Principal Engineer - AI

Cisco Systems, Inc.; California, San Jose (MO, CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Principal Engineer to lead innovation in AI and machine learning. In this pivotal role, you will drive the development of cutting-edge AI products that enhance security resilience for businesses globally. Your expertise will shape the strategic vision and technical direction of the team, while you collaborate with diverse stakeholders to deliver scalable and maintainable solutions. If you thrive in dynamic environments and have a strong track record in AI, this is the perfect opportunity to make a significant impact in a forward-thinking organization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in AI product/system development.
• Strong knowledge of AI architectures and reinforcement learning.
• Proficient in Python, Java, or C++ with ML frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical vision in AI and design advanced AI systems.
• Collaborate with teams to meet strategic goals and mentor engineers.
• Ensure ethical AI use and promote best coding practices.

Skills

AI Architectures

Machine Learning

Deep Learning

Python

Java

C++

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

Education

PhD in Computer Science

MS in AI or ML

Job description

Meet the Team

The AI Software & Platform Team delivers AI products that help businesses worldwide defend against threats and safeguard critical assets with security resilience. We are passionate about making businesses secure and simplifying security with zero compromise.

Your Impact

As a Principal Engineer within the Cisco AI Software and Platform team, you will lead research and development in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning. You will be instrumental in designing, implementing, and evolving our AI Assistant and Studio products. Your expertise will drive innovation and help maintain our competitive edge. We seek a passionate, hands-on AI Principal Engineer to join us from ideation to prototype and product development. You will be an integral part of the AI team, leading the design, development, and testing of new products. The ideal candidate has a proven track record, strong technological expertise, business acumen, and industry recognition (such as patents, publications, open-source contributions, conference speaking, collaborations, or industry roles). You should thrive in dynamic environments, communicate effectively across diverse audiences, and be committed to our team’s growth and new ventures.

What You Will Do

1. Lead technical and strategic vision in AI, shaping team direction.
2. Design and develop advanced AI systems to address business challenges.
3. Define AI solutions, assess feasibility, and estimate efforts and risks.
4. Drive prototypes and MVPs to deliver innovative, maintainable, and scalable features.
5. Collaborate with data scientists, developers, product managers, and stakeholders to meet strategic goals.
6. Mentor AI engineers, fostering technical excellence and learning.
7. Stay updated on AI and ML advancements, evaluating their impact on our products.
8. Promote best practices in coding, testing, documentation, and maintainability.
9. Develop scalable infrastructure for ML model deployment and monitoring.
10. Ensure ethical AI use, focusing on fairness, privacy, security, and transparency.
11. Communicate complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences and lead industry discussions.
12. Contribute to intellectual property through patents, publications, and presentations.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience as a Principal Engineer or senior technical leader.
• Deep knowledge of AI architectures, LLMs, and reinforcement learning.
• Proven experience leading AI product/system development in Networking/Security.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, or C++, with familiarity with frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and ML deployment strategies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent leadership and communication abilities.
• Ability to mentor engineers, especially early-career professionals.
• Comfort with emerging technologies and fast-paced environments.

Preferred Qualifications

A PhD or MS in Computer Science, AI, ML, Mathematics, Data Science, or related fields, or equivalent experience.