Software Engineering Technical Leader- Networking

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with matching

RSUs & equity grants

Paid time off & holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Milpitas, CA seeks a Technical Leader for BGP routing protocols to architect and deliver scalable routing software for data center, service provider and enterprise networks.

You will lead cross-functional discussions, define engineering requirements, and drive integration of AI-assisted coding tools to accelerate development. The role requires deep networking software experience, strong C/C++/Go skills, and collaboration across teams to advance cutting-edge routing

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD with years of software engineering experience (8/6/3) in related field.
• System architecture and software development experience in networking domain.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++/Go with a focus on systems programming.

Responsibilities

• Architect and deliver scalable BGP/routing solutions for complex customer requirements and internal initiatives.
• Lead discussions with customers, account teams and product management to understand deployments and define engineering requirements.
• Champion integration of AI-driven coding tools to accelerate development cycles and improve software quality.
• Collaborate across adjacent software teams to define robust programming interfaces.
• Review design and code, setting quality excellence standards; contribute to troubleshooting and bugs across the stack.
• Develop networking standards collaboratively with Cisco, peers, vendors and partners.

Skills

C/C++/Go

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE or related field

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 08/23/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Technical Leader - BGP Routing Protocols

Meet the Team

As a core part of the Distributed Systems Engineering group, we design, build, and optimize the routing software that powers the world’s most critical data center, service provider and enterprise networks. Our team delivers platform-independent routing software that runs across the Cisco 8000, ASR 9000, and 5500 series of routers, as well as virtual platforms. We architect and develop cutting edge solutions for hyperscale/neo cloud customers and service providers, addressing emerging demands in critical technologies including segment routing, SRv6, EVPN, VxLAN etc. that are the building blocks for modern AI infrastructure. We are a global, collaborative force with a presence in San Jose, India, Ottawa, and Europe, united by a passion for high-performance, scalable, and multithreaded systems.

Your Impact

• Architect and deliver innovative and scalable BGP/routing solutions for complex customer requirements and internal initiatives, tailored to meet the extreme demands of modern web-scale infrastructure.
• Lead discussions with customers, account teams and product management to understand complex customer deployments and use-cases and define engineering requirements.
• Champion the integration of AI-driven coding tools to accelerate development cycles and enhance software quality.
• Collaborate across adjacent software teams to define robust programming interfaces.
• Review design and code, setting the standard for quality excellence. Contribute to troubleshooting and bug fixes across the stack.
• Contribute to and develop new networking standards, in collaboration with peers in Cisco and vendors and partners.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s + 8 years, Master’s + 6 years, or PhD + 3 years of related experience in software engineering.
• System Architecture and software development experience in the networking domain.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++/Go with a focus on systems programming

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Routing Technologies, BGP, OSPF, ISIS, MPLS protocols
• Understanding of concepts of segment routing, SRv6, traffic engineering and datacenter technologies like VxLAN.
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting/debugging skills.
• Experience in manageability frameworks such as YANG/SNMP/XML.
• Familiarity with Unix/Linux. Experience using RTOS (ex: QNX, VxWorks)
• Practical experience in or deep familiarity with AI-assisted coding tools (e.g. Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code).

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 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.