Senior Software Engineer - High-Speed Routing & Optics

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Milpitas (CA); Hybrid; USD 168,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) with company matching

Parental leave

Paid time off

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Milpitas, CA is seeking an experienced software/embedded engineer to join the Platform Infrastructure & Optics team.

This hybrid role requires on-site presence in Milpitas at least 3 days a week to collaborate with hardware and software teams on high‑speed networking platforms. You will own the lifecycle of management frameworks, drive hardware-software integration, and design Linux-based embedded solutions for optics, PHY layers, and NPU/ASIC datapaths while mentoring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 6+ years, Master’s degree and 4+ years, or PhD and 1+ years of experience in CS, EE, or related field; this experience must include:
• C/C++/Python, Data Structures and Algorithms
• Embedded systems development and Linux OS programming experience

Responsibilities

• Own the lifecycle of management frameworks that ensure seamless, standardized interoperability between our hardware and the complex pluggable optics ecosystem.
• Bridge the gap between hardware and software by driving the integration of control-plane and datapath logic, ensuring our NPU and ASIC designs deliver peak performance in next-generation high-speed environments.
• Architect robust, Linux-based embedded solutions that enable deep integration of hardware optics and PHY layers
• Champion system reliability by designing the diagnostic and telemetry infrastructure that keeps our networks observable and autonomous.
• Lead the end-to-end design of medium-scope features, acting as a technical steward for our software roadmap and influencing the adoption of modern, agile engineering best practices.
• Elevate the team through technical mentorship with knowledge sharing, meticulous code reviews, and the creation of comprehensive user documentation.

Skills

C/C++/Python

Embedded systems

Linux OS programming

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE or related field

Master's degree

PhD

Job description

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Milpitas, CA is seeking an experienced software/embedded engineer to join the Platform Infrastructure & Optics team.

This hybrid role requires on-site presence in Milpitas at least 3 days a week to collaborate with hardware and software teams on high‑speed networking platforms. You will own the lifecycle of management frameworks, drive hardware-software integration, and design Linux-based embedded solutions for optics, PHY layers, and NPU/ASIC datapaths while mentoring