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Cisco Principal Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Dell, Inc.

Lab Support Principal Engineer

Hopkinton, MA · On-site

$117K - $161K/yr

Lab Support Principal Engineer Lab Support Engineering is at the heart of a worldwide lab ... Cisco). Compensation Dell is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices The salary ...

C1

Security Principal Engineer

Sacramento, CA

Overview The Security Principal Engineer provides technical leadership, guidance and mentorship for ... Expert knowledge of Cisco Routers (ISR GEN1/2), Switches (including NEXUS and Catalyst Line ...

C1

Security Principal Engineer

Sacramento, CA

The Security Principal Engineer provides technical leadership, guidance and mentorship for a team ... Expert knowledge of Cisco Routers (ISR GEN1/2), Switches (including NEXUS and Catalyst Line ...

C1

Security Principal Engineer

Sacramento, CA · On-site

Overview The Security Principal Engineer provides technical leadership, guidance and mentorship for ... Expert knowledge of Cisco Routers (ISR GEN1/2), Switches (including NEXUS and Catalyst Line ...

C1

Security Principal Engineer

Sacramento, CA

Overview The Security Principal Engineer provides technical leadership, guidance and mentorship for ... Expert knowledge of Cisco Routers (ISR GEN1/2), Switches (including NEXUS and Catalyst Line ...

Peraton

Lead Principal Engineer

Fort George G Meade, MD · On-site

$176K - $282K/yr

Responsibilities In this role, you will serve as Lead Principal Engineer for a Multi-Level Secure ... Utilize expertise in Cisco technologies, including routers, switches, firewalls, and other ...

Peraton

Lead Principal Engineer

Fort George G Meade, MD

$176K - $282K/yr

Responsibilities In this role, you will serve as Lead Principal Engineer for a Multi-Level Secure ... Utilize expertise in Cisco technologies, including routers, switches, firewalls, and other ...

Peraton

Lead Principal Engineer

Fort George G Meade, MD · On-site

$176K - $282K/yr

Responsibilities In this role, you will serve as Lead Principal Engineer for a Multi-Level Secure ... Utilize expertise in Cisco technologies, including routers, switches, firewalls, and other ...

Bloom Energy

Sr. Principal Engineer

Fremont, CA

$137K - $189K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Principal Network Engineer to join our team in one of today's most ... Configure and provide ongoing support for Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASAs). * Work ...

Bloom Energy

Sr. Principal Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$137K - $189K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Principal Network Engineer to join our team in one of today's most ... Configure and provide ongoing support for Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASAs). * Work ...

Cisco

Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$291K - $369K/yr

Meet the Team Splunk, a Cisco company, is building a safer, more resilient digital world with an ... Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ...

Cisco

Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Iselin, NJ · On-site

$291K - $369K/yr

Meet the Team Splunk, a Cisco company, is building a safer, more resilient digital world with an ... Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ...

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Cisco Principal Engineer information

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$74K

$147.2K

$212.5K

How much do cisco principal engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for cisco principal engineer in the United States is $147,220.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Cisco Principal Engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams within large-scale projects?

As a Cisco Principal Engineer, you will frequently collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, solution architects, software developers, and customer support specialists. Your role often involves providing technical leadership, aligning project goals, and ensuring that architectural standards are met throughout the project lifecycle. Effective communication and mentorship skills are essential, as you'll guide teams through complex problem-solving and facilitate knowledge sharing. This collaborative environment helps drive innovation and ensures successful project delivery.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Cisco Principal Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Cisco Principal Engineer, you need deep expertise in network architecture, advanced troubleshooting, and extensive experience with Cisco technologies, often supported by certifications like CCIE. Familiarity with network management tools, automation platforms, and security systems is typically required. Outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and effective communication skills help you guide teams and collaborate with stakeholders. These abilities are crucial for designing robust solutions, leading complex projects, and driving innovation in networking environments.

What are Cisco Principal Engineers?

Cisco Principal Engineers are senior-level technical experts who play a critical role in designing, developing, and implementing advanced networking solutions. They are recognized as authorities in their field and often lead large, complex projects, mentor other engineers, and help set technical strategy within Cisco. Their responsibilities include solving challenging technical problems, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and influencing the direction of Cisco’s products and technologies. To become a Principal Engineer at Cisco, extensive experience, deep technical knowledge, and strong leadership skills are typically required.

What is the difference between Cisco Principal Engineer vs Cisco Network Architect?

AspectCisco Principal EngineerCisco Network Architect
Required CredentialsCCNP, CCIE, extensive experience in networkingCCNP, CCIE, strong design and planning skills
Work EnvironmentHands-on technical roles, troubleshooting, implementationDesign, planning, and architecture of network solutions
Employer & Industry UsageLarge enterprises, service providers, Cisco partnersEnterprises, consulting firms, network design companies

The Cisco Principal Engineer focuses on advanced technical implementation and troubleshooting, while the Cisco Network Architect specializes in designing network solutions and strategies. Both roles require similar certifications and are vital in enterprise and service provider environments, but they differ mainly in their focus on hands-on technical work versus strategic design.

More about Cisco Principal Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Cisco Principal Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Cisco Principal Engineer job openings:
What job categories do people searching Cisco Principal Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Cisco Principal Engineer jobs are:
Cisco Principal Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cisco Principal Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% Internship, 3% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 3% Temporary, 9% Contract, and 5% Nights. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,220 per year, or $70.8 per hour.
Principal AI/ML Engineer, Security AI

Principal AI/ML Engineer, Security AI

Cisco Systems, Inc.

San Jose, CA

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 5 days ago

Cisco Systems rating

8.6

Company rating: 8.6 out of 10

Based on 39 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

15th of 139 rated electronics manufacturers

Job description

The Cisco Security AI team delivers AI products and platform for all Cisco secure products and portfolios so businesses around the world can defend against threats and safeguard the most vital aspects of their business with security resilience. We are passionate about making businesses secure and simplifying security with zero compromise using AI and Machine Learning. Who You Are As a Principal Engineer, you will have the incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning research and development. You will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and evolving our AI platforms and products. Your expertise will drive innovation and maintain our competitive edge in the market. We are looking for a passionate AI/Data Science Principal Engineer to join us on the sprint that takes us from ideas to prototypes, and from prototypes to products.
As a director-level leader and individual contributor, you will be an integral part of the Security AI team, joining us at an early stage of the journey and responsible for leading the ideation, design, development and testing phases of new products. As an authority in this domain, you have strong technology experience, eye for business and a good level of visibility and recognition in the industry (including for example patents, publication/blogs, open-source contributions, conference speaker, academic collaboration, active role in industry consortium...). The right candidate thrives in multifaceted environments and can be counted on when the going gets tough. The ideal candidate is also an outstanding communicator who can pitch solutions for complex problems in a simple and articulated way, adjusting communication style to the audience (Customers, Exec, Business, Technical, UX ...). This role is critical to the growth of our team and our new ventures. What You Will Do
  • Lead with technical and industry vision and act as a key contributor for our team strategy in the fields of AI and Data Science.
  • Define and design AI-based solutions, evaluate technical feasibility and provide estimates on efforts and risks.
  • Drive prototypes and MVP architecture and development to deliver innovative features services which are consistent, maintainable, and highly scalable.
  • Collaborate with multi-functional teams, including data scientists, software developers, product managers, and business stakeholders to define and achieve strategic objectives.
  • Mentor and guide a team of AI engineers and data scientists, fostering an environment of technical excellence and continuous learning.
  • Stay abreast of the latest developments in AI and ML and evaluate the potential impact of new technologies on our products and services.
  • Drive the adoption of standard processes in coding, testing, documentation, and maintainability.
  • Ensure the ethical use of AI, focusing on fairness, privacy, security, and transparency.
  • Communicate complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences and provide thought leadership within the company and at industry events.
  • Contribute to the creation of intellectual property through patents, publications, and presentations.
Minimum Qualifications
  • Minimum of 15 years of Software Engineering experience to include serving in the capacity of Director/CTO/Chief/Principal Engineer position for AI Machine Learning / Deep Learning solutions applied across different industry verticals and different data modalities.
  • Minimum of 7 years of experience using programming languages such as Python, Java or C++ and familiarity with AI frameworks like Tensorflow, PyTorch or Keras
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience focused on developing, training and deploying AI models in real-world applications to include machine learning algorithms, deep learning architectures, and the underlying mathematical principles.
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and ML deployment strategies.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Understanding and hands on experience in Large Language Models, Natural Language Processing, Computer vision, Image Processing, and other generative AI techniques.
  • Proven experience owning the development of AI-based products or systems.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to address complex issues.
  • Excellent leadership and communication skills.
  • Experience with building DataOps/MLOps workflows, infrastructure and tooling.
  • Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and DevOps practices.
  • Ability to coach/mentor other engineers and especially early in their career
  • Ability to constantly identify, follow and learn innovative technologies, work in a fast-paced, team-focused environment.
Why Cisco Secure We're global, we're adaptable, we're diverse, and our security portfolio is as extensive as it is groundbreaking. Have you heard of Threat, Detection & Response, Zero Trust by Duo, Common Services Engineering, or Cloud & Network Security? Those are only a few of our product teams! The only thing we're missing is YOU.
Join an enterprise security leader with a start-up culture, committed to driving innovation and giving you the opportunity to make an impact. We #InnovateToWin and we know we're better together, that's why we're dedicated to inclusivity, collaboration, and diversity in everything we do.
We're proud to be the Best Small and Mid-Size Enterprises Security Solution Cisco Secure continues to grow and evolve year after year with 100% of Fortune 100 Companies using our products, and we're excited to see the new heights we'll reach with your passion for security, your customer focus, and your desire to change things up!
There are so many amazing reasons to join Cisco. Learn more here!
Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees have access to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings. Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday, plus a day off for their birthday. Employees accrue up to 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) each year and have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues without tapping into their PTO. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community. Employees are also able to purchase company stock through our Employee Stock Purchase Program.
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About Cisco Systems

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Cisco Systems, a global tech titan based in San Jose, CA, US, operates in the information technology and services industry. Founded in 1984, the company was derived from a project between two computer scientists from Stanford University. They aimed to connect different networks of computer systems at the university, resulting in the first multi-protocol router, and subsequently, the birth of Cisco. As an industry-leading manufacturer of networking hardware and telecommunications equipment, Cisco's product and services range includes routers, switches, firewall devices, and telecommunication technology. The company's mission, "to shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners," is a testament to its pursuit of technology-forward innovation and customer satisfaction.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Jose, CA, US

Year founded

1984

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