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

Cisco is a leading technology company that is revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era. They are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join their Security and Policy Platform Group, responsible for transforming Cisco’s Security products and delivering secure, scalable capabilities for customers.

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

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
• 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