> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/4661346-principal-engineer-software-security-hybrid](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/4661346-principal-engineer-software-security-hybrid). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md).

---

# Principal Engineer Software Security Hybrid

- **Company:** Cisco Systems, Inc.
- **Location:** Chicago, IL, United States
- **Salary:** $202,100 - $271,700
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Architectural Patterns, Software as a Service, Cyber Security, Continuous Integration, Information Leak Prevention, Fuzz Testing, Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, Systems Development Life Cycle, Software Engineering, Systems Integration, Policy as Code, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Large Language Models, Multi-Agent Systems, IT Architecture, Software Security, AI Platforms, Multiplatform, Cisco, Web Api
- **Published:** November 10, 2026
- **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/2ADDBEE36F33489289DFED457F0A78A6/job/

## About the Role

* 12+ years of experience in software security, with deep, hands-on experience architecting and securing AI/ML-integrated systems - including Python, CI/CD automation, evaluation harnesses, agentic workflows, and security tooling.
 * Proven ability to secure AI models and applications, including LLM- and agentic-AI-related vulnerabilities (prompt injection, excessive agency, data leakage) and data privacy concerns.
 * Strong background in threat modeling, secure software development lifecycles (SDLC), and architecture validation for large-scale, multi-platform ecosystems.
 * Experience quantifying security risk and providing clear, authoritative technical guidance to product managers and engineering leads across multiple teams or business units.
 * Demonstrated ability to operate as a principal-level technical authority without direct reports - driving outcomes through expertise, codified standards, and influence across a large, matrixed organization., * Experience securing autonomous agents, tool-calling, multi-agent orchestration, and MCP-style integrations.
 * Experience designing or running red-team/evaluation programs for AI systems, including adversarial testing and release-gate criteria.
 * Deep understanding of AI safety, ethical AI, and global data protection regulations as they apply to cloud-based SaaS and AI-embedded offerings.
 * Familiarity with emerging AI governance and risk frameworks (e.g., NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001).
 * Experience building security standards or playbooks that scale through a distributed network of embedded security practitioners, rather than through direct review alone.
 * Experience integrating security checkpoints into fast-paced, high-velocity CI/CD pipelines, including policy-as-code, automated security gates, agentic security workflows, and AI-assisted review and remediation loops.
 * A track record of mentoring senior-level engineers and fostering a security-first culture within high-performing technical teams.

## Description

AI Security is the focal point within Software Security for ensuring Cisco's security standards keep pace as AI becomes embedded in everything the company builds. We are the security authority for AI embedded in Cisco's products: we define what secure AI looks like, validate it with evidence, and help teams get there faster - across AI-assisted development, AI embedded in our products and platforms, and AI used in Cisco's internal business operations. We're building the framework that doesn't yet exist, and scaling it across the portfolio., As a Principal Engineer on the AI Security team, you will be a senior technical authority shaping the security standard for every AI capability Cisco ships - to customers, partners, and internal users alike. Your impact will include:

 * Define the AI Security Standard: Author and evolve threat models, architecture patterns, and security requirements for AI-native features - RAG hardening, tool-call governance, agent identity, bounded autonomy, approval flows, audit-ability, and human accountability.
 * Secure AI-Assisted Development: Set the standard for coding assistants and agent-authored code - provenance, human review, accountability, and automated SDLC/CI/CD security gates.
 * Architectural Leadership: Serve as the authority on secure AI architecture across Cisco's platforms. Lead design reviews, codify reusable patterns, and define measurable release criteria.
 * Adversarial & Supply Chain Risk: Own abuse and adversarial case coverage - data poisoning, model extraction, model inversion, membership inference, insecure output handling, and RAG compromise - along with model and data supply-chain provenance spanning models, datasets, plugins, fine-tuning data, and external APIs.
 * Security Validation: Advance red-teaming strategy, evaluation harnesses, and release checkpoints for AI capabilities, and partner to define post-deployment standards and incident criteria for AI-specific failure modes.
 * Partnership: Act as a trusted advisor to senior engineering leadership across CX, Operations, and Product. Build and maintain alignment with product security, AI platform, SecOps, privacy, and legal - translating sophisticated security requirements into business outcomes so security is seen as an accelerator, not a constraint.