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About the role
As a Lead AI Researcher, you will serve as a foundational architect for Cisco’s proprietary intelligence, directly influencing how we secure and automate the global network. You will bridge the gap between cutting-edge generative AI research and real-world infrastructure, moving beyond standard fine-tuning to lead high-stakes, end-to-end pre-training initiatives.
What they're looking for
- Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 12+ years of experience or a Master’s degree in STEM with 8+ years of experience, or a PhD in STEM or a related technical field with 5+ years of relevant research experience,
- Minimum of 3 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier AI venues such as ACL, EMNLP, ICLR, ICML, NAACL, or NeurIPS
- 3+ years of experience utilizing PyTorch or TensorFlow to implement and train models on distributed computing clusters (e.g., environments utilizing 100+ GPUs)
- 2+ years of experience applying machine learning models to networking, data center, security, or observability datasets to solve complex system-level problems
- Experience working in an industrial research lab environment, driving projects from conceptual research to practical application
- Subject matter expertise in networking, cybersecurity, or observability, and the ability to apply AI to these complex domains
More about this role
The application window is expected to close on: 10/29/2026
The Cisco AI Research team is a dynamic group of scientists and engineers dedicated to building the future of proprietary intelligence. Our core mission is to develop purpose-built large language models tailored specifically for Cisco’s networking, security, and observability domains. We operate at the intersection of basic and applied research, ensuring that Cisco maintains its technological edge without reliance on external AI providers. Our team is composed of doers and experts who thrive in a collaborative environment, blending deep technical rigor with a shared passion for solving complex, real-world problems at a global scale.
As a Lead AI Researcher, you will serve as a foundational architect for Cisco’s proprietary intelligence, directly influencing how we secure and automate the global network. You will bridge the gap between cutting-edge generative AI research and real-world infrastructure, moving beyond standard fine-tuning to lead high-stakes, end-to-end pre-training initiatives. This role offers the unique opportunity to define the future of networking by building models that are purpose-built for Cisco’s...
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