Software Engineering Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 08/31/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

      The Common Hardware Group (CHG) at Cisco is seeking skilled software engineers to join our Diagnostic/BSP team, responsible for ensuring the reliability and performance of our world-class hardware. Our team develops software for Cisco’s network switches and routers, which feature advanced application awareness to build a flexible and agile network infrastructure. These capabilities support multi-layered responses to the diverse workload demands of AI and ML. This is a unique opportunity to grow your technical skill set and gain visibility and recognition across cross-functional teams within Cisco. We value motivated individuals who enjoy solving complex challenges and thrive in a collaborative, innovative environment.

Your Impact

• Architect, design, and develop BIOS, BSP, and Diagnostics for Cisco Core and Edge routing products.

• Design, develop, and test kernel and user space device drivers for FPGA and networking peripherals.

• Develop and execute software test plans.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to debug prototypes and validate software.

• Lead technical reviews and discussions across teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 10+ years experience, or Master’s degree with 8+ years experience.

• Prior experience in C, C++, and Python programming.

• Previous experience with hardware and device driver development background, including experience with Linux hardware bring-up.

• Prior experience with Sonic, ONIE, BMC, IPMI, and/or Redfish technologies.

• Prior experience in developing, debugging, and validating embedded systems and device drivers for protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe, and/or GPIO.

Preferred Skills 

• Proficient in kernel debugging tools such as GDB and KGDB. 

• Prior experience developing software from concept through delivery for large-scale, high-bandwidth systems. 

• Previous experience in troubleshooting software defects from kernel modules to applications. 

• Prior experience with collaborative system design, specification writing, and requirements review. 

• Commitment to quality, mentoring, and continuous learning in networking, optics, and embedded systems. 

• Experience with AI/ML. 

• Knowledge of Layer 2/3 network protocols. 

• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills. 

• Experience with network processors and optical networking. 

• Familiarity with secure-boot, open-source tools, CMIS, and SFF standards (SFP, QSFP).