Software Engineering Technical Lead, Mobility Engineering

Cisco Systems, Inc; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 187,000 - 268,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco’s Mobile Core Business Unit (MCBU) in San Jose seeks an Escalation Engineer focusing on Mobility network function applications that run in a Kubernetes environment on Cisco UCS compute nodes.

The role covers 5G control- and user-plane NFs, requires familiarity with Linux, Kubernetes, and OpenShift, and involves solving high-priority customer escalations, collaborating with Hardware and Software Engineering, and providing product feedback to engineering.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 8 years of related experience, or Master's plus 6 years, or PhD plus 3 years.
• Experience applying 3GPP specifications to 5G packet core architectures.
• Experience diagnosing hardware, software, and performance issues across compute environments using system logs, performance data, debugging tools, and root-cause analysis.
• Experience leading customer-facing technical escalations, coordinating cross-functional teams, communicating status and findings, and driving issues to resolution.

Responsibilities

• Independently handle high-priority customer escalations to diagnose and resolve UCS compute hardware, mobility applications, and core network issues.
• Collaborate with Hardware and Software Engineering to address customer issues and drive problem resolution.
• Provide product improvement feedback to Engineering teams based on customer escalations.
• Establish strong relationships with global Mobility TAC and UCS TAC/escalation teams.

Skills

Kubernetes

Linux

C/C++/Go

Python

REST APIs

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Master's degree or higher

PhD or higher

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenShift

Linux

UCS hardware

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/29/2026

Meet the Team

The Mobile Core Business Unit (MCBU) at Cisco focuses on delivering advanced mobile core network solutions that enable service providers to build and operate next-generation mobile networks. The team works on integrating ground breaking technologies such as 5G core, virtualized network functions, and cloud-native architectures to support scalable, secure, and high-performance mobile services. MCBU collaborates closely with other Cisco business units and partners to accelerate innovation, optimize network transport, and enhance mobile edge capabilities, ensuring customers can efficiently deploy and handle mobile infrastructure for evolving connectivity demands.

Your Impact

You will be part of the MCBU, working as an Escalation Engineer focusing on various Mobility network function (NF) product applications that run in a Kubernetes environment on Cisco UCS compute nodes. The NFs include a mix of 5G control- and user-plane products. The ideal candidate possesses knowledge of a broad spectrum of compute hardware and mobility technologies as well as Linux, Kubernetes, and related orchestration frameworks like Openshift.

In this role you will:

• Independently handle high-priority customer escalations to solve, diagnose, and debug UCS compute hardware, Mobility applications, and core network issue.
• Work closely with Hardware and Software Engineering to work toward problem resolution and to address customer issues.
• Drive customer satisfaction and for providing product improvement feedback to Engineering teams.
• Establish strong working relationships with the global Mobility TAC and UCS TAC/escalation teams.
• The MCBU escalation team covers all time zones.
• As a part of our team in San Jose, you will interact with local and remote engineering, marketing, and release engineering teams to resolve customer escalations in a collaborative manner.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors + 8 years of related experience, or Masters + 6 years of related experience, or PhD + 3 years of related experience, or equivalent related work experience.
• Experience applying 3GPP specifications to the design, deployment, integration, or support of 5G packet core architectures.
• Experience diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and performance issues across compute environments using system logs, performance data, debugging tools, and root-cause analysis.
• Experience leading customer-facing technical escalations, coordinating cross-functional teams, communicating status and technical findings, and driving issues through documented resolution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with languages such as C, C++, or Go; Scripting experience in Python or Shell, and a functional understanding of REST APIs or a background in Application development or SQA within Mobility.
• Expertise in AIOps methodologies, and data visualization capabilities
• Familiarity with StarOS would be a plus
• Experience with 5G call model simulation tools
• Some experience working with networking protocols including TCP/IP, HTTP, SSL, HTTPS, BGP, BFD, IPSec

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 $186,900.00 to $267,700.00 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 th