Security Engineer I (Full-Time) - United States
Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
USD 81,100-110,400 / year + Equity
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.
The application window is expected to close on: 06/24/2026
Meet the Team
The mission of the Security & Trust Organization (S&TO) is to secure products and services, protect Cisco and its employees, and cultivate trust with our customers, partners, and regulators.
Join a dynamic and collaborative team focused on securing the software delivery lifecycle through innovative CI/CD pipeline design and enhancement. This team operates at the intersection of security, automation, and AI-enabled DevSecOps, partnering closely with software engineering and platform teams to deliver secure, scalable, and efficient software delivery solutions. The team values technical leadership, continuous improvement, and a culture of collaboration to drive impactful security outcomes across Cisco's engineering organizations.
Your Impact
As an early-career Security Engineer, you will collaborate with experienced security professionals to design, build, and maintain secure CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions and workflow automation — gaining hands-on experience integrating security practices across the software development lifecycle, including SAST, DAST, dependency management, software supply chain security, and container security. You will:
- Enhance pipeline reliability, performance, scalability, and developer experience through automation and optimization.
- Embed security controls including SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, and container security into the software delivery lifecycle.
- Support the integration of AI-enabled automation tools for code analysis, vulnerability prioritization, workflow optimization, and security operations.
- Ensure governance, risk, and compliance consistency through adherence to Cisco security policies and regulatory requirements.
- Monitor pipeline health, security posture, and operational effectiveness while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with software engineering and platform teams as a technical resource supporting secure software development initiatives.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or a related field.
Basic experience in software development with familiarity in one or more scripting or programming languages such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell.
Experience with GitHub Actions, reusable workflows, source control practices, software development environments, and CI/CD methodologies.
Foundational understanding of secure software development practices, application security concepts, and exposure to AI-assisted development tools, automation solutions, agentic workflows, MCP servers, or similar emerging technologies.
Must be a U.S. citizen with authorization to work in the U.S. without current or future visa sponsorship requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting CI/CD platforms, pipeline automation, or DevSecOps initiatives.
Strong problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical teams.
• Exposure to AI-assisted code analysis, security scanning tools, and vulnerability management workflows.
• Familiarity with Git-based automation, secure coding practices, and interpreting security scan results against established coding or security standards.
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 $81,100.00 to $110,400.00 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 limitations)
80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to 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:
$104,700.00 - $153,000.00Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$92,100.00 - $136,000.00* 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.