Security Engineer

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; North Carolina; On-site; USD 129,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) matching

Parental leave

Disability coverage

Life insurance

Stock grants

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a security operations leader to design and deploy advanced security controls across cloud and on-prem environments. You will develop automated incident response playbooks to shorten response times and lead deep-dive threat hunts to identify evasive adversaries.

Join a team of engineers and DevOps partners, mentoring junior staff and guiding secure coding practices to strengthen Cisco’s defenses and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, or a related technical field.
• 3–5 years of professional experience in a Security Operations Center (SOC) or a security-focused engineering role.
• Experience working with SIEM, EDR, and Vulnerability Management platforms in a hybrid enterprise environment.
• Proficiency in applying current security frameworks and secure coding principles.
• Experience building or maintaining security tools and services within a formal development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and deployment of security sub-components and features across cloud and on-premises environments to intercept emerging risks.
• Develop and refine automated incident response playbooks to optimize MTTR and enhance operational efficiency.
• Execute deep-dive forensic investigations and threat hunting to uncover stealthy adversaries bypassing traditional controls.
• Collaborate with DevOps and engineering teams to remediate vulnerabilities and ensure compliance through technical leadership and code reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide architectural guidance to strengthen Cisco’s security defenses.

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/30/2026

Meet the Team

Our security operations team is dedicated to safeguarding Cisco's ecosystem by developing and executing robust security controls and defenses. We operate within the Cisco Secure Development Lifecycle (CSDL), integrating security directly into the products and services that power our global infrastructure. You will join a collaborative group of technical leaders who work across various business units to ensure a consistent and high-integrity security posture. This team moves beyond simple alert monitoring to perform deep-dive forensics and active threat hunting, driving innovation in how we protect our cloud and on-prem environments. By blending incident response with technical leadership, we foster an environment where staying ahead of evolving threats is our top priority.

Your Impact

Lead the design and deployment of security sub-components and features across cloud and on-premises environments to intercept emerging risks.

Develop and refine automated incident response playbooks to optimize our Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) and enhance operational efficiency.

Execute deep-dive forensic investigations and hypothesis-based threat hunting to uncover stealthy adversaries bypassing traditional controls.

Collaborate directly with DevOps and engineering teams to remediate vulnerabilities and ensure compliance through technical leadership and code reviews.

Mentor junior engineers and provide architectural guidance to strengthen Cisco’s overall security defenses and sustainability solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, or a related technical field.
• 3–5 years of professional experience in a Security Operations Center (SOC) or a security-focused engineering role.
• Experience working with SIEM, EDR, and Vulnerability Management platforms in a hybrid enterprise environment.
• Proficiency in applying current security frameworks and secure coding principles.
• Experience building or maintaining security tools and services within a formal development lifecycle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Wiz.io, Tenable Nessus, Splunk, and the Cisco Secure Suite.
• Technical proficiency with Trend Micro, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, or Microsoft Defender.
• Familiarity with cloud-native security environments, specifically AWS or Azure.
• Professional certifications such as CompTIA CySA+, PenTest+, Security+, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, or ISC2 SSCP.
• Strong communication skills to effectively collaborate with DevOps teams on remediation and patching strategies.

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 $128,600.00 to $184,900.00 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.

Paid Time Away and Vacation

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 of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to 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

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

• New York City Metro Area: $155,000.00 - $256,000.00
• Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $138,100.00 - $227,900.00

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.

Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.