Software Engineering Technical Leader, Backend (Hybrid)

About this role

The application window is expected to close on: 08/24/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

This is a hybrid role based out of Cisco's San Jose office

Meet the Team  

Studio is the experience where anyone—engineers, non-technical builders, and AI agents—can go from a prompt to a running, production-grade app. It brings together an App Builder and a bring-your-own coding-agent path, with the docs and resources to build and manage apps your own way.   We're   building the platform for AI app development, and Studio is the craft-defined surface on top of it. Pioneers in our field, AISP enables Cisco product teams, customers, and partners to maximize value with a simple, unified Cisco AI experience, driving accelerated time to   impact .  

Your Impact  

As a Technical   Lead ,   you will serve as a recognized expert, driving architectural strategy and high-impact engineering initiatives for the Studio platform. You will lead cross-functional efforts to bridge the gap between AI research and production-grade software, ensuring our infrastructure meets the rigorous demands of global enterprise scale. Your work will directly influence the direction of our business by resolving unique,   highly complex   technical challenges and setting the standard for our AI-powered ecosystem.  

• Lead the architectural design and development of scalable backend platform technologies for Cisco's next-generation AI products.  

• Spearhead multi-functional engagements to architect, build,   validate , and deploy AI/ML infrastructures and AI-powered networking and security solutions.  

• Drive the resolution of   highly complex   technical challenges, applying ingenuity to novel situations that   impact   the direction of the business.  

• Collaborate with product and research teams to transform groundbreaking AI strategies into robust, production-ready systems.  

• Act as a technical thought leader, influencing internal and external stakeholders by communicating complex engineering strategies to senior leadership.  

Minimum Qualifications  

• Bachelor's degree in STEM + 12 years of related experience, or   Master's   degree in STEM + 8 years of related experience, or PhD in STEM + 5 years of related experience.  

• 7+ years of hands-on experience building and scaling backend platforms in a production environment.  

• 7+ years of professional programming experience using Python and/or   Go .  

• Experience deploying and managing services on major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).  

• E xperience with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and   microservices   architectures.  

Preferred Qualifications  

• Direct experience integrating and building with Generative AI technologies and LLM frameworks.  

• Deep understanding of modern AI tools, ML methodologies, and data pipelines.  

• Proven   track record   of driving technology innovation by translating industry trends into scalable backend execution.  

• Strong passion for designing   highly reliable , maintainable, and distributed backend systems.  

• Experience mentoring engineering teams and leading cross-functional platform initiatives.  

Why Cisco?  At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.  We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. 

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $186,900.00 to $267,700.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks.  Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies: • 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business l

Similar jobs

• Software Engineering Lead, Backend — Ema · San Francisco Bay Area
• Sr. Software Engineer, Backend - Cloud (Hybrid) — CrowdStrike · USA - Sunnyvale, CA
• Sr. Backend Engineer (Hybrid) — CrowdStrike · USA - Remote, NY
• Sr. Backend Engineer - Cloud (Hybrid) — CrowdStrike · USA - New York, NY
• Sr. Backend Engineer II (Hybrid) — CrowdStrike · USA - Remote, NY
• Software Engineering Technical Leader — Cisco · RTP, North Carolina, United States
• Software Engineering Technical Leader — Cisco · Remote
• Software Engineering Technical Leader — Cisco · Milpitas, California, United States