AI Researcher

Meet the Team

Foundation AI is part of the Robust Intelligence team on a mission to build bleeding-edge AI technology for cybersecurity. The team has deep expertise in AI and security and is composed of leading researchers and engineers in the field.

Foundation AI is a newly formed organization founded by the Robust Intelligence team. Robust Intelligence joined Cisco through its acquisition in fall 2024 to lead security and AI at 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.

Your Impact

As an AI Researcher, you will play a pivotal role in advancing AI and security solutions at Cisco. This role offers the exciting opportunity to collaborate with a team of experts and contribute to groundbreaking projects that shape the future of AI security.

As a team, we push the frontiers of AI security through a diverse set of workstreams:

• Lead large projects with multiple contributors to build cutting edge AI technology for security applications
• Architect and develop scalable and robust platform to serve these AI models, streamline infrastructure setup for production, testing and development while optimizing efficiency and cost.
• Collaborate with Research and Product teams to formalize product features, introduce new ideas in the product and help leadership build product direction.
• Establish strong engineering foundations to ship features with unparalleled quality and velocity
• Lead effort with cross-functional teams to integrate AI solutions into Cisco's security products.
• Conduct research to stay ahead of emerging AI and security challenges.
  
  

Our Minimum Qualifications for this Role:

• Bachelor’s degree with 5 years / Master’s degree with 2 years / PhD in Computer Science or related field
• Minimum 4 years of experience in AI model development OR Software development OR infrastructure. Cisco Confidential
• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g. Go, Python, etc.)
  
  

Our Preferred Qualifications for this Role:

• Comfort with hands-on learning and constant experimentation to decompose and understand problem areas.
• Comfort with fast iterative style development in an environment that requires autonomous thinking, risk taking and bias for action.
• Deep knowledge of latest GenAI technologies, including emerging trends and innovations.
• Strong understanding of cloud computing platforms and services (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP), with understanding of cloud native, on prem or hybrid solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  
  

#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.

Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best.

We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!

Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!