Architect – AI​/Agentic Automation

Job Title

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

The Cisco IQ and Validation team is building the next generation of intelligent, AI-driven network validation and automation capabilities. We combine cloud-native software engineering, Agentic AI, LLMs, MCP, A2A, and network automation to enable customers to validate and operate complex environments more intelligently. The team brings together architects, senior engineers, software engineers, AI specialists, and domain experts working across a global organization.

We are building foundational capabilities that will enable AI agents to reason, interact with enterprise tools, and safely execute validation workflows at scale.

Define and drive the architecture for AI decision systems, Agentic AI platforms, and enterprise-scale validation and automation capabilities within Cisco IQ and Validation. Establish technical direction for agent architectures, MCP and A2A integrations, agent routing, tool orchestration, workflow execution, approval-gated actions, and distributed event-driven systems. Guide architecture across backend services, APIs, databases, Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, observability, and production operations to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, reliable, and maintainable.

Drive technical alignment across Engineering, Product, UX, Security, Infrastructure, QA, and partner teams and provide technical leadership for complex, ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives. Mentor senior engineers and technical leads while influencing platform strategy, engineering standards, and the long-term evolution of Validation.

• Bachelor's degree in STEM, 8+ years of software engineering experience designing and building complex backend, distributed, automation, or platform systems.
• Experience with Python Go, Rust, Type Script, React, Node.js, .NET, PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka, or similar technologies.
• Experience designing distributed systems using APIs, databases, event-driven architectures, workflow systems, or cloud-native technologies.
• Experience developing or architecting Generative AI, LLM, Agentic AI, MCP, A2A, or AI-enabled automation systems.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, cloud platforms, and production software operations.
• Experience designing advanced multi-agent architectures, including planner/executor patterns, agent handoffs, state management, checkpointing, retries, cancellation, or durable workflows.

• Experience designing AI quality, evaluation, observability, and governance frameworks.
• Experience with network automation, device connectivity, validation platforms, infrastructure automation, or enterprise network systems.
• Experience leading architecture across multiple engineering teams and influencing technical strategy, standards, and platform roadmaps.
• Experience architecting MCP and A2A systems, including capability discovery, tool schemas, authentication, context propagation, streaming, approval gates, auditability, and failure handling.

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.

The starting salary range posted for this position is $ to $ and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada…