Software Engineer

Cisco; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 126,500 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company in North Carolina is seeking a Solution Qualification/Automation Technical Leader to design and automate customer solutions based on IOS-XR. You will collaborate with teams to create test frameworks, replicate customer environments, and validate solutions through innovative techniques. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's in STEM, hands-on experience with networking protocols, and a desire to work in a dynamic environment. Full-time role with a competitive salary range from $126,500 to $182,000.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with Layer 2/Layer 3 networking protocols such as BGP, OSPF, ISIS, and MPLS.
• Experience supporting web scaler or service provider customers.

Responsibilities

• Design and automate customer use cases based on IOS-XR.
• Collaborate with internal teams to design topology to replicate customer solutions.
• Develop innovative test frameworks and tools to validate solutions.

Skills

Layer 2/Layer 3 networking protocols (BGP, OSPF, ISIS, MPLS)

Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills

Experience with network automation tools

Experience understanding and reproducing customer environments

Hands-on experience with Linux and Bash/Unix

Education

Bachelors in STEM

Tools

Python

GIT

Jira

Jenkins

CI/CD pipeline tools

Grafana

Ansible

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Meet the Team

The Customer Validation Testing (CVT) team is at the forefront of developing solutions that power the largest networks in the world. Engineers on this team will collaborate with dedicated, dynamic, hardworking team members to work on the qualification and automation of influential technologies, XR platforms, and solutions for deployment in high‑end Cisco Web and Service Provider customers, impacting an endless number of users worldwide. The team is comprised of talented engineers with diverse experience levels, ranging from 3 to over 20 years, bringing significant expertise to the table. With a global presence, the team operates from centers in the US, Canada, and India.

Your Impact

As a Solution Qualification/Automation Technical Leader, you will be responsible for designing, automating, configuring, and qualifying customer use cases based on IOS‑XR for platforms such as ASR9K, NCS5500, and 8000. This role includes bringing up customer solutions in Cisco lab, developing innovative test frameworks and web‑based GUIs that leverage analytics and machine learning, as well as driving automated and manual test cases on validating the solution.

• Collaborate with internal teams to understand customer use cases and design the topology to replicate their solutions
• Reproduce customer environments in internal labs using hardware, traffic generators, and open‑source tools to validate solutions
• Accurately replicate network protocols, using tools and technologies to mimic real‑world scenarios for testing and validation purposes
• Design and develop innovative test frameworks and tools to support the test execution environment plans
• Monitor and optimize performance of the customer’s network environment

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors in STEM with 4+ years of relevant experience
• Hands‑on experience with Layer 2/Layer 3 networking protocols such as BGP, OSPF, ISIS, and MPLS
• Experience understanding and reproducing customer environments, and performing root cause analysis
• Experience of supporting web scaler or service provider customers

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in developing automation tools and test frameworks using Python or Go
• Experience in network automation (e.g., using pyATS or similar), protocol testing, and software quality assurance
• Hands on experience with GIT, Jira, Jenkins and CI/CD pipeline tools
• Industry certification such as CCIE/CCNP/Cisco DevNet will be a plus
• Experience with network automation tools like pyATS, Ansible, and Robot framework
• Experience with network monitoring tools like Grafana, telegraf and InfluxDB and traffic generators like Ixia and Spirent
• Experience with network programmability - gNMI, gRPC, NETCONF, YANG, REST API, RPC
• Knowledge of Linux/OS such as CentOS, Redhat, Ubuntu and expertise on Bash/Unix Shell Scripting
• Knowledge of virtualization and containerization technologies - KVM, VMware, Docker, and Kubernetes
• Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills.
• Understanding and hands on Cisco IOS/IOS‑XR platforms
• Experience with AI and ML is a plus
• Experience in Routing hardware/platforms/forwarding architecture

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

The starting salary range posted for this position is $126,500.00 to $182,000.00 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.

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Engineering and Information Technology

Industries

Software Development

Locations & Compensation

• Durham, NC – $126,500.00 to $182,000.00
• New York City Metro Area – $152,500.00 to $252,000.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State – $135,800.00 to $224,400.00