Senior Software Engineer & Technical Lead, Networking & P4

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 214,000 - 310,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join the Silicon One team. You will design and optimize firmware, SDKs, simulators, and compilers for Cisco Silicon One architecture, focusing on P4-based data‑plane programming for high‑performance networks.

You will collaborate with ASIC engineers, develop Python test frameworks, and mentor other engineers while delivering scalable networking solutions powering Web, Cloud, Data Center, and Mobile networking.

Qualifications

• Bachelors + 12 years of related experience, or Masters + 8 years of related experience.
• Experience in software design and development using C, C++, or P4, including contributions to production-quality systems.
• Experience in troubleshooting, debugging, and resolving sophisticated software issues across large, distributed codebases, with practical experience using tools such as GDB, PDB, etc.
• Experience with Layer 2 (L2) and Layer 3 (L3) networking technologies, protocols, and data-plane behaviors.
• Experience in Python with the ability to develop scalable, maintainable, and production-ready software solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and test C, C++, or P4 programs to define packet-processing behaviors on high-performance network devices.
• Build, optimize, and enhance the backend of the P4 compiler to leverage advanced networking hardware.
• Solve complex resource-management challenges and optimize resource allocation across programmable network-processing pipelines.
• Collaborate closely with ASIC engineers to ensure seamless integration of P4 programs with next-generation IC designs.
• Participate in the design and implementation of new C, C++, or P4 language features to support evolving needs.
• Develop Python-based test frameworks and author Python test cases to validate SDK functionality and ensure correctness, performance, and reliability.

Skills

C

C++

P4

Python

GDB

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

GDB

PDB

Job description

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join the Silicon One team. You will design and optimize firmware, SDKs, simulators, and compilers for Cisco Silicon One architecture, focusing on P4-based data‑plane programming for high‑performance networks.

You will collaborate with ASIC engineers, develop Python test frameworks, and mentor other engineers while delivering scalable networking solutions powering Web, Cloud, Data Center, and Mobile networking.