Leader, AI Research

Cisco

Confirmed live today High trust
Hybrid

Quick summary

Work type
Hybrid
Location
San Jose, CARTP, NC
Salary
$216,300–$280,800 / yr
Employment
Full-time
Posted
23 days ago
Freshness
Confirmed live today
Closes
Oct 28, 2026

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $240k
This role $249k
$172k $300k
below market most similar roles pay here above market

This role pays more than 58% of similar roles. Most pay $194,058–$285,000 — the blue band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $249k versus about $240k 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 267 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $167,700–$245,000 across 201 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Leader, AI Research

Leader, AI Research NC Hybrid joins the Enterprise AI team to bridge theoretical research and tangible enterprise innovation. This role involves leading research teams to plan and execute initiatives in networking, security, programming, and human-computer interaction. You will define long-term research strategies, mentor talent, and translate complex methodologies into production-ready solutions. Key responsibilities include applying deep expertise in representation learning, structured prediction, transfer learning, generative models, and large language models to solve business challenges. You will ensure all work adheres to ethical standards, data privacy, and security governance protocols. The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and extensive experience in deep learning architectures, specifically applying these techniques to networking and cybersecurity problems within a global technology context.

What you'll do

  • Lead and direct AI research teams in planning and executing initiatives across networking, security, and human-computer interaction.
  • Apply deep expertise in representation learning and structured prediction to develop foundational AI representations for enterprise innovation.
  • Define and own the long-term research strategy and priorities to align with business objectives and product roadmaps.
  • Incorporate advanced techniques like transfer learning, generative models, and large language models into research prototypes.
  • Partner with engineering teams to operationalize research outcomes into production-ready solutions and validate performance at scale.
  • Mentor and coach AI research talent to cultivate a high-performance culture grounded in scientific rigor and technical excellence.
  • Establish and uphold standards for ethical AI, data governance, privacy, and security across all research initiatives.
  • Represent the organization in the broader AI community through publications, conferences, and external partnerships.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of relevant industry research experience.
  • Experience leading or conducting advanced AI research in representation learning, structured prediction, or deep learning architectures.
  • Experience applying advanced AI techniques like transfer learning and generative models to networking, security, or human-computer interaction.
  • Experience collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to translate business objectives into actionable research roadmaps.
  • Documented experience ensuring AI research adheres to ethical standards, data privacy, and security governance protocols.
  • Deep technical knowledge of network topologies, cybersecurity architectures, or large-scale natural language processing (preferred).
  • Experience managing a research team of 5+ members and transitioning research prototypes into production-grade solutions (preferred).

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