Write high-quality C/C++ code and unit tests. Apply strong white-box testing and automation practices. Triage, debug, and root-cause software bring-up issues, regressions, crashes, performance problems, and customer failures.
Work with local and remote teams to review product requirements, software functional/design specifications, unit and integration test plans, and validation strategy. Partner closely with system test and quality teams to ensure feature readiness.
Contribute innovative ideas that improve product architecture, debuggability, performance, reliability, and engineering productivity, including opportunities to create intellectual property.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, EE/ECE, or a related field, with typically 4-8 years of relevant software/firmware development experience.
Strong hands-on proficiency in C/C++ with solid data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, memory management, and debugging skills.
Hands-on experience developing firmware, embedded software, or system software for networking products.
Strong experience with concurrent programming, multithreading, synchronization, and IPC/RPC mechanisms.
Strong L2/L3 networking knowledge, including Ethernet, VLANs, STP/RSTP, LACP/LAG, ARP, IPv4/IPv6, routing fundamentals, packet flow, and network troubleshooting.
Strong Linux/system programming fundamentals and hands-on debugging experience using tools such as GDB, core dumps, packet captures, Wireshark/tcpdump, and traffic generators/analyzers such as IXIA or equivalent.
Demonstrated ownership of medium-to-large technical features, including design, implementation, testing, rollout, and production/customer support. Ability to mentor engineers and contribute effectively to design and code reviews.
Hands-on experience using GenAI-assisted development tools such as Codex, GitHub Copilot, Claude, or equivalent to improve engineering productivity while maintaining code quality and security.
Preferred Qualifications
Hands-on development and debugging experience with networking protocols and switching features such as VLAN, STP/RSTP/MST, LACP/LAG, UDLD, Storm Control, QoS, OSPF, BGP, ECMP, multicast, DHCP relay, SLAAC, or VRRP.
Experience with Python or another scripting language for test automation, debugging, tooling, or developer productivity.
Experience with hardware/software bring-up, SDK/ASIC interaction, packet processing, or high-performance data-plane software is a plus. Cisco networking certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE are desirable.
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.
Disclaimer
To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will:
be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site
begin with screening or an interview
originate from a Cisco email address, and
be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx
Cisco will never make a job offer without conducting an interview process or ask you for money in any way. If you have been requested to apply for a role or have received an offer from a site other than https://careers.cisco.com or cisco.wd5.myworkday.com, do not provide any personal identifying information, including your Aadhaar or other personal identifying number, birth certificate, banking information, driver's license, or passport.
If you are the target of a recruiting scam, consider filing a report with your local law enforcement authorities. Cisco bears no responsibility, and cannot be held liable, for any claims, damages, expenses, or other inconvenience resulting from or in any way connected to recruiting scams.
