Principal Software Engineer (Security & Policy Platform) (Remote)

Cisco•San Jose, CA

14d•$250,600 - $362,600•Remote

About The Position

You will join Cisco’s Security and Policy Platform Group, a foundational organization responsible for transforming Cisco’s Security products from single point products to comprehensive security outcomes, as a Principal Engineer. The team delivers secure, scalable capabilities enabling customers to control and security policies across Cisco and third-party products. This work spans cloud and client infrastructure, security, policy and networking, with a strong emphasis on reliability, interoperability, and long-term scalability!

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field with 12+ years of experience designing and developing large-scale software, platform, or distributed systems.
Experience building and scaling highly available, secure, and distributed systems in cloud or hybrid environments.
Experience writing high-quality, production-grade code using modern programming languages (e.g., Go, Rust, or C++).
5+ years of experience with security, privacy, and data protection principles as applied to policy and platform systems.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
Recognized technical leadership as a domain expert or cross-domain integrator influencing architecture across multiple product lines or business units.
Experience driving platform strategy in large-scale enterprise or cloud environments.
Experience integrating systems with broader platform services such as observability, data platforms, or AI/ML-driven systems.
Track record of influencing technical direction and aligning stakeholders across a large, matrixed organization.
Experience defining technical architecture and driving end-to-end system design across multiple teams or organizations.
Contributions to industry standards, open-source projects, patents, or publications.
Ability to translate emerging technology trends into long-term strategic direction and business impact.

Responsibilities

Innovate, develop, and drive unique software and technology solutions with global impact across Cisco’s broader product portfolio and multiple technology and business groups.
Act as an internal, external, and industry expert, applying deep technical expertise to provide mentorship and consultation on sophisticated challenges.
Serve as a domain expert or cross-domain integrator, leveraging breadth of knowledge to connect emerging technology trends and assess their impact on Cisco products.
Guide and set standards for the technical direction of Cisco’s software and technology solutions, influencing industry trends, business leaders, and Cisco’s technical community.
Ensure the development, execution, and enablement of technology strategies that deliver long-term business impact.
Stay ahead of evolving technology and industry trends, shaping innovation and enabling Cisco to maintain a strong competitive advantage.
Partner across engineering, product, and business teams to translate strategic vision into scalable, high-impact solutions.
Mentor and influence senior technical leaders, driving architectural consistency and engineering excellence across the organization.

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
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 time per full calendar year (non-exempt employees)
flexible vacation time off program (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 from one calendar year to the next
Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
annual bonuses (for non-sales roles)
performance-based incentive pay (for sales roles)