Principal Engineer – AI

Cisco; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead AI innovation and development. This role involves designing and implementing cutting-edge AI systems, driving prototypes, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to tackle key business challenges. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in AI and machine learning, with a strong background in Python and cloud platforms. Join a passionate team dedicated to making businesses secure and simplifying security with innovative solutions. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are eager to make a significant impact, this opportunity is for you.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience as a Principal Engineer or Senior Technical Leader.
• Deep understanding of AI architectures and machine learning frameworks.
• Proven experience in leading AI product/system development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the AI strategy and design advanced AI systems.
• Collaborate with teams to meet strategic objectives.
• Mentor and guide AI engineers for technical excellence.

Skills

AI architectures

LLMs

Reinforcement Learning

Python

Java

C++

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

Education

PhD or MS in Computer Science

equivalent experience

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

AWS

Azure

Google Cloud

Job description

Meet the Team

The AI Software & Platform Team delivers AI products to help businesses worldwide defend against threats and safeguard critical aspects of their operations. 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 be at the forefront of AI, machine learning, and deep learning research and development. You will play a key role 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 idea to prototype, and from prototype to product. As an individual contributor, you will be integral to the AI team, leading ideation, design, development, and testing of new products. You should have a proven track record with strong technological experience, business acumen, and recognition in the industry (e.g., patents, publications, open-source contributions, conference speaking, academic collaborations, industry consortium involvement). The ideal candidate thrives in multifaceted environments, is resilient under pressure, and communicates complex solutions clearly to diverse audiences. This role is vital for our team's growth and new ventures.

What You Will Do

1. Lead with technical and industry vision and contribute to our AI strategy.
2. Design and develop advanced AI systems addressing key business challenges.
3. Define AI-based solutions, evaluate feasibility, and estimate efforts and risks.
4. Drive prototypes and MVPs to deliver innovative, maintainable, and scalable features.
5. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet strategic objectives.
6. Mentor and guide AI engineers, fostering technical excellence and continuous learning.
7. Stay updated on AI and machine learning advancements and assess their impact.
8. Promote best practices in coding, testing, documentation, and maintainability.
9. Develop scalable infrastructure for ML models from development to deployment and monitoring.
10. Ensure ethical AI use, focusing on fairness, privacy, security, and transparency.
11. Communicate complex AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders and provide thought leadership.
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 understanding of AI architectures, LLMs, and Reinforcement Learning.
• Proven experience leading AI product/system development in Networking/Security.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, or C++, and familiarity with frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and ML deployment strategies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with mentoring experience.
• Ability to learn and adapt to cutting-edge technologies in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Data Science, or related field, or equivalent experience.