AI Research & Agentic Engineer Hybrid Job at Cisco in San Jose

The application window is expected to close on: 04/15/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

This role is hybrid. Onsite 3 days per week in Raleigh (Research Triangle Park), North Carolina or San Jose, California
Meet the Team Join Cisco's Enterprise AI team, the core group enabling Generative AI powered experiences across Cisco. Our mission is to build secure, scalable AI platforms that empower teams to safely develop, deploy, and operationalize AI-powered solutions. We operate at the intersection of applied AI, cloud infrastructure and security - partnering across engineering, security, compliance, and product teams to bring trusted AI to life at enterprise scale.
We are a fast-growing, highly collaborative team of platform engineers, AI engineers, and data scientists who value technical depth, ownership, and pragmatic execution. What makes this team exciting is the opportunity to define how secure Generative AI is built and governed inside a global technology leader.
Your Impact Implement agentic workflows using leading LLM models and frameworks to automate reasoning and decision-making tasks.
Prototype AI features, converting research concepts into working demos with tools like Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code.
Support integration of new AI technologies-including Autonomous and Deep Agents-into our platform to maintain technical leadership.
Work closely with cross-functional teams to test prototypes and ensure compliance with Cisco's security and scalability requirements.
Help accelerate enterprise AI adoption by contributing to reusable agentic tools and patterns for global teams.
Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field and 5+ years of software engineering experience, OR equivalent relevant experience.
Experience developing and deploying scalable, cloud-based applications (AWS, Azure, or GCP), including familiarity with container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes (K8s) and Docker.
Proficient Python developer with hands-on experience using orchestration frameworks (e.g., LangChain or LangGraph).
Experience integrating and deploying Large Language Models (LLMs) from providers such as OpenAI or Gemini.
Preferred Qualifications Understanding of DevOps practices and Agile methodologies, including using Jira for project tracking.
Familiarity with advanced coding tools (Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Windsurf, Cursor).
Experience working with Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations or building connectors to extend agent functionality.
Exposure to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and vector databases.
Ability to interpret AI research papers and apply findings to technical solutions.
Strong teamwork and communication skills, with a record of collaborating to deliver impactful AI projects.

Why Cisco? At Cisco, we're revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We've been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you'll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
The starting salary range posted for this position is $155,900.00 to $214,100.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.
Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:
10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

1 paid day off for employee's birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:
.75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:
$155,900.00 - $246,200.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$149,600.00 - $218,500.00
* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.
** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

In Summary: Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received . This role is hybrid onsite 3 days per week in Raleigh (Research Triangle Park), North Carolina or San Jose, California . Work closely with cross-functional teams to test prototypes and ensure compliance with Cisco's security and scalability requirements .

En Español:

Se espera que la ventana de solicitud se cierre en: 04/15/2026 La publicación de puestos de trabajo puede ser eliminada antes si el puesto está llenado o si un número suficiente de solicitudes son recibidas. Este papel es híbrido. En 3 días por semana en Raleigh (Research Triangle Park), Carolina del Norte o San José, California Conozca al equipo Únete a Cisco's Enterprise AI team, el grupo principal que permite experiencias basadas en inteligencia artificial generativa a través de Cisco. Nuestra misión es construir plataformas de IA seguras y escalables que permitan a los equipos desarrollar, implementar y operationalizar soluciones impulsadas por IA de forma segura. Operamos en la intersección de la IA aplicada, infraestructura y seguridad - asociando ingeniería de nube, seguridad, cumplimiento y equipos de productos para llevar confianza a la vida a escala empresarial. Somos un equipo altamente creciente y colaborativo de ingenieros de plataforma, ingenieros y científicos de datos de IA que valoran la propiedad técnica, ejecución y pragmática, ejecución tecnológica y práctica. Lo que hace que este equipo sea emocionante es la oportunidad de definir cómo se construye y gobierna una inteligencia artificial generacional segura dentro de un líder tecnológico global. Implemente flujos de trabajo agentes utilizando modelos y marcos LLM líderes para automatizar tareas de razonamiento y toma de decisiones. Características del prototipo AI, convirtiendo conceptos de investigación en demostraciones de trabajo con herramientas como Copilot, Cursor y Claude Code. Apoyo a la integración de nuevas tecnologías de IA - incluidos los Agentes Autónomos y Profundizados - en nuestra plataforma para mantener el liderazgo técnico. Trabajar estrechamente con equipos interfuncionales para probar prototipos y garantizar el cumplimiento de los requisitos de seguridad y escalabilidad de Cisco. Acelerar la adopción de IA empresarial contribuyendo al reuso de instrumentos y patrones técnicos para equipos globales. Hemos estado innovando sin temor durante 40 años para crear soluciones que impulsen la forma en que los humanos y la tecnología trabajan juntos a través del mundo físico y digital. Estas soluciones proporcionan a los clientes una seguridad, visibilidad e información incomparables en toda la huella digital. Impulsados por la profundidad y amplitud de nuestra tecnología, experimentamos y creamos soluciones significativas. Agregue a eso nuestra red mundial de profesionales y expertos, y verá que las oportunidades de crecer y construir son ilimitadas. Trabajamos como equipo, colaborando con empatía para hacer cosas realmente grandes suceder a escala global. Debido a que nuestras soluciones están en todas partes, nuestro impacto está en todos lados. Somos Cisco, y nuestro poder comienza con usted. Mensaje a los solicitantes que solicitan trabajar en Estados Unidos y/o Canadá: El rango salarial inicial para esta posición es de $155,900.00 hasta 214,100. A los empleados se les ofrecen beneficios, sujeto a las reglas de elegibilidad del plan Cisco, que incluyen un seguro médico, dental y de visión, un plan 401 ((k) con una contribución correspondiente a Cisco, licencia paterna pagada, cobertura por discapacidad a corto y largo plazo y seguro de vida básico. Los empleados son elegibles para vacaciones remuneradas como se describe a continuación, sujeto a las políticas de Cisco: 10 días libres pagados por año calendario completo, más 1 día libre flotante para los empleados no exentos, un día libre pagado por el cumpleaños del empleado, cierre de vacaciones al final del año y 4 días libres pagos por bienestar personal determinados por Cisco. Para el pago de incentivos basado en cuotas, Cisco generalmente paga lo siguiente: .75% del objetivo de incentivo para cada 1% de la obtención de ingresos hasta 50% de la cuota; 1.5% del objetivo del incentivo por cada 1% entre 50% y 75% de los resultados alcanzados.