Distinguished Engineer
Cisco · San Jose, CA · Product and Engineering
About this role
Cisco is hiring a principal-level Principal Engineer in the software engineering function based in San Jose, CA. The posting calls out experience with Distributed Systems, Security, Observability, Machine Learning. Compensation is listed at $273,200–$384,800 per year.
- Role
- Principal Engineer
- Function
- software engineering
- Level
- principal
- Track
- Tech leadership
- Employment
- Full-time
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Department
- Product and Engineering
- Posted
- May 5, 2026
More roles at Cisco
Job description
from Cisco careersJob posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Meet the Team
You will join Cisco’s Identity Engineering Group, a foundational organization responsible for transforming Cisco’s Identity products into a unified Identity experience as a Distinguished Engineer. The team delivers secure, scalable Identity capabilities that enables customers to control and enforce access across humans, agents, and non-human identities.
This work spans cloud and client infrastructure, security, and the Identity domain, with a strong emphasis on reliability, interoperability, and long-term scalability.
Your Impact
• Innovate, develop, and drive industry-leading software, hardware, and technology solutions with global impact across Cisco’s product portfolio
• Serve as a recognized internal and external thought leader, shaping industry direction through deep technical expertise, innovation, and execution
• Act as a cross-domain integrator, translating emerging technology trends into strategic advantage for Cisco
• Define and drive the long-term technical vision and architecture for platform and identity systems, influencing senior leadership and technical communities
• Establish and uphold engineering and architectural standards that guide multiple organizations and product lines
• Drive company-wide technology strategy, ensuring alignment with long-term business outcomes and market leadership