[Hiring] Software Architect @Cisco

Role Description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/12/2026. Preferred candidates will be based in Ann Arbor, MI or Austin, TX. Remote candidates will be considered.

Duo builds a modern, high-scale IAM solution. This Software Architect role is for someone who has designed and shipped production SaaS systems and can hold the architecture of those systems as they grow — including the security and compliance constraints that come with serving enterprise and government customers.

This is an opportunity for an architect who can work across Product, Security, SRE, and Duo Engineering to translate platform and regulatory requirements into executable technical work, and to build systems that connect Duo to broader Security Business Group (SBG) processes. Duo’s platform has material exposure to:

• FIPS
• FedRAMP
• EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
• Cisco Security and Trust Organization (STO) requirements
• Customer attestations
• Audit evidence

These obligations are architectural inputs: they shape how we design services, operate production, and ship software.

Your Impact:

• Understand the existing software and production architecture of the service, identify gaps, and drive architectural improvements that keep the platform reliable, scalable, and ready for evolving security and compliance requirements.
• Partner with Duo Engineering and product management to evolve the Duo IAM product.
• Design and evolve service, data, and delivery architecture so security and compliance controls are built into how we ship — not bolted on after the fact.
• Leverage AI for analysis and to build tools that help engineering teams implement architectural and compliance requirements with less friction.
• Partner with Duo Engineering to produce application-level evidence for auditors, grounded in how the system is designed and operated.
• Work closely with product managers responsible for platform, security, and certification-related features.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree + 12 years of related experience, or Masters + 8 years of related experience, or PhD + 5 years of related experience to include experience in software development lifecycles and project management practices.
• Experience in microservice-based architecture and building modern SaaS applications on AWS/GCP/Azure.
• Experience with existing software implementations, to include designing and building new AI-enabled tools.
• Experience in regulatory compliance architecture (FedRAMP, CRA, PQC, and related frameworks).
• Experience translating compliance and security requirements into engineering roadmaps and deliverables.

Requirements

• Ability to exercise cross-functional influence across Security, Product, SRE, and engineering without direct authority and identify/coordinate cross-team dependencies.
• Experience building IAM products.
• Experience working in FIPS / FedRAMP environments.
• Experience with Post Quantum Cryptography transition planning and execution.

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Basic life insurance.
• 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.
• 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco.
• 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year for non-exempt employees.
• Flexible vacation time off program for exempt employees.
• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter.
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer.