Data Scientist/Software Engineer

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

This position will be remote.

Our dedicated team members are building the future of Cisco's AI-driven platforms and data infrastructure, supporting innovation across the globe. You will join teams focused on developing advanced data pipelines, machine learning infrastructure, and analytics platforms within business groups such as S&TO, Supply Chain, and Infrastructure Engineering. As part of this collaborative environment, you will contribute to the growth of emerging technologies in data and intelligent systems. Explore the opportunities at the intersection of data engineering and AI, helping to transform how Cisco and its customers harness information and intelligent automation.

In this role you will develop software consistent with Cisco 'Design Thinking Principles' with a focus on leveraging AI and machine learning techniques to improve the overall efficiency of Optics Operations, using secure coding practices and following software development best practices. Partners with other teams, including engineering, planning, and product management to create the right solution. Brings new ideas for the application of novel AI and ML techniques to our engineering and business processes.

• Design, build, and deploy ML models using production test data to predict optical module performance and identify potential failures before they occur. Apply rigorous statistical methods to validate model performance.

• Extract complex datasets from production databases using SQLqueries and manage the transformation of that data into a format ready for ML model training.

• Perform data hygiene, normalization, and feature engineering on manufacturing data to ensure high-quality inputs for ML training.

• Implement LLM-based solutions to analyze and summarize complex manufacturing line performance statistics. Develop automated tools that assist project planning personnel to make key supply chain decisions.

• Work closely with hardware, product, and project engineering teams to understand the optical module production process and ensure solutions meet defined technical requirements and deliver tangible business impact.

• Stay current with AI/ML developments and integrate relevant advancements into ongoing projects and technical plans.

• Bachelors + 7 years of related experience, or Masters + 4 years of related experience, or PhD + 1 year of related experience 3+ years of experience developing and deploying ML models

• Proficient in Python and at least one major ML framework (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn)

• Experience with LLMs and Generative AI (e.g., Hugging Face, OpenAI APIs)

• Experience with SQL and data transformation

• Up to date on the latest AI/ML trends (e.g., Foundation Models, Diffusion Models, AutoML)

• Experience in data cleaning, normalization, and feature engineering

• Working knowledge of statistical analysis and model validation

Preferred Skills:

• Strong collaboration and communication skills

• Familiarity with MLOps tools (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, Docker, Kubernetes)

• Experience with cloud ML platforms (AWS SageMaker, Google Vertex AI, Azure ML)

• Background with manufacturing, optical hardware, or IoT datasets

• Experience with automated analytics/reporting tools

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.

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 limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.