Leader, AI Research Hybrid

Cisco is a global technology leader specializing in AI-powered solutions. The role involves leading applied AI research to bridge theoretical methodologies with enterprise innovation, influencing product strategy, and mentoring future AI talent.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and direct AI research teams in the planning, execution, and analysis of cutting-edge research initiatives that advance the field of artificial intelligence across strategic domains including networking, security, programming, human-computer interaction, and other critical areas of computer science
• Apply deep expertise in core AI methodologies—including representation learning and structured prediction techniques (e.g., network topologies, computational biology, natural language processing)—to guide the design and development of foundational AI representations that drive enterprise innovation
• Define and own the long-term research strategy, methodologies, and priorities, ensuring tight alignment with enterprise objectives and effective collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and Design partners to translate business needs into actionable AI research roadmaps
• Drive innovation by staying at the forefront of emerging AI trends and incorporating advanced techniques—such as transfer learning, generative models, large language models, and problem-specific structured predictions—into research strategies and prototypes
• Translate research outcomes into impactful, production-ready solutions by partnering with engineering teams to operationalize models, validate performance at scale, and integrate AI capabilities into enterprise products
• Mentor, coach, and grow AI research talent, cultivating a high-performance culture grounded in scientific rigor, technical excellence, peer review, and cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Establish and uphold standards for ethical AI, responsible model development, data governance, privacy, and security; ensure all research adheres to enterprise governance frameworks and regulatory requirements
• Represent the organization in the broader AI community through publications, conferences, and external partnerships, while protecting intellectual property and contributing to thought leadership in the field