Data Scientist Hybrid

The application window is expected to close on: 04/10/2026

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

This role is hybrid. Onsite 3 days per week in Atlanta, Austin, Raleigh (Research Triangle Park) or San Jose

Meet the Team Join our dynamic team at the forefront of AI innovation within Cisco’s AI and Automation Center! We are a passionate, multi-disciplinary group of operations analysts and data scientists who wear many hats in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment. We value collaboration, extreme adaptability, continuous learning, and using technology to make a massive real-world impact on how our business operates.

Position Summary We are looking for a highly versatile Full-Stack Data Scientist who blends exceptional technical expertise with the strategic perspective of a process owner and business lead. In this role, you will use advanced AI and Data Science methodologies to automate, streamline, and improve existing business processes across Operations.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise across the entire data science lifecycle—including data engineering, modeling, and analysis—combined with extremely strong partner engagement skills. You must be comfortable navigating ambiguity, driving business outcomes, and bridging the gap between pioneering technical development and strategic operational needs.

Your Impact As a Data Scientist in the AI and Automation Center, you will be at the heart of transforming our internal operations. You will tackle a diverse array of challenges, from automating manual operational workflows with LLMs to acting as the technical/business lead for large-scale organization initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity to act as both a technical builder and a business leader, shaping the future of our operations and directly impacting the efficiency of our entire organization.

Key Responsibilities Process Ownership & Business Leadership:

• Act as a process owner and business lead for critical operational workflows, using data science to identify inefficiencies and architect automated solutions.
• Lead and support diverse, high-visibility strategic programs, adapting quickly to shifting priorities.

AI Modeling, Automation, And Analysis

• Design, develop, and optimize machine learning models and generative AI solutions to automate and enhance existing business processes.
• Perform exploratory data analysis to uncover operational bottlenecks, generate actionable insights, and inform solution development.
• Continuously monitor and refine deployed models and automated workflows to improve performance and accuracy.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Work closely with multi-functional business partners to deeply understand their pain points and translate them into robust technical requirements.
• Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to non-technical team members, operations analysts, and executive leadership.
• Build strong relationships across the organization to drive adoption of AI tools and automated processes.
• Trust, Security & Continuous Improvement:
• Establish and manage feedback loops to gather user input on internal tools and improve automated systems.
• Ensure the integrity, security, and confidentiality of internal data used and generated by AI solutions, staying in sync with relevant regulations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Business Analytics, or a related field with 7+ years; Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Business Analytics, or a related field with 4+ years
• Proven experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong focus on machine learning, process automation, and generative AI.
• Strong programming skills in Python

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in building and deploying AI-driven applications and automation tools that drive internal operational efficiencies.
• Highly adaptable with a proven track record of thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities frequently shift.
• Exceptional partner engagement and project management skills; capable of acting as a business lead on multi-functional initiatives.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to debug both complex AI system behaviors and complex business processes.
• Proven track record of acting as a standalone business lead or product owner for internal automation tools.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to debug both complex AI system behaviors and complex business processes.

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 $177,600.00 to $236,800.00 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 $177,600.00 - $272,400.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State $161,400.00 - $240,500.00

• 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.