Software Engineer II (Full Time) - United States

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with company match

Parental leave

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Software Engineer II to own the development and debugging of high‑performance platform software and device drivers for Nexus 9000 switches and routers.

You will design specifications and drive features across security, QoS, and CoPP, while building automated tests and CI/CD pipelines. The role emphasizes deep systems programming, memory and CPU optimization, and collaboration with hardware teams to ensure reliable networking software for Cisco's enterprise and

Qualifications

• Master's or Bachelor's in a relevant field with work experience
• Proficient in C/C++ in embedded Linux environments
• Strong knowledge of networking and OSI/TCP-IP concepts
• Experience building automation and test frameworks with CI/CD tools

Responsibilities

• Define, design, implement, and debug high‑performance platform software and device drivers for Nexus 9000 switches/routers
• Write clear design specifications and drive features across ACLs, QoS, and CoPP
• Develop robust system‑level test automation in Python and CI/CD pipelines
• Diagnose complex platform issues, optimize memory/CPU performance, support production triage
• Deliver resilient, scalable networking software for enterprise and cloud infrastructures

Skills

C/C++

Embedded Linux

Multithreading

Networking fundamentals

Python scripting

Education

Master's degree in CS/CE/EE or related

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/EE with 2 years experience

Apprenticeship/Boot camp with 3 years experience

High school diploma with 4 years experience

Tools

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 08/26/2026

Meet the Team

Cisco Networking (CPO) builds the foundation of Cisco’s core routing, switching, and security platforms that power enterprise and cloud infrastructure worldwide. You will be an essential contributor to the development of next- generation innovations across network operating systems, low-level platform architectures, and intelligent infrastructure. Our team combines deep hardware-software integration with modern software engineering practices to deliver ultra-reliable, high-performance connectivity. What makes this team exciting is the opportunity to work alongside industry-leading engineers on cutting-edge platforms like the Nexus 9000, gain hands-on experience with embedded systems, and help build technologies that transform how the world connects.

Your Impact

As a Software Engineer II on our team, you will take ownership of defining, designing, implementing, and debugging high-performance platform software and device drivers for Cisco’s Nexus 9000 switches and routers. Author clear design specifications and drive feature development across network security, Access Control Lists (ACLs), Quality of Service (QoS), and Control Plane Policing (CoPP). Architect and execute robust system-level test automation suites using Python and modern CI/CD pipelines to validate complex hardware-software interactions and accelerate release velocity. Apply advanced systems programming knowledge to diagnose intricate platform-level issues, optimize memory and CPU performance, and support production triage. Success in this role means independently delivering resilient, scalable networking software that directly reinforces Cisco’s leadership in enterprise and cloud communications infrastructure.

Minimum Qualifications

• Meet one of the following (completed within the past 3 years or expected to be completed within the next 12 months): A Master's degree with 0 years of work experience; OR a Bachelor's degree with 2 years of work experience; OR an educational or workforce development program (e.g., Associate’s, Apprenticeship, Boot camp, or Certification) with 3 years of work experience; OR a High school diploma (or equivalent) with 4 years of work experience. Qualifying education and work experience should be in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on programming proficiency in C or C++ with experience developing software in embedded Linux environments, including operating system fundamentals, memory management, and multithreading.
• Demonstrated knowledge of network principles, routing and switching protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF), and layered communication architectures (TCP/IP, OSI model).
• Experience building automation tooling or test frameworks in Python or Bash, integrated with CI/CD automation pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions).

Preferred Qualifications

• Conceptual understanding or practical experience exploring AI/ML technologies, intelligent network telemetry, or AI-assisted development tools.
• Hands-on experience developing low-level device drivers, kernel modules, or hardware-software integration on enterprise switches and routers.
• Practical experience with network security features such as Access Control Lists (ACLs), Quality of Service (QoS), or Control Plane Policing (CoPP).
• Familiarity with low-level debugging and profiling tools (e.g., GDB, Valgrind, perf) in complex distributed or platform-level environments.

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 $125,700.00 to $176,600.00 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 (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:

$125,700.00 - $203,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$111,700.00 - $180,800.00

* 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.