Solutions Architect

Cisco Systems, Inc; North Carolina; On-site; USD 133,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Short and long-term disability

Basic life insurance

Restricted stock units

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Solution Architect to design scalable, AI-enabled software platforms for Cisco’s Service Supply Chain.

You will craft end-to-end architectures, lead AI-native workflow initiatives, and modernize data pipelines across MongoDB, Snowflake, PostgreSQL, and Oracle while ensuring robust security and reliability. Responsibilities include prototyping, driving test governance, and collaborating with product, operations, and engineering teams to turn business priorities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 7 years related experience, or Masters with 4 years, or PhD with 1 year (10+ years of progressive software engineering design experience).
• Demonstrated expertise in architecting end-to-end, multi-tier enterprise solutions, microservices, and API-driven architectures across complex distributed environments.
• Strong proficiency in technology-agnostic integration approaches, enterprise messaging, and SOA patterns.
• Understanding of modern data architecture including document stores (MongoDB), cloud data platforms (Snowflake), and relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle).
• Experience defining solution testing strategies, collaborating with QA/QE on automated test validation, and facilitating UAT and defect triage.
• Solid domain knowledge in Supply Chain operations (Order Management, Logistics, Asset Recovery, Carrier Integration, Repair, Compliance, or Inventory).
• Proven ability to influence technical roadmaps, drive consensus, and mentor architectural talent.

Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end software architectures, microservices, and API topologies across global supply chain domains.
• Define AI-native workflows and MCP integrations with modern AI tooling.
• Design robust data pipelines and storage models across MongoDB, Snowflake, PostgreSQL, and Oracle with high security.
• Build functional proof-of-concept prototypes and ensure high test coverage with automated testing.
• Collaborate with product managers, operations, and engineering leads to create clear technical roadmaps.

Skills

Solution Architecture

Data Architecture

Testing & QA

Stakeholder Leadership

API-driven design

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

PhD

Tools

MongoDB

Snowflake

PostgreSQL

Oracle

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

Private Cloud

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 10/28/2026

About the Role

We are looking for a skilled Solution Architect to design the future of Cisco’s Service Supply Chain!

In this role, you will architect resilient, high-scale software platforms that power global operations. You will translate complex operational needs into designs, build working prototypes, and resolve architectural bottlenecks. You will also lead the charge on our next-generation AI-native platforms across Order Management, Logistics, Returns, and Repair Operations. We build systems that solve real-world challenges at global scale!

What you'll do

• Architect Scalable Systems: Design end-to-end software architectures, microservices, and API topologies across our global supply chain domains.
• Build AI-Native & Agentic Workflows: Strategic Plan intelligent decision engines, Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) agent workflows, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations using modern AI tooling (Cursor, Claude, Copilot).
• Modernize Data Architecture: Design robust data pipelines and storage models across MongoDB, Snowflake, PostgreSQL, and Oracle with high security and reliability.
• Rapid Prototyping & Quality Governance: Build functional proof-of-concept prototypes, partner with engineering squads on automated testing frameworks, and ensure high test coverage.
• Partner with Stakeholders: Collaborate closely with product managers, operations teams, and engineering leads to turn business priorities into clear technical roadmaps!

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Typically requires: Bachelors + 7 years of related experience, or Masters + 4 years of related experience, or PhD + 1 year of related experience (with 10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering design, enterprise solution architecture, and distributed systems design).
• Solution Architecture & Design: Demonstrated expertise in architecting end-to-end, multi-tier enterprise solutions, microservices, and modern API-driven architectures across complex distributed environments.
• Technology-Agnostic Integration: Strong proficiency in technology-agnostic integration approaches, enterprise messaging, and service-oriented communication patterns.
• Data Architecture: Comprehensive understanding of modern data architecture, including document stores (MongoDB), enterprise cloud data platforms (Snowflake), and relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle).
• Testing & Quality Governance: Experience defining solution testing strategies, collaborating with QA/QE on automated test validation, and facilitating User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and defect triage.
• Domain Knowledge: Solid functional understanding of Supply Chain management operations (Order Management, Forward/Reverse Logistics, Asset Recovery, Carrier Integration, Repair, Compliance, or Inventory Management).
• Stakeholder Leadership: Proven ability to influence technical roadmaps, drive consensus across multi-disciplinary executive and technical stakeholders, and mentor architectural talent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience designing and deploying AI-native solutions, agentic workflows, LLM tool integration (MCP), and prompt engineering frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with modern AI-assisted software construction and rapid prototyping environments (Cursor, Copilot, Claude).
• Experience with automated testing frameworks, performance benchmarking, and AI-driven quality assurance methods.
• Experience architecting solutions on containerized and cloud platforms (Kubernetes, AWS/GCP, or enterprise private cloud).
• Advanced understanding of non-functional requirements for high availability (99.99%+), fault tolerance, and secure data access governance.

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 $132,800.00 to $185,100.00 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:

$154,900.00 - $259,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$136,500.00 - $228,300.00

* 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.