Software Engineer II

Software Engineer II

Cisco Networking (CPO) builds the foundation of Cisco's core routing, switching, and security platforms that power enterprise and cloud infrastructure worldwide. You will be an essential contributor to the development of next-generation innovations across network operating systems, low-level platform architectures, and intelligent infrastructure. Our team combines deep hardware-software integration with modern software engineering practices to deliver ultra-reliable, high-performance connectivity. What makes this team exciting is the opportunity to work alongside industry-leading engineers on cutting-edge platforms like the Nexus 9000, gain hands-on experience with embedded systems, and help build technologies that transform how the world connects.

As a Software Engineer II on our team, you will take ownership of defining, designing, implementing, and debugging high-performance platform software and device drivers for Cisco's Nexus 9000 switches and routers. Author clear design specifications and drive feature development across network security, Access Control Lists (ACLs), Quality of Service (QoS), and Control Plane Policing (CoPP). Architect and execute robust system-level test automation suites using Python and modern CI/CD pipelines to validate complex hardware-software interactions and accelerate release velocity.

Apply advanced systems programming knowledge to diagnose intricate platform-level issues, optimize memory and CPU performance, and support production triage. Success in this role means independently delivering resilient, scalable networking software that directly reinforces Cisco's leadership in enterprise and cloud communications infrastructure.

• Meet one of the following (completed within the past 3 years or expected to be completed within the next 12 months): A Master's degree with 0 years of work experience; OR a Bachelor's degree with 2 years of work experience; OR an educational or workforce development program (e.g., Associate's, Apprenticeship, Boot camp, or Certification) with 3 years of work experience; OR a High school diploma (or equivalent) with 4 years of work experience.
  
  Qualifying education and work experience should be in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on programming proficiency in C or C++ with experience developing software in embedded Linux environments, including operating system fundamentals, memory management, and multithreading.
• Demonstrated knowledge of network principles, routing and switching protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF), and layered communication architectures (TCP/IP, OSI model).
• Experience building automation tooling or test frameworks in Python or Bash, integrated with CI/CD automation pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, Git Hub Actions).

• Conceptual understanding or practical experience exploring AI/ML technologies, intelligent network telemetry, or AI-assisted development tools.
• Hands-on experience developing low-level device drivers, kernel modules, or hardware-software integration on enterprise switches and routers.
• Practical experience with network security features such as Access Control Lists (ACLs), Quality of Service (QoS), or Control Plane Policing (CoPP).
• Familiarity with low-level debugging and profiling tools (e.g., GDB, Valgrind, perf) in complex distributed or platform-level environments.