Senior Software Engineer

Cisco; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 168,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco is seeking a Software Engineer in Milpitas, CA, to lead end-to-end testing for AI/ML-enabled network performance. You will develop Python automation, build testing environments, and contribute to open-source activities, collaborating with an agile team in a fast-paced product environment.

Your work focuses on designing and executing tests, benchmarking network performance, and delivering high-quality results, with opportunities to influence the testing framework and production support

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 7+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree in STEM with 4+ years, or PhD in STEM with 1+ years.
• 3+ years of experience in Python automation scripting.
• 2+ years of experience in configuring, testing, or debugging networking systems and solutions.
• Experience with PyTest or similar open-source QA automation frameworks.
• Experience with control and data plane technologies, including L2/L3 networking, BGP, ECMP, and VXLAN-based EVPN fabrics.

Responsibilities

• Engaging in technical discussions with customers to gather and clarify requirements.
• Building and maintaining testing environments for system and solution validation.
• Developing and enhancing test frameworks and benchmarking tools.
• Defining metrics and gathering data for network performance benchmarking.
• Conducting hands-on troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex customer issues.
• Contributing to technical projects and sharing expertise to foster team-wide excellence and technical growth.

Skills

Python automation

PyTest

Networking testing

Root-cause analysis

Customer-facing

SONiC exposure

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

PyTest

Benchmarking tools

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/30/2026

Meet The Team

The Cisco Distributed System Engineering (DSE) group leads innovation in building products that power the world’s largest networks. As the networking industry evolves to support AI/ML workloads and a growing internet user base, our team is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation. We leverage open-source technologies and push the boundaries of Systems and Silicon Architecture

Our solutions team works closely with large webscaler customers to replicate their networks and prepare software and hardware for deployment. We operate in fast-paced sprints across Cisco’s product lineup, focusing on SONiC for web-scale environments, including AI/ML, routers, and switches.

Your Impact

As a Software Engineer, you will be a key contributor to an agile team responsible for designing, developing, and executing tests to qualify network performance for AI/ML capabilities. You will take ownership of end-to-end product testing and provide deep-dive production support, ensuring high-quality deliverables in a dynamic environment.

You will leverage your expertise in Python automation and testing frameworks such as PyTest to streamline and enhance testing processes. Your role involves active participation in the open-source community to drive innovation and integrate best practices into our development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Engaging in technical discussions with customers to gather and clarify requirements.
• Building and maintaining testing environments for system and solution validation.
• Developing and enhancing test frameworks and benchmarking tools.
• Defining metrics and gathering data for network performance benchmarking.
• Conducting hands-on troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex customer issues.
• Contributing to technical projects and sharing expertise to foster team-wide excellence and technical growth.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 7+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree in STEM with 4+ years, or PhD in STEM with 1+ years.
• 3+ years of experience in Python automation scripting.
• 2+ years of experience in configuring, testing, or debugging networking systems and solutions.
• Experience with PyTest or similar open-source QA automation frameworks.
• Experience with control and data plane technologies, including L2/L3 networking, BGP, ECMP, and VXLAN-based EVPN fabrics.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with test frameworks and traffic generators (both commercial and open source).
• Prior experience in customer-facing roles.
• Exposure to network operating systems, preferably SONiC very nice to have.
• Familiarity with RDMA and HPC networks.
• Understanding of RoCE and InfiniBand protocols.

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.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada

The starting salary range posted for this position is $167,700.00 to $245,200.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non‑exempt employees
• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year‑end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
• Non‑exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full‑time employees
• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use