Corporate Counsel - Open Innovation

The application window is expected to close on: 04/28/2026

• Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received
• . 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.
• Meet the Team
• Join Cisco's Open Innovation Legal team as a Corporate Counsel.

Our team is the legal engine behind Cisco's engagement with the global open source ecosystem. In this role, you will lead the legal processes that govern how Cisco consumes, contributes to, and manages open source software (OSS). Because modern open source innovation is inextricably linked with data and artificial intelligence, you will work in a highly collaborative alongside our AI Legal and Privacy Legal teams to ensure Cisco's open innovation strategy is holistic, compliant, and secure.

• Your Impact
• As a Corporate Counsel, you are an experienced professional who takes ownership of complex, high-stakes legal workflows.

You will lead the evolution of Cisco's open source processes, ensuring they are robust enough to handle the complexities of AI-generated code, open-model licensing, and data provenance. You will solve highly complex problems at the intersection of software licensing, copyright, and data privacy. You will act as a key resource and mentor peers, operating with significant autonomy to drive process improvements that enable Cisco to "innovate fearlessly."

• Key Responsibilities

• Process Leadership & Innovation:

  Own and refine end-to-end legal processes for open source usage and contribution, implementing automated solutions and self-service resources to scale the compliance lifecycle and handle AI-generated code risks.

• AI & Data Governance:

• Lead legal review workflows for Cisco's engagement with the open-source AI ecosystem (e.g., Hugging Face, open models) and partner with Privacy Legal to ensure OSS contributions and training data align with global data protection standards.

• Cross-Functional & Team Leadership:

• Lead cross functional Legal teams across legal and compliance engineering teams to ensure a holistic strategy, while acting as a mentor and resource for Grade 9 peers.

• Engineering Advisory:

• Act as the lead legal point of contact for engineering teams, translating complex OSS, AI, and Privacy requirements into actionable technical guidance to enable the business to innovate fearlessly.
• Minimum Qualifications
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and an active bar membership.

Minimum of 7 years of related experience practicing law in a law firm or in-house legal department.

Open Source Expertise:

Proven track record in managing complex open source compliance programs and a deep understanding of OSS licensing (GPL, Apache, MIT, etc.).

Copyright & Data Proficiency:

Strong background in Copyright or Trade Secret Law and its application to software development, alongside experience navigating Data and AI-related legal challenges.

Collaborative Mindset:

Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional legal environments (e.g., partnering with Privacy, IP, and Regulatory teams).

• Preferred Qualifications

•

Technical Background:

A degree in Computer Science, experience in a coding bootcamp, or a strong personal interest in software development and GitHub/Hugging Face ecosystems.

Privacy Awareness:

Familiarity with global privacy frameworks (GDPR, CCPA) as they relate to software development and data scraping.

Tooling Expertise:

Experience with OSS scanning tools (e.g., Black Duck, FOSSA) and AI-powered legal technology (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot).

Cross-Functional Success:

A history of building trust and credibility within high-performing engineering and product organizations to drive process improvements.

• 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 $176,000.00 to $222,900.00 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:

$211,300.00 - $307,600.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $187,700.00 - $273,300.00

• 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.

Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.