Software Engineer Full Stack / Backend I (Intern) – United States

Cisco; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco's Product Internship Program in San Jose invites undergraduates to design, build, and ship APIs and services powering our platforms. You’ll contribute to backend systems, RESTful interfaces, and distributed architectures while learning from mentor-led teams.

You’ll gain hands-on experience with Python, Java, or Go, Git workflows, Linux environments, and cloud tooling, preparing for a future in product engineering and full-stack development within Cisco’s AI-driven initiatives.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program (Associate's or Bachelor's).
• Qualifying education should be in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Expected to continue enrollment in degree program following completion of the internship.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, or Go
• Experience building or supporting software applications or services, including APIs
• Familiarity with core software engineering workflows, tools, and development environments such as Git and Linux

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and ship APIs and applications powering Cisco platforms.
• Work on RESTful services and distributed architectures with teammates.

Skills

Python

Java

Go

RESTful APIs

Git

Linux

Education

Undergraduate degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

Terraform

Ansible

CloudFormation

Job description

Meet the Team

The Cisco Product Organization is the engine behind the platforms, technologies, and solutions defining the next generation of connectivity. Spanning AI Software & Platforms, Core Product Engineering, Collaboration, Security, Networking, Silicon, and Observability, we build the critical infrastructure that powers the digital world. Millions of people rely on our platforms every day, and our teams work together to build, refine, and scale products that drive meaningful impact. We are a team of passionate innovators, united by our curiosity, collaboration, and dedication to helping one another do our best work.

Ready to help us build what's next? The Cisco Product Internship Program offers a 12-week summer experience designed to welcome early-career talent into this mission. We embed interns within high-impact teams, where they collaborate directly on the products, platforms, and architectures shaping Cisco's future and powering the AI era. Throughout the program, interns have the opportunity to participate in targeted learning sessions, multi-functional networking, and direct engagement with leaders across the organization. By immersing interns in real-world challenges, we help them build the technical skills, confidence, and collaborative approach needed to envision a long-term, impactful career at Cisco.

Your Impact

You’ll solve real problems from day one by designing, building, and shipping the APIs and applications that power our platforms. You’ll write clean, maintainable back-end code, designing RESTful services and distributed architectures alongside your team, with opportunities to contribute to front-end systems as projects demand. When challenges arise, you’ll troubleshoot together to sharpen your engineering instincts. By developing and maintaining scalable software, you enable our business groups to leverage reliable services, ensuring we deliver high-impact technology solutions that connect the world.

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program (Associate's or Bachelor's).
• Qualifying education should be in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Expected to continue enrollment in degree program following completion of the internship.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, or Go
• Experience building or supporting software applications or services, including APIs
• Familiarity with core software engineering workflows, tools, and development environments such as Git and Linux

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in two or more of: JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, or React, with UI/UX principles awareness
• Experience applying Object-Oriented Programming principles, with exposure to C/C++ or JavaScript
• Hands-on experience with RESTful services, distributed systems, or microservices
• Exposure to a cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP) and/or deployment or automation tooling (Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Docker, Kubernetes)
• Exposure to networking fundamentals (L2/L3, TCP/IP), cloud security, or DevOps/DevSecOps practices #productintern27

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:

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 (subject to availability and some business limitations) 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies. Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows: .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota; 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%; 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation. For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid. The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below: New York City Metro Area: $44,000.00 - $185,000.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $44,000.00 - $185,000.00 * For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined. ** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Company Culture

Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.