Principal Technical Marketing Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a Principal Technical Marketing Engineer (TME) to serve as the highest-level individual contributor within our AI-focused technical marketing organization. This role is pivotal in driving innovation and delivering deep technical expertise across our AI business and product portfolio.

Meet the Team

The team is dedicated to advancing AI technologies and reinforcing our position as an industry leader. You will join a high-impact, dynamic group that collaborates across multiple functions to influence product strategy, accelerate AI adoption, and ensure long-term customer success.

Your Impact

As a Principal TME, you will operate as a visionary and technical authority, investigating emerging AI technologies, identifying high-value product opportunities, and designing complex architectures. You will serve as a key bridge between Product Management, Sales, Operations, Partners, Product Marketing, Customer Support, and Engineering.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 15+ years of related experience.
• Master’s degree with 12+ years of related experience or PhD with 8+ years of related experience.
• 5+ years of demonstrable experience as a Technical Marketing Engineer (TME) or in equivalent high-level roles involving complex system design, architecture documentation, lab environment development, and/or solution evangelism.
• Experience delivering technical and business strategy at an advanced or strategist level.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional ability to influence cross-functional, diverse groups toward a unified strategic goal.
• Deep technical proficiency in AI/ML business applications, product architectures, and relevant AI-driven technologies.
• Expertise in translating complex AI and networking concepts into actionable business strategies.
• Strong awareness of the AI market landscape, competitive dynamics, and emerging technology trends.
• Agility to manage high-level, diverse daily activities and adapt to rapidly evolving industry priorities.
• Advanced consulting and communication skills, with a proven ability to facilitate executive workshops, manage technical messaging, and inspire organizational change.

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 $233,900.00 to $330,400.00 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.

Benefits

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.

Additional Paid Time Off

• 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.

Sales Incentives

• 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.