Principal Engineer – Software Security

Cisco

. Define and evolve Cisco’s AI Security Standard, including threat models, architecture patterns, and security requirements .

Posted 11/9/2026full-timeUnited StatesLead💰 $202,100 - $271,700 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive expertise in architecting and securing AI/ML-integrated systems, with a strong focus on threat modeling, secure software development lifecycles, and establishing scalable security standards. Proven ability to translate complex security requirements into actionable business outcomes while mentoring senior engineers.

Highest-signal resume keywords

AI Security Standard DefinitionThreat ModelingSecure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)Python ProgrammingCI/CD Automation

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

AI/ML SecurityThreat ModelingSecurity ToolingData PrivacyRisk QuantificationModel SecurityAgentic WorkflowsMulti-Agent OrchestrationSecurity CheckpointsEthical AI

Soft Skills

Technical GuidanceMentoringCollaborationCommunicationLeadership

Tools & Technologies

CI/CD PipelinesEvaluation HarnessesPolicy-as-CodeAutomated Security GatesNIST AI RMFISO/IEC 42001

Industry Keywords

AI SafetyGlobal Data Protection RegulationsRed-Teaming StrategySecurity PatternsIncident Criteria

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

PythonSDLC

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Define and evolve Cisco’s AI Security Standard, including threat models, architecture patterns, and security requirements
Establish security requirements for RAG hardening, tool-call governance, agent identity, bounded autonomy, approval flows, auditability, and human accountability
Set standards for AI-assisted development, including provenance, human review, accountability, and automated SDLC/CI/CD security gates
Lead secure AI architecture across Cisco platforms and conduct design reviews
Codify reusable security patterns and define measurable release criteria
Own abuse and adversarial case coverage, including data poisoning, model extraction, model inversion, membership inference, insecure output handling, and RAG compromise
Manage model and data supply-chain provenance across models, datasets, plugins, fine-tuning data, and external APIs
Advance red-teaming strategy, evaluation harnesses, and release checkpoints for AI capabilities
Partner on post-deployment standards and incident criteria for AI-specific failure modes
Advise senior engineering leadership across CX, Operations, and Product
Align with product security, AI platform, SecOps, privacy, and legal teams
Translate sophisticated security requirements into business outcomes

Requirements

What you’ll need

12+ years of experience in software security
Deep hands-on experience architecting and securing AI/ML-integrated systems
Experience with Python, CI/CD automation, evaluation harnesses, agentic workflows, and security tooling
Ability to secure AI models and applications, including LLM- and agentic-AI-related vulnerabilities such as prompt injection, excessive agency, and data leakage
Knowledge of data privacy concerns
Strong background in threat modeling, secure software development lifecycles (SDLC), and architecture validation for large-scale, multi-platform ecosystems
Experience quantifying security risk and providing technical guidance across multiple teams or business units
Ability to operate as a principal-level technical authority without direct reports
Experience securing autonomous agents, tool-calling, multi-agent orchestration, and MCP-style integrations preferred
Experience designing or running AI red-team/evaluation programs preferred
Understanding of AI safety, ethical AI, and global data protection regulations preferred
Familiarity with NIST AI RMF and ISO/IEC 42001 preferred
Experience building scalable security standards or playbooks preferred
Experience integrating security checkpoints into CI/CD pipelines, including policy-as-code and automated security gates preferred
Track record of mentoring senior-level engineers preferred

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental and vision insurance
401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Basic life insurance
Cisco restricted stock unit grants may be available, subject to continued employment and vesting periods
10 paid holidays per full calendar year
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
16 days of paid vacation per full calendar year for non-exempt employees
Flexible vacation time off program with no defined limit for eligible exempt employees
80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter
Up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward
Additional paid time away for critical or emergency family issues
Optional 10 paid volunteer days per full calendar year
Annual bonuses may be available for non-sales roles