Please note this posting is to advertise potential job opportunities. This exact role may not be open today but could open in the near future. When you apply, a Cisco representative may contact you directly if a relevant position opens.
Meet the Team
The DSE Platform Independent Common (PI-Common) group develops high-performance, platform-independent system software that runs across Cisco’s flagship routers and switches. We design and deliver core routing protocols and infrastructure components that power Cisco’s Mass Scale Infrastructure, Cloud Networking, and Network Experience portfolios.
Our team works on key control-plane technologies including IGP routing protocols such as OSPF, IS-IS, EIGRP and RIP, BGP-LS, First Hop Redundancy Protocols such as HSRP, VRRP and GLBP, and routing infrastructure components such as route-policy frameworks, prefix handling, filtering, and control-plane scalability mechanisms.
These components form the foundation of networking deployments across enterprise, service provider, cloud, and AI infrastructure environments, where scale, resiliency, security, programmability, and operational debuggability are critical.
Your Impact:
As a Software Engineer in PI-Common, you will contribute to the development and maintenance of routing protocol and routing infrastructure software used across Cisco platforms. You will work with senior engineers to build reliable, scalable, and debuggable control-plane software. Key responsibilities include:
Developing features, enhancements, and defect fixes for IGP protocols, BGP-LS, FHRP technologies, and routing infrastructure components.
Writing clean, efficient, maintainable code in C/C++ for multi-threaded, system-level software environments.
Contributing to routing infrastructure components such as route-policy handling, filtering, prefix processing, and control-plane integration modules.
Debugging software issues using logs, traces, core files, protocol state, and platform-level diagnostics.
Participating in root cause analysis for defects and customer-found issues, with guidance from senior engineers.
Building unit, functional, regression, and scale validation coverage for protocol and infrastructure changes.
Working closely with platform, hardware, and test teams to validate software behavior across Cisco operating systems and platforms.
Learning protocol behavior, implementation details, and operational aspects of production routing systems.
Participating in design discussions, code reviews, and technical reviews to build strong engineering judgment.
Contributing to team quality, automation, debuggability, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Minimum Qualifications Required:
* Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Networking, or a related technical field.
*1-3 years of relevant software development experience.
*Strong understanding of data structures, operating systems, and computer networking fundamentals.
*Programming experience in C or C++.
*Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or Perl.
*Familiarity with Unix/Linux development environments.
*Good problem-solving, debugging, and analytical skills.
Preferred Qualifications Good to Have:
Exposure to routing protocols such as OSPF, IS-IS, EIGRP, RIP, BGP, or BGP-LS.
Understanding of multi-threaded programming, IPC, memory management, or system-level software concepts.
Familiarity with debugging tools such as gdb, logs, packet captures, traces, or core-file analysis.
Exposure to networking software, embedded systems, distributed systems, or large-scale infrastructure software.
Ability to learn complex technical areas quickly and work well in a team environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
WeAreCisco
#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.
Our passion is connection. We celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage.
Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. Take your next step and be you, with us.
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 or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Networking, or related technical field
- 1-3 years of relevant software development experience
- Strong understanding of data structures, operating systems, and computer networking fundamentals
- Programming experience in C or C++
- Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or Perl
- Familiarity with Unix/Linux development environments
- Good problem-solving, debugging, and analytical skills
- Exposure to routing protocols such as OSPF, IS-IS, EIGRP, RIP, BGP, or BGP-LS
- Understanding of multi-threaded programming, IPC, memory management, or system-level software concepts
- Familiarity with debugging tools such as gdb, logs, packet captures, traces, or core-file analysis
- Exposure to networking software, embedded systems, distributed systems, or large-scale infrastructure software
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to learn complex technical areas quickly
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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