Principal Corporate Counsel: Security & Trust, Incident Response

The application window is expected to close on: 05/08/2026. Meet the Team We are seeking a skilled Principal Corporate Counsel to join Cisco’s Legal Department Security and Trust Legal team – we proudly serve as the primary legal advisors for Cisco’s Security and Trust Organization. This team provides legal support to S&TO's security functions (including incident response and risk management, compliance and policy enforcement, infosec, product security, security training and awareness, vendor and workforce security management) as well as market access and trust functions (including product certifications). Members of the Legal organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions. Location preferences for RTP, NC as well as East coast hours. Your Impact In this role, you will be a key legal advisor focused on incident response and risk management within Cisco's Security and Trust Organization. You will play a critical role in safeguarding Cisco's operations and data by providing expert legal mentorship on security events, incidents, and compliance with evolving security, resilience, and data laws. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with diverse internal and external stakeholders, develop corporate policies, and contribute to cross-collaborative initiatives related to data, AI, and regulatory implementation. Responsibilities Provide legal mentorship and support to Cisco's Security and Trust Org. on incident response activities, including coordinating with and advising other members of the legal department, outside counsel, communication teams, and other internal and external stakeholders. Assist in managing legal risks associated with security events, incidents, and other issues. Advise on compliance with security, resilience, and data laws, other legal requirements (such as contractual and intellectual property), and corporate policies. Support the development, implementation, and improvement of security and data policies, standards, and procedures. Review and negotiate security, resilience, AI, and data topics in customer and vendor contracts. Minimum Qualifications Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent post‑undergraduate degree, and active, tested admission to practice law and 7+ years experience. Demonstrated mastery of security, resilience, and data protection laws. Current meaningful background providing legal counsel on security incidents, including based on regulatory, contractual, and policy risks. Validated ability to run company and individual notifications, as well as regulatory reporting, for security and data incidents. Solid understanding of the meaning of corporate security policies and incident response protocols. Preferred Qualifications Strategic approach to identifying and addressing legal and security challenges. Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to analyze complex issues and propose effective solutions. Clear communicator, able to convey complex legal and technical concepts to diverse audiences. Exposure to working with security teams or within a corporate security environment is highly desirable. Experience in establishing governance frameworks for the entire AI data lifecycle, from data acquisition and training data preparation to model deployment and monitoring, ensuring compliance with emerging AI regulations and ethical guidelines. Benefits and Compensation Starting salary range posted for this position is $189,200.00 to $240,600.00 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. 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. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time. 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. The applicable salary ranges for this position by specific state are listed below: New York City Metro Area: $221,300.00 - $331,000.00 Non‑Metro New York state & Washington state: $202,200.00 - $294,400.00 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Cisco Systems, Inc.