Head of Enterprise AI Research

Cisco; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 216,000 - 323,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Cisco’s Enterprise AI team leads the development of secure, scalable AI platforms for enterprise-grade solutions. This role bridges theoretical AI research and practical product implementation across networking, security, and human‑computer interaction domains.

You will shape research roadmaps, mentor talent, and guide ethical, high‑performing AI while aligning with product strategy and governance. Join Cisco to define and govern next-gen AI technologies, drive production‑grade deployments, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field and 8+ years of relevant industry research experience.
• Experience leading or conducting advanced AI research, specifically in areas such as representation learning, structured prediction, or deep learning architectures.
• Demonstrated experience applying advanced AI techniques (e.g., transfer learning, generative models) to solve complex problems in networking, security, or human‑computer interaction.
• Experience collaborating with cross‑functional stakeholders (Product Management, Engineering) to translate business objectives into actionable research roadmaps.
• Documented experience ensuring AI research adheres to ethical standards, data privacy, and security governance protocols.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct AI research teams in planning, execution, and analysis of research initiatives across networking, security, and HCI.
• Apply expertise in AI methodologies to guide design of foundational AI representations for enterprise innovation.
• Define and own long-term research strategy and priorities with cross-functional collaboration.
• Drive innovation by incorporating transfer learning, generative models, and large language models into research strategies.
• Translate research outcomes into production-ready solutions by partnering with engineering teams to operationalize models.
• Mentor and grow AI research talent, promoting scientific rigor and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Establish standards for ethical AI, data governance, privacy, and security; ensure governance compliance.
• Represent the organization in the AI community through publications, conferences, and partnerships.

Skills

AI research leadership

Representation learning

Structured prediction

Cross-functional collaboration

Ethical governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/AI

Job description

Cisco’s Enterprise AI team leads the development of secure, scalable AI platforms for enterprise-grade solutions. This role bridges theoretical AI research and practical product implementation across networking, security, and human‑computer interaction domains.

You will shape research roadmaps, mentor talent, and guide ethical, high‑performing AI while aligning with product strategy and governance. Join Cisco to define and govern next-gen AI technologies, drive production‑grade deployments, and