Lead AI Researcher

Cisco

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Closes in 3 days Hybrid

Quick summary

Work type: Hybrid
Location: Seattle, WASan Jose, CA
Salary: $216,300–$280,800 / yr
Posted: 30 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Closes: Sep 14, 2026 (soon)
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $219k

This role $249k

$181k most similar roles pay here $291k

This role pays more than 82% of similar roles. Most pay $192,050–$246,150 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $249k versus about $219k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Cisco

Cisco Systems is the world''s leading networking technology company, designing and manufacturing networking hardware, telecommunications equipment, and cybersecurity solutions for businesses and governments. Industry: Networking Technology & Cybersecurity

Cisco currently has 196 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $167,700–$245,200 across 196 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Lead AI Researcher

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Lead AI Researcher (Hybrid) joins the Cisco AI Research team to develop purpose-built large language models tailored for networking, security, and observability domains. This role serves as a foundational architect for proprietary intelligence, moving beyond standard fine-tuning to lead high-stakes, end-to-end pre-training initiatives. The successful candidate will drive advanced pre-training projects, conduct innovative research in generative AI to improve model capabilities for networking automation, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate breakthroughs into tangible solutions. Key responsibilities include managing dataset curation, tokenization strategies, and training pipeline execution on distributed computing clusters. Required technical skills include proficiency in PyTorch or TensorFlow and experience applying machine learning models to data center and security datasets. The role focuses on solving complex system-level problems by building foundational models that provide unique value across the product portfolio while establishing thought leadership through peer-reviewed publications.

Skills

Large Language Models Generative AI PyTorch TensorFlow Distributed Computing Dataset Curation Tokenization Pre-training Distillation Machine Learning Networking Cybersecurity Observability

What you'll do

Develop purpose-built large language models for networking, security, data center, and observability infrastructure.
Lead high-stakes, end-to-end pre-training initiatives to build foundational models for the product portfolio.
Conduct innovative research in generative AI to improve networking automation and human-computer interaction.
Translate abstract research findings into scalable, tangible features for business solutions.
Execute full-cycle pre-training projects including dataset curation, tokenization strategy, and training pipeline execution.
Publish original research in top-tier AI venues to establish the company as a global thought leader.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in STEM with 12+ years experience, Master's in STEM with 8+ years, or PhD in STEM/related field with 5+ years of research experience.
Experience leading or contributing to at least one full-cycle pre-training, distillation based pre-training, or continual pre-training project for an LLM or foundational model.
Minimum of 3 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier AI venues such as ACL, EMNLP, ICLR, ICML, NAACL, or NeurIPS.
3+ years of experience using PyTorch or TensorFlow to train models on distributed computing clusters with 100+ GPUs.
2+ years of experience applying machine learning models to networking, data center, security, or observability datasets.
Experience working in an industrial research lab environment, driving projects from conceptual research to practical application (preferred).
Subject matter expertise in networking, cybersecurity, or observability, and the ability to apply AI to these domains (preferred).
Strong interpersonal skills to influence technical direction and translate abstract research into scalable product features (preferred).

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