Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Your Impact

Design and build agentic workflows that combine detection signals, context, and playbooks to automate threat triage and response.

Prototype and test new AI features—from enrichment agents to incident summarization—working closely with Security SMEs to validate real-world utility.

Develop an AIOps pipeline to enable rapid experimentation with prompts, models, and RAG systems, using clear, measurable success criteria to evaluate iterations.

Evaluate model outputs for accuracy, reliability, and usability, then prototype and deploy improvements based on structured feedback and testing.

Collaborate with Product and Platform teams to co-design AI-enhanced TDIR workflows that are intuitive, scalable, and immediately useful to analysts.

Contribute to the core architecture powering AI-native security operations, helping shape how Splunk and Cisco scale trusted automation across the enterprise.

About the Role

This is a place for builders who thrive in ambiguity, challenge the status quo, and care deeply about making a meaningful impact.

We are an agile team with a startup feel and a strong bias for action. We move fast, embrace failure as part of the process, and stay focused on solving real-world problems for defenders on the front lines.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of related experience, Master's degree with 7+ years of related experience, or PhD with 5+ years of related experience.
• Experience designing and building scalable backend services, APIs, and automation solutions using Python.
• Experience with Security Operations concepts, including threat detection, triage, investigation, and incident response.
• Experience designing, developing, and integrating AI-powered solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs), including prompt engineering, agentic AI workflows, and AI application development.
• Experience working with security telemetry (e.g., endpoint, network, authentication, cloud, or similar data sources) and building automation or detection workflows that leverage security data.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of related experience, Master's degree with 7+ years of related experience, or PhD with 5+ years of related experience.
• Experience designing and building scalable backend services, APIs, and automation solutions using Python.
• Experience with Security Operations concepts, including threat detection, triage, investigation, and incident response.
• Experience designing, developing, and integrating AI-powered solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs), including prompt engineering, agentic AI workflows, and AI application development.
• Experience working with security telemetry (e.g., endpoint, network, authentication, cloud, or similar data sources) and building automation or detection workflows that leverage security data.

Skills

• Experience designing and building scalable backend services, APIs, and automation solutions using Python.
• Experience with Security Operations concepts, including threat detection, triage, investigation, and incident response.
• Experience designing, developing, and integrating AI-powered solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs), including prompt engineering, agentic AI workflows, and AI application development.
• Experience working with security telemetry (e.g., endpoint, network, authentication, cloud, or similar data sources) and building automation or detection workflows that leverage security data.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• A 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Basic life insurance.
• Up to 10 paid days off per full calendar year to volunteer.
• Flexible vacation time off program.
• Up to 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.
• Annual bonuses for non-sales roles.
• Performance-based incentive pay for quota-based sales roles.

Pay

The starting salary range posted for this position is $291,500.00 to $369,100.00 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.

New York City Metro Area: $291,500.00 - $424,400.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $259,400.00 - $377,600.00

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.

Schedule

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.
• 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 a 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.
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer.