Distinguished Software Engineer (Remote)

Overview As a Distinguished Engineer in Cisco’s Identity Engineering Group, you will shape the long-term platform and identity strategies across multiple product lines. You’ll lead cross-domain architecture work, mentor senior engineers, and drive scalable, secure identity solutions. You will represent Cisco externally and influence industry direction through thought leadership. This role combines technical depth with strategic impact, aligning engineering with business outcomes in a global, collaborative environment. Compensation / Benefitsremote position in the USAcomprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits401(k) with company matchingpaid holidays and vacation timepaid parental leave and sick timerestricted stock units (RSUs) ResponsibilitiesDefine and drive the long-term technical vision and architecture for platform and identity systems across Cisco’s product portfolioEstablish and uphold engineering and architectural standards to guide multiple organizations and product linesLead cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple business units from concept to deliveryMentor and influence senior and principal engineers to elevate technical leadership and consistencyRepresent Cisco in industry forums, standards bodies, patents, publications, and partnershipsDrive company-wide technology strategy aligned to long-term business outcomes and market leadershipAnticipate industry trends and translate them into scalable platform strategies and business opportunitiesCollaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure reliability, interoperability, and security across identity systemsTranslate emerging technologies into strategic advantages for Cisco Key requirementsBachelor’s degree with 15+ years of related experience, Master’s with 12+ years, or PhD with 10+ years in large-scale software, platform, or distributed systems10+ years of experience in platform, identity, or security systems or as a cross-domain technology leader8+ years of experience building and scaling highly available, secure, and distributed systems in cloud or hybrid environmentsExperience defining and influencing architecture and technical strategy across multiple teams, organizations, or product linesStrong ability to influence senior leadership and drive technology direction across large, matrixed organizationsleadership and mentoringcross-functional collaborationstakeholder alignmentplatform architectureidentity and security systemscloud or hybrid distributed systems