Software Engineering Technical Leader

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Boxborough, Northern (MA, KY); On-site; USD 166,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking an experienced software engineer to join the DNS Platform team, responsible for building and sustaining high‑volume DNS resolver services. You will contribute to backend services at scale, supporting the DNS infrastructure that underpins Cisco’s cloud security offerings.

The role emphasizes developing scalable solutions in C/C++ and Python, operating in Linux and cloud environments (AWS/OpenStack), with a focus on security and reliability to meet demanding SLOs.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering.
• Experience in building and running a highly transactional, 24x7 production environment.
• Experience in developing complex solutions in C/C++ and Python. Familiarity with Perl and/or Go is a plus
• Experience developing on Linux and in cloud environments (preferably AWS) and networking.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Linux

AWS

OpenStack

Networking

CI/CD

Jenkins

Ansible

Git

Education

BS/CS Degree

Tools

Jenkins

Ansible

Git

AWS

OpenStack

Job description

Meet the Team

We are a part of Security Business Group and provide best-in‑class DNS based services globally to internal and external customers. You will join our DNS Platform team that makes all this possible. We are responsible for building and sustaining DNS resolver software and together with the DNS Systems & Performance team, we operate the service.

Our DNS resolver systems process 800+ BILLION transactions per day! You will join a team that builds backend software that makes this possible.

Your Impact:

We are expanding our services and looking for an outstanding engineer that will be at the forefront for our Sovereign DC and Fedramp development. The ideal candidate has experience developing services at scale on BareMetal AWS and openstack. We are responsible for time sensitive, critically important systems with a high attention to detail. Our services are the heart of the Cisco Cloud Security product, and we take ownership of that very seriously -- our internal and external SLOs are high.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering

• Experience in building and running a highly transactional, 24x7 production environment

• Experience in developing complex solutions in C/C++ and Python. Familiarity with Perl and/or Go is a plus

• Experience developing on Linux and in cloud environments (preferably AWS) and networking.

• Experience in configuration management and CI/CD tools like Jenkins and Ansible, AWS, Openstack

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in Agile development

• Experience in Git

• Experience in automated testing and operations

• Experience with systems and application security

• Familiarity with monitoring and observability concepts

• BS/CS Degree

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 $166,300.00 to $238,300.00 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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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:

$186,900.00 - $307,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$166,300.00 - $274,100.00

* 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.