Meet the Team
Cisco is a global leader in networking and IT, dedicated to transforming how people connect, communicate, and collaborate. We have created an unrivalled company culture that is collaborative, empathetic, and provides employees with the autonomy to develop technology that is intuitive, secure, and simple for everyone to use.
Our Routing SD-WAN Group is at the forefront of innovation, delivering intelligent, secure, and scalable WAN edge solutions that empower enterprises to connect and protect their networks from the edge to the cloud. Within this group, the Routing Platform Software team builds industry-leading SD-WAN and edge routing platforms. We are reinventing the WAN with controller-based, intent-driven networking that delivers secure connectivity to users and devices across cloud, on-prem, and SaaS applications. You will join a high-energy group working on next-generation routing and services at a global scale, connecting thousands of devices and millions of users.
Your Impact
In this role, you will develop and evolve the forwarding and platform software that powers our SD-WAN and edge routing solutions. You will collaborate with ASIC, hardware, and cross-functional engineering teams to define new architectures, implement high-performance packet forwarding, and deliver robust, production-ready features. You will also leverage modern AI tools to enhance software development practices, driving greater efficiency, quality, and innovation across the team.
Key Responsibilities
- Hardware-Software Integration: Collaborate closely with hardware engineering teams to bring up new platforms, develop low-level drivers, and integrate Network Interface Modules (NIMs).
- Firmware Development: Design, implement, and maintain ROMMON and bootloader software to ensure secure and reliable system initialization.
- Forwarding Plane Optimization: Develop and tune high-performance forwarding plane software to meet the rigorous demands of modern secure routing environments.
- L2 Feature Development: Implement and optimize Layer 2 networking protocols and features within the platform stack.
- Performance Debugging: Perform deep-dive analysis into performance bottlenecks at the kernel and hardware-abstraction layers, including the control plane.
- Modern Development Practices: Utilize modern development workflows, including AI-assisted coding tools (such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, or Codex) and IDEs like VSCode, to accelerate the development lifecycle and improve code quality.
Minimum Qualifications
- 8-12 years of industry experience with end-to-end software development in networking.
- Experience across platforms, system software, kernel/user-space drivers, bootloaders, BIOS, and performance tuning spanning control-plane and data-plane.
- Strong proficiency in C/C++ with a focus on systems programming and Linux environments.
- Proven experience in developing device drivers, working with RTOS/Linux kernels, and understanding hardware-software interfaces.
- Solid understanding of routing architectures and Layer 2 networking protocols (e.g., Ethernet, VLANs, STP).
- Experience with bootloaders (ROMMON), hardware bring-up, and board support packages (BSP).
- Demonstrated ability to debug complex issues spanning hardware, firmware, and software layers.
- Experience with LAN/WAN communication interfaces and Layer 2/Layer 3 technologies.
- Experience with AI/ML techniques and tools for development (e.g., code assistants, static analysis tools, test automation).
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of high-speed interfaces (PHY, MAC, MACSEC) and DPDK.
- Platform/system expertise such as kernel bring-up, driver development, platform/network management software, and cloud networking.
- Debugging experience with i2c, i2c trace analysers, and PCIe.
- Knowledge of x86 or ARM assembly code, instruction sets, and ABIs.
- Experience with debugging using hardware and software debuggers (e.g., GDB, Arium, BDI).
#sdwanhiring
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.
Skills Required
- 8-12 years of industry experience with end-to-end software development in networking
- Experience with platforms, system software, kernel and user-space drivers, bootloaders, BIOS, and performance tuning across control-plane and data-plane systems
- Strong proficiency in C and C++ systems programming in Linux environments
- Experience developing device drivers and working with RTOS or Linux kernels
- Understanding of hardware-software interfaces
- Understanding of routing architectures and Layer 2 protocols including Ethernet, VLANs, and STP
- Experience with ROMMON, bootloaders, hardware bring-up, and board support packages
- Ability to debug complex hardware, firmware, and software issues
- Experience with LAN/WAN communication interfaces and Layer 2/Layer 3 technologies
- Experience with AI/ML techniques and development tools such as code assistants, static analysis, or test automation
- Knowledge of high-speed interfaces including PHY, MAC, and MACsec, and DPDK
- Platform and system expertise including kernel bring-up, driver development, platform/network management software, and cloud networking
- Debugging experience with I2C, I2C trace analyzers, and PCIe
- Knowledge of x86 or ARM assembly, instruction sets, and ABIs
- Experience with hardware and software debuggers such as GDB, Arium, or BDI
Cisco Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Cisco and has not been reviewed or approved by Cisco.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as robust with multiple plan options and access to onsite/virtual LifeConnections Health Centers on major campuses. Company materials also highlight mental-health resources and comprehensive preventive care, supporting strong core medical benefits.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time away includes company‑wide recharge days, a paid birthday, a year‑end shutdown, and paid Critical Time Off for emergencies. Paid volunteer days further expand opportunities to step away and recharge.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies include a global minimum for paid parental leave for primary caregivers, caregiving concierge services, and on‑site children’s learning centers in select locations. In the U.S., family‑building support is consolidated under Carrot with a defined lifetime maximum, indicating structured assistance across fertility, preservation, adoption, and surrogacy.
Cisco Insights
What We Do
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) enables people to make powerful connections--whether in business, education, philanthropy, or creativity. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible--providing easy access to information anywhere, at any time. Cisco was founded in 1984 by a small group of computer scientists from Stanford University. Since the company's inception, Cisco engineers have been leaders in the development of Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking technologies. Today, with more than 71,000 employees worldwide, this tradition of innovation continues with industry-leading products and solutions in the company's core development areas of routing and switching, as well as in advanced technologies such as home networking, IP telephony, optical networking, security, storage area networking, and wireless technology. In addition to its products, Cisco provides a broad range of service offerings, including technical support and advanced services. Cisco sells its products and services, both directly through its own sales force as well as through its channel partners, to large enterprises, commercial businesses, service providers, and consumers.
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