Leader, Software Engineering

Cisco Systems, Inc.; North Carolina; On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a senior engineering leader to drive software and AI initiatives within IT and Supply Chain. You will mentor engineers, shape architecture, and deliver AI-enabled enterprise applications across global teams.

You’ll partner with Product, Operations, and vendors to align priorities, ensure delivery excellence, and advance AI-first practices at scale.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of experience in software, DevOps, or systems engineering.
• 4+ years of engineering leadership across diverse teams and time zones.
• Fluency in designing, architecting, and deploying AI enabled enterprise applications.
• Proven track record of AI-first engineering and AI-assisted development tools.
• Extensive SaaS, cloud infrastructure, and distributed systems experience.
• Proven ability to drive technical strategy and large-scale AI initiatives.
• Balancing tactical needs with long-term architectural/quality objectives.
• Experience leading agile teams and managing deadlines and priorities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management across leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor software and AI engineers while fostering innovation and excellence.
• Guide architectural decisions, improve performance, manage debt, and integrate AI capabilities.
• Collaborate with Product, Supply Chain, and SMEs to drive AI-enabled solutions.
• Monitor production issues to ensure stability and data integrity.
• Remove obstacles; ensure tooling, platform infra, and delivery support.
• Conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and drive team health and learning.
• Lead hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning for AI-capable teams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and external AI vendors.

Skills

Leadership

AI-first engineering

SaaS

Cloud infrastructure

Distributed systems

Agile teams

Communication

Engineering strategy

Team growth

Education

BS/MS in CS/AI or equivalent

Tools

MLOps tooling

LLMops tooling

Oracle Fusion Cloud

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 09/27/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

Cisco IT is a transformation engine enabling people to do the best work of their lives! Our vision is to be loved as the world’s best IT organization. We lead with user experience, accept agile ways of working, drive engineering efficiency, and deliver with Cloud first, shift left, AI powered technology.

The Component Operations Supply Chain IT team is at the forefront of transforming our supply chain through technology. We specialize in implementing and optimizing our Supply Chain ERP solution, a critical backbone for managing everything from procurement to delivery. Our expertise ensures seamless integration of processes, providing real-time visibility and control over our entire supply chain operations. We empower data-driven decisions that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall operational agility.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead, mentor, and develop software and AI engineers while fostering innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence

• Collaborate with technical leads to guide architectural decisions, improve system performance, manage technical debt, and integrate modern AI capabilities

• Partner with Product, Supply Chain, Business Operations, and SMEs to clarify requirements, align priorities, and drive AI-enabled business solutions

• Monitor and resolve production issues to ensure system stability, model/data integrity, and timely support

• Remove obstacles, manage risks, and ensure teams have the tooling, platform infrastructure, and support needed for delivery

• Conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and drive team health, engagement, and continuous learning initiatives

• Lead hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning to build high-performing engineering teams skilled in modern AI paradigms

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, customers, and external AI/technology vendors
  

Minimum Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or equivalent experience
• 8+ years of experience in software, DevOps, or systems engineering,
• 4+ years of experience in engineering leadership across diverse teams and time zones
• Fluency in designing, architecting, and deploying AI enabled enterprise applications.
• Proven track record of adopting an AI-first engineering approach and driving team-wide usage of AI-assisted development tools and workflows
• Extensive SaaS, cloud infrastructure, and distributed systems experience
• Proven ability to drive technical strategy and deliver large-scale enterprise engineering and AI initiatives
• Skilled at balancing tactical operational needs with long-term strategic, architectural, and quality objectives
• Experience leading agile teams and managing complex engineering priorities, deadlines, and deliverables
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across engineering, product, and executive leadership
• Deep experience developing, scaling, and managing high-performing engineering teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or familiarity with MLOps/LLMops tooling, evaluation frameworks, and AI data pipelines
• Experience with building and maintaining various Oracle Fusion Cloud modules, including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply Chain Management), and CX (Customer Experience).
• A solid grasp of core business processes in areas such as finance and supply chain management to effectively align technical solutions with business needs.

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 $151,600.00 to $222,400.00 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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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.