Principal Software Engineer – Security & Policy Platform

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +4 more states.

📋 Description

• Innovate, create, and implement distinctive software and technology solutions that have a global influence across Cisco’s extensive product portfolio and various technology and business groups.

• Function as an expert both internally and externally, utilizing in-depth technical knowledge to offer mentorship and guidance on complex challenges.

• Act as a domain specialist or cross-domain integrator, harnessing a wide-ranging understanding to link emerging technology trends and evaluate their effects on Cisco products.

• Direct and establish standards for the technical trajectory of Cisco’s software and technology solutions, shaping industry trends, influencing business leaders, and supporting Cisco’s technical community.

• Guarantee the formulation, execution, and empowerment of technology strategies that yield long-term business benefits.

• Keep abreast of advancing technology and industry trends, driving innovation and enabling Cisco to uphold a robust competitive edge.

• Collaborate across engineering, product, and business teams to convert strategic vision into scalable, impactful solutions.

• Mentor and guide senior technical leaders, fostering architectural consistency and engineering excellence throughout the organization.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Over 12 years of experience in designing and developing large-scale software, platforms, or distributed systems.

• Proven experience in constructing and scaling highly available, secure, and distributed systems within cloud or hybrid settings.

• Proficient in writing high-quality, production-ready code with modern programming languages (e.g., Go, Rust, or C++).

• More than 5 years of experience with security, privacy, and data protection principles applied to policy and platform systems.

• Preferred: An advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

• Established technical leadership as a domain expert or cross-domain integrator influencing architecture across multiple product lines or business units.

• Demonstrated experience in driving platform strategy in extensive enterprise or cloud environments.

• Experience in integrating systems with broader platform services, including observability, data platforms, or AI/ML-driven systems.

• A proven track record of influencing technical direction and aligning stakeholders within a large, matrixed organization.

• Experience in defining technical architecture and leading end-to-end system design across multiple teams or organizations.

• Contributions to industry standards, open-source projects, patents, or publications are advantageous.

• Capability to translate emerging technology trends into long-term strategic direction and business impact.

🏝️ 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.

• Paid time off policies: 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees, 1 paid day off for the employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness as determined by Cisco.

• 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.

• Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may utilize (subject to availability and some business limitations).

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on the hire date and each January 1st thereafter, with up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried over from one calendar year to the next.

• Additional paid time off may be requested to address critical or emergency situations for family members.

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year for volunteer work.

• Eligibility to earn annual bonuses in accordance with Cisco’s policies.