Who We Are
Cisco Silicon One is the center of Cisco’s ASIC design and is driving the development of next-generation network devices for the AI/ML era. Our outstanding team works in a startup atmosphere within a stable and leading corporate environment, and our design center hosts all silicon Hardware and Software development fields under one roof.
Our devices are crafted for universal adaptability, delivering high speed without sacrificing programmability, buffering, power efficiency, scale, or feature flexibility. The Cisco Silicon One team develops breakthrough silicon products.
We enable the use of these innovative products in the fast-paced world of Open Standards, Open Networking, and massively Scalable Cloud Data Centers. If you want to work with amazing people and cutting-edge customers developing the next generation of world-class products, join us.
Your Impact
As part of Silicon One Customer Engineering team, you will closely interact with with Cisco’s Silicon One customers to help with Silicon One product adoption, software development, documentation, technical support, trouble shooting, and maintenance. You will gather information from customers on their requirements, pain points and help them implement in software to improve software quality and customer experience. You will gain intimate knowledge of the Silicon One hardware architecture and software programming models, working closely with the architecture, hardware and software teams. You will develop innovative applications, customizations of Silicon One software to better suit the customer’s needs. You will work with Silicon One Software teams to design and development of software features for both the control plane and data plane on Cisco's Silicon One NPU. You'll play a critical role in creating software that powers highly scalable, low-power, low-latency, and dense systems, addressing the ever-growing demands of AI/ML workloads, internet users, and modern applications.
You will use modern C++, the Silicon One network processing language, and Python to develop software for the NPU. As the lead engineer, you'll participate in customer discussions to define requirements, scope features, and drive the development process from start to finish. You'll take full ownership of delivering high-quality software on schedule, while leading a team of engineers and providing guidance on design, implementation, and reviews. Additionally, you'll gain deep expertise in the Silicon One hardware architecture and programming models, collaborating with architecture and hardware teams to shape the next generation of ASIC products.
You are an accomplished technical leader with extensive experience in software development for the networking domain. Your mastery spans multiple areas in networking, where you've served as the lead designer for complex systems. Your expertise in control and routing planes, as well as your ability to build large-scale, high-density, and highly redundant systems, is widely recognized.
You are deeply committed to developing clean, user-friendly APIs and well-defined software layers. As a mentor to your team, you bring optimism and a positive outlook to your work. Driven by self-motivation, you exhibit a strong sense of ownership and a passion for delivering exceptional results.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor of Science EE/CS combined with 8+ years of related experience or Master of Science EE/CS combined with 6+ years of related experience.
Prior expertise in software development and integration while using one or more of the following programming languages: C++, Python.
Prior expertise with networking protocols and technologies (e.g., L2/L3, MPLS, BGP, OSPF).
Prior expertise in analytical reasoning and debugging, with experience using tools such as GDB, PDB, etc.
Prior working experience with algorithms and data structures.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with cloud, data center, or edge networking products.
Experience with SAI, SONiC or other Network OS.
Experience with writing, testing and supporting software for high performing and scalable networking products.
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's in EE/CS with 8+ years experience OR Master's in EE/CS with 6+ years experience
- Proficiency in C++
- Proficiency in Python
- Experience with L2/L3 networking, MPLS, BGP, OSPF
- Experience in software development and integration for networking products
- Experience with algorithms and data structures
- Experience using debugging tools (e.g., GDB, PDB)
- Experience leading engineering teams and driving feature development
- Experience with cloud, data center, or edge networking products
- Experience with SAI, SONiC or other Network OS
- Experience writing, testing, and supporting high-performance, scalable networking software
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.
-
Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, mental health support via an EAP, and access to on-site or virtual health centers indicate robust healthcare offerings. Wellness programs, fitness resources, and specialized services further reinforce coverage depth.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, a global minimum for paid parental leave, and unique programs like company-wide recharge days and paid volunteer time expand time-away options. Additional offerings such as Critical Time Off and adoption assistance add flexibility for life events.
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — Restricted stock units and a discounted employee stock purchase plan are meaningful elements of total compensation. The prominence of equity can materially augment overall pay packages alongside salary and bonuses.
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.
