OPT Security Researcher Jobs

The application window is expected to close on: 08/09/2026. Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

The mission of the Security & Trust Organization (S) is to secure products and services, protect Cisco and its employees, and cultivate trust with our customers, partners, and regulators. Thrive on our dynamic and collaborative team where you’ll work closely with a diverse network of internal and external stakeholders to drive essential security initiatives. The Security and Trust Organization (S) is dedicated to cultivating an innovative, growth-focused culture. You’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with teams across Cisco - including IT, Product, Customer Experience (CX), and nearly every business unit, to deliver critical security solutions.

Your Impact

• Work on daily certification team activities for EUCC, Common Criteria, and national cybersecurity certification projects.
• Uphold and enforce high-quality standards for technical documentation and peer reviews.
• Work within a team to manage complex certification programs from scoping and feasibility through to evaluation, lab engagement, and final certification.
• Resolve escalated certification challenges, including technical findings, documentation gaps, evaluation evidence issues, and scheme-specific requirements.
• Lead specific project workstreams, driving them from initial requirements through to final execution.
• Develop comprehensive project plans for specialized testing requirements, including the procurement of necessary demo units.
• Present program status updates at key milestones and stakeholder meetings.
• Ensure certification delivery remains on schedule, within scope, and aligned with quality, budget, and regulatory expectations.
• Collaborate across the entire certification lifecycle, including technical writing, network analysis, and business feasibility studies.
• Maintain rigorous project tracking, evidence traceability, certification reporting, and risk mitigation plans.
• Conduct proactive risk assessments and develop effective mitigation strategies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be fluent in English
• Bachelors
• Minimum of 2–3 years of hands-on experience with Common Criteria, EU Common Criteria (EUCC).
• Demonstrated technical knowledge of network security (IDS/IPS, encryption), routing, switching, and data center/cloud computing architectures.
• Proven ability to architect Cisco product solutions and translate complex technical specifications into formal certification documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current CCNA, CCNP, or equivalent Cisco-recognized technical certifications.
• Demonstrated ability to interface effectively with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and external regulatory bodies.
• Strong logical reasoning skills with the ability to apply security engineering expertise to resolve complex certification roadblocks.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and high-complexity projects with minimal supervision.
• Deep practical experience in deploying and administering Cisco products and enterprise-level network environments.

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 $128,400.00 to $174,400.00 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:

$155,000.00 - $256,000.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$138,100.00 - $227,900.00

• 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.