Software Engineering Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 05/18/2026. Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

We are looking for candidates local to RTP as this is a hybrid role requiring at least 3 days per week onsite in the office.

The Customer Validation Testing (CVT) team is at the forefront of developing solutions that power the largest networks in the world. Engineers on this team will collaborate with dedicated, dynamic, hardworking team members to work on the qualification and automation of influential technologies, XR platforms, and solutions for deployment in high‑end Cisco Web and Service Provider customers, impacting an endless number of users worldwide.

The team is comprised of talented engineers with diverse experience levels, ranging from 3 to over 20 years, bringing significant expertise to the table. With a global presence, the team operates from centers in the US, Canada, and India.

As a Solution Qualification/Automation Technical Leader, you will be responsible for designing, automating, configuring, and qualifying customer use cases based on IOS‑XR for platforms such as ASR9K, NCS
5500, and 8000. This role includes bringing up customer solutions in Cisco lab, developing innovative test frameworks and web‑based GUIs that leverage analytics and machine learning, as well as driving automated and manual test cases on validating the solution.

You will collaborate globally with internal development teams and account management teams to ensure alignment and understanding of the work. You will also collaborate with internal teams to understand customer use cases and design the topology to replicate their solutions.

• Reproduce customer environments in internal labs using hardware, traffic generators, and open‑source tools to validate solutions
• Accurately replicate network protocols, using tools and technologies to mimic real‑world scenarios for testing and validation purposes
• Design and develop innovative test frameworks and tools to support the test execution environment plans
• Monitor and optimize performance of the customer’s network environment

• Bachelors in STEM with 8+ years of relevant experience
• Experience in developing automation tools and test frameworks using Python or Go
• Experience reproducing customer environments, and performing root cause analysis
• Experience in networking automation and software quality assurance, and protocol testing

• Experience with Layer 2/Layer 3 networking protocols such as BGP, OSPF, ISIS, and MPLS
• Hands on experience with GIT, Jira, Jenkins and CI/CD pipeline tools
• Industry certification such as CCIE/CCNP/Cisco Dev Net will be a plus
• Experience with network monitoring tools like Grafana, telegraf and Influx
  
  DB and traffic generators like Ixia and Spirent
• Experience with network programmability - gNMI, gRPC, NETCONF, YANG , REST API, RPC
• Knowledge of Linux/OS such as CentOS, Redhat, Ubuntu and expertise on Bash/Unix Shell Scripting
• Knowledge of virtualization and containerization technologies - KVM, VMware, Docker, and Kubernetes
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding and hands on Cisco IOS/IOS‑XR platforms
• Experience with AI and ML is a plus

Starting salary range for this position is $ to $ and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation, equity, or benefits. 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.