Software Engineering Technical Leader - 12+yrs - C/C++, Wireless, Linux/RTOS/Networking OS internals
Meet the Team
Join the Cisco IIOT team in product development for Industrial IOT switching and routing products that transforms industrial operations. Cisco's IIOT team provides an outstanding, unique experience for software engineers by combining the resources offered by a sizable multi-geography organization and a large campus (with an on-site gym, healthcare, café, social interest groups, and philanthropy) with the startup culture and breadth of growth opportunities that working in a smaller teams can provide.
Your Impact
In this pivotal role, you will drive the design and development of next-generation Control Plane and Data Plane software for Cisco's groundbreaking Networking and Network Security Platforms. Demonstrating AI and AI assist technologies, you will translate sophisticated requirements into robust, scalable solutions, directly influencing the security and performance of Cisco's global infrastructure. You will lead significant features, innovate new intellectual property, and play a crucial part in shaping the future of secure networking.
Responsibilities
- Design and development of IIoT hardware platforms, ensuring seamless integration between hardware and software layers.
- Strong understanding and development experience in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite communication systems and architectures.
- Knowledge of Starlink services, user terminals, gateways, and satellite internet connectivity.
- Experience with LTE, 5G NR, cellular gateways, SIM-based connectivity, and wireless communication systems.
- Understanding of satellite-based wireless backhaul architectures.
- Design and development of control plane and data plane software for Cisco IIOT Switching, Routing products.
- Design and develop low-level software components, including BSP, device drivers and kernel modules.
- Analyse requirements and problem statements to come with right software designs and solutions. To be able to write details Design documents and Functional Specifications.
- To Code and Unit Test Software components and modules. It is required to have strong white- box testing and automating skills
- Triage, debug, and root cause simulation, software bring-up, and customer failures
- Work with local and remote teams to review Product Requirements Document, to collaborate on SW Functional and Design Specifications, Unit and Integration test plans. Also responsible for reviewing test strategy and test plans for Functional and System Test teams.
- To be able to innovate and come up with new ideas that can lead to filing patents and creating IP value for the company
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelors (12-15 years) or Master’s degree(10-15 years) in Computer Science, EE/ECE or related fields.
- Experience with control plane software or data plane software, data structures, Wireless experience (802.11ac/ax/be), Linux/RTOS/Networking OS internals
- Strong understanding of OS (e.g. Linux, RTOS, Unix) and experience working with Linux kernel, device drivers, and BSPs.
- Proficient in writing quality code in C/C++.
- Experience in developing software/firmware for networking products.
- Excellent knowledge of software architecture and system design.
- Experience using Traffic generators/Analyzers such as IXIA/Sniffer is a plus
- Technical leadership experience in leading high performance teams to provide technical leadership for designing and implementing quality features and solutions.
- Hands on experience with Gen AI assistant technologies, natural language processing (NLP) or Gen AI technologies (OpenAI, Gemini, MCP, Agentic AI etc..)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with debugging and verification methodologies
- You have hands-on development experience on L2, L3 protocols.
- Cisco Networking certificates such as CCNA, CCNP, CCIE are desirable.
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 degree in Computer Science, EE/ECE or related field (12+ years experience) or Master's degree (10+ years experience)
- Proficient in C/C++
- Experience with control plane or data plane software and data structures
- Wireless experience (802.11ac/ax/be) and wireless communication systems
- Experience with Linux/RTOS/Networking OS internals and strong OS understanding
- Experience working with Linux kernel, device drivers, and BSPs
- Experience developing software/firmware for networking products
- Excellent knowledge of software architecture and system design
- Technical leadership experience leading high-performance teams
- Hands-on experience with Gen AI assistant technologies or NLP (OpenAI, Gemini, MCP, Agentic AI etc.)
- Strong understanding and development experience in LEO satellite communication systems and architectures (including Starlink services, user terminals, gateways)
- Experience with LTE, 5G NR, cellular gateways, and SIM-based connectivity
- Experience with traffic generators/analyzers (e.g., IXIA, Sniffer)
- Hands-on development experience on L2 and L3 protocols
- Cisco networking certifications (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE)
- Experience with debugging and verification methodologies
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.
