AI Researcher

The application window is expected to close on 2/1/2026.

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

A strong preference will be given to candidates based in the Bay Area Metro region; however, qualified candidates in other U.S. locations may also be considered for remote work.

Foundation AI's mission is to secure AI transformation. The Foundation AI team joined Cisco through the Robust Intelligence acquisition in fall 2024 to lead research and development of security and AI at Cisco. The team has deep expertise in AI and security and is an active contributor to cutting edge research and standards on AI and security. At Cisco, our mission is to build AI Security at Cisco scale as well as lead the next generation of AI infrastructure for disruptive security products across Cisco.

Robust Intelligence pioneered the category of AI Security and created the first platform for securing AI applications from supply chain, model vulnerabilities, and real time attacks. Funded by Sequoia and Tiger Global, Robust Intelligence customers include the world's largest banking and financial institutions, HR and payroll services, FinTech and financial software, technology and consumer electronics, insurance, consulting, travel, data centers and cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity as well as government agencies. The company was acquired by Cisco in 2024.

Join Cisco's Foundation AI team and be at the forefront of AI and Security innovation. Here, you will tackle ever-evolving challenges and leverage the dynamic AI landscape to craft solutions that transform the cybersecurity industry. As an AI Researcher, you'll have the chance to design cutting-edge models and algorithms around AI for security. You'll gain deep expertise in the fields of both AI and security, engaging with all facets of generative AI techniques and their deployment in production environments. You will collaborate with a dedicated team of researchers, engineers, and security experts, and play a pivotal role in developing groundbreaking AI solutions. Shape the future of AI for Security with us and make an enduring impact on AI adoption across the world.

• Track and analyze emerging AI systems, focusing on applications, and environments related to security and safety.

• Develop a platform for AI data training, fine tuning, evaluation and other AI related needs.

• Develop and train AI reasoning models for security applications.

• Develop agentic models with the aim of automating security testing.

• Author blog posts, white papers, or research papers related to emerging threats in AI security.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams of researchers and engineers to translate research ideas into product features. You'll also have the opportunity to contribute to our overall machine learning culture as an early member of the team.

• A Ph.D in Computer Science or related field with 3 + years of experience, a Master's with 7 + years of related experience, or Bachelor's with 10 + years of related experience

• Experience in AI, machine learning, and deep learning technologies

• Experience with generic programming languages such as Python

• Experience in developing AI infrastructure including model training, fine tuning, evaluating and productizing cutting-edge AI models

• Experience reading academic papers on AI/ML and security and translating to prototype systems

• Experience with AI/ML security risks such as data poisoning, privacy attacks, adversarial inputs, and jailbreaks

• Experience with reinforcement learning and its application in foundation models.

• Experience with fast iterative style development in an environment that requires autonomous thinking, risk taking and bias for action

• Experience with traditional ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow and ability to use the latest GenAI technologies

• Experience and strong professional network to attract top AI engineering talent and empowering teams to deliver their best

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.

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:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* 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.