps lead engineer to strengthen security across Cisco's AI platforms. You will leverage extensive security, DevOps, and compliance expertise to improve the security posture of core AI products.

In this role, you will drive a shift-left security program, lead audit activities, perform security architecture reviews, and help ship secure-by-design solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering (or related field) with 8+ years of related experience, or equivalent advanced degree.
• 2+ years of experience with AI Agents to perform security testing and evaluations against code and deployed systems.
• Experience with SAST/DAST in CI pipelines and with Prisma Cloud, Wiz, or similar CNAPP tools.
• Experience securing runtime workloads and cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP/Azure) and IaC security (Terraform, Helm).

Responsibilities

• Drive a shift-left security strategy across the SDLC.
• Lead compliance efforts with internal and external audit teams; provide evidence; ensure adherence to controls; be point person for security assurance.
• Perform security architecture reviews and threat modeling; conduct red teaming on internal products; help ship secure-by-design products.
• Create and maintain a risk register and provide guidance on a risk-based approach to leadership decisions.

Skills

Shift-left security

CI/CD security integration

SAST/DAST tooling

Cloud security (AWS/GCP/Azure)

Threat modeling

Vulnerability management

Infrastructure as Code security

CADR/XDR/CWPP experience

AI Agents security testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Master's degree in related field

PhD in related field

Tools

Prisma Cloud

Wiz

Terraform

Kubernetes

CI/CD tooling (Jenkins)

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 12/30/2026

Meet the Team

The Platform and Security team within Cisco's AI Software and Platform Group designs and operates the infrastructure that powers Cisco's AI powered offerings, including Cisco Cloud Control, AI Defense, and AI Canvas. Within this team, the Observability Engineering group provides the metrics, traces, and logs needed to keep these services observable and ensure the most important workflows are continuously monitored. You'll partner across the AI Software and Platform group to set observability standards, deliver platform solutions, and raise the bar for what "great" looks like in production reliability. What's exciting: you'll help build an agentic observability outcome where health insights can be surfaced faster and more intelligently than traditional dashboards and alerts.

Your Impact

Cisco is looking for a highly experienced security-focused DevSecOps practitioner to join a team and improve the security outcomes of its core AI products. In this role as a lead engineer, you will bring your broad background in information security, DevOps practices, software development, and knowledge of compliance, and uplifting the organization's security posture. In specific, you will:

• Drive a shift-left security strategy, ensuring security is baked into every aspect of the SDLC
• Lead compliance efforts by working with internal and external audit teams; providing evidence; ensuring adherence to controls; and being a point person for security assurance
• Perform security architecture reviews, lead threat modeling exercises, do adversarial red teaming on internal products, and ultimately help ship secure-by-design products
• Create and maintain a risk register within the organization, providing guidance on a risk-based approach to decision making for the leadership team

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering (or related field) + 8 years of experience, Masters + 6 years of related experience, or PhD + 3 year of related experience.
• 2+ years of experience with AI Agents to perform security testing and evaluations against code and deployed systems.
• Experience in shift-left security, including integrating SAST/DAST into CI pipelines, with knowledge of Prisma Cloud, Wiz, or similar CNAPP tools required.
• Experience operationalizing vulnerability management, including setting and meeting severity-based SLAs/exception handling and reducing developer remediation friction.
• Experience securing runtime workloads and cloud infrastructure, including prior rollout of CADR/XDR/CWPP (or similar) plus experience in AWS/GCP/Azure and ability to secure Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Helm).

Preferred Qualifications

• CISSP or other ISC2 certification strongly preferred

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 $216,300.00 to $280,800.00 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 n