Principal Corporate Counsel: Data Governance & Regulatory

The application window is expected to close on: 11/19/2026 RTP Highly Preferred 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 Privacy and Data Regulatory Legal team, where we help shape and enable the company’s global privacy and data governance compliance strategy in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Partnering closely with product, engineering, security, public policy, and business leaders, we provide practical, risk-based legal guidance that empowers innovation while ensuring compliance with evolving global privacy, data, AI, and digital regulations. Our work spans the full lifecycle of Cisco’s technologies, services, and data-driven initiatives, helping to build and maintain the trust that customers, partners, and regulators place in Cisco worldwide. As a highly collaborative and globally connected team, we operate at the forefront of rapidly evolving regulatory frameworks, including privacy, data, AI, cross-border data transfers, cybersecurity, digital platform regulation, and emerging technology laws. We are seeking a strategic, solutions-oriented Legal Counsel who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys translating complex legal requirements into actionable business guidance. In this role, you will advise the business in the execution of the data governance, data risk management, and data regulatory readiness. If you are passionate about technology, data, privacy, and shaping the future of trusted digital transformation, we invite you to join us. Your Impact • Have a high EQ, exceptional cross-functional collaboration skills, and an openness to the ideas and opinions of others. • Ability to translate and express complex legal and technical concepts (e.g., AI models, data flows) to stakeholders who are not familiar with the topic, including engineering and business teams. • Possess excellent business judgment, outstanding critical thinking, and analytical capabilities. • Take a risk-based, pragmatic approach to developing and driving the best decisions and solutions in a rapidly shifting regulatory landscape. • Driven and passionate to continuously learn and develop your skills, particularly regarding emerging technologies. Responsibilities • Own the interpretation and provide specialized, actionable data advice on domestic and international laws and regulations concerning privacy, data protection, and AI governance. • Advise on enterprise data governance frameworks, standards, and controls. Provide leadership and guidance on t data classification, data lineage and information lifecycle governance. • Counsel stakeholders on: Data classification, Data inventories, Data stewardship, Data minimization, Records retention, Defensible deletion, Data access governance • Establish legal standards for data sourcing, data use, data sharing, data aggregation, deidentification, anonymization, and synthetic data initiatives. • Define governance requirements for critical data stewardship, and accountability structures across the company. • Review and draft: Data Processing Agreements, Data Sharing Agreements, AI-related contractual provisions, Privacy and security terms • Partner with product, engineering, security, and compliance teams to operationalize governance requirements. • Develop guidelines and criteria or assessing legal risks associated with new uses of data in connection with analytics, AI, agents, and machine learning. • Advise leadership on data-related risk, opportunity, and strategic data utilization initiatives. • Develop data policies, training, and governance guidance. • Lead responses to regulatory inquiries, audits, investigations, and litigation readiness. • Work with Government Affairs to influence data legislation, standards, and frameworks. Minimum Qualifications • Juris Doctor and active bar membership. • 8+ years of legal experience. • Deep expertise in privacy, cybersecurity, data governance, or technology transactions. • Experience with global privacy and data laws, including GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and emerging AI regulations. • Large technology company, cloud company, telecom, SaaS, or cybersecurity business. • Experience leading cross-functional, enterprise-wide governance programs in a multinational technology company. • Familiarity with data and AI governance and responsible data use programs. • Professional Certification in Privacy, AI such as IAPP CIPP/US, AIG, CIPE. 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 $192,300.00 to $243,900.00 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 b