Technical Consulting Engineer - Architecture

Cisco; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 96,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) with Cisco matching

Paid parental leave

Disability coverage

Life insurance

Restricted stock units (RSUs)

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc is seeking a Technical Consulting Engineer in the Core Architecture and Technology Solutions (CATS) team to serve as a technical authority. You will conduct advanced troubleshooting on complex enterprise networks, contributing to defect reports and engineering collaboration to elevate product quality and customer experience.

You will leverage your systems-level thinking and diagnostic skills to resolve issues spanning hardware, software, and architectures, while maintaining

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in technical troubleshooting and providing customer support for enterprise-level network environments.
• Active CCNP Level Certification. General knowledge of networking industry, Cisco products and protocols.
• Demonstrated proficiency in troubleshooting networking issues, apply analytical skills and technical knowledge to solve product and network problems of moderate to high complexity.
• Proven ability to perform root cause analysis, manage technical escalations effectively, and create clear technical documentation.
• Advanced expertise in configuring, deploying, and troubleshooting Cisco Enterprise routers and switches.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot complex, mission-critical issues to ensure maximum network efficiency and reliability.
• Submit high-quality defect reports to Engineering and contribute to knowledge sharing and lab enhancements.
• Collaborate with a global network of partners, internal stakeholders, and product teams to improve product quality and customer experience.
• Maintain and enhance lab environments and diagnostic tools to support engineering, TAC operations, and customer success.

Skills

Technical troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Technical documentation

Networking knowledge

Education

CCNP Level Certification

Tools

C/C++/Java/Python

Cloud/Virtualization

Cisco Enterprise routers/switches

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 12/03/2026

Meet the Team

This team provides critical assistance to customers' technical support requests by applying technical expertise to conduct advanced troubleshooting and resolve issues. We handle technical problems within specific technologies and architectures, in Enterprise Networking, across a broad range of problem complexity. Operating in a highly complex technical environment, we manage increasingly complex and integrated solutions that require deep, cross-product knowledge and systems-level thinking. We collaborate closely with customers, partners, engineering, and internal stakeholders to drive resolution and continuous improvement. Our team contributes to product quality by submitting bugs, defects, and quality escalations to Engineering. Additionally, we utilize and enhance lab environments and digital intellectual capital to deepen expertise, support troubleshooting, and scale solutions across the team, while leveraging AI capabilities, software, automation, and diagnostic tools to support quality and efficiency.

Your Impact

As a Technical Consulting Engineer within the Core Architecture and Technology Solutions (CATS) team, you will serve as a vital technical authority, ensuring our customers’ security and networking architectures operate with maximum efficiency and reliability. You will leverage your strong technical background to conduct advanced troubleshooting on complex, mission-critical issues—ranging from hardware crashes to memory leaks—utilizing deep systems-level thinking and advanced diagnostic tools.

Your impact extends well beyond immediate issue resolution; you will drive continuous improvement by identifying and submitting high-quality defect reports to Engineering, creating essential intellectual property, and enhancing our shared lab environments. By collaborating across a global network of partners, internal stakeholders, and product teams, you will foster a culture of discovery and peer mentorship. Ultimately, you will play a pivotal role in maintaining the elite standards of Cisco Technical Services, directly influencing product quality and delivering the superior customer experience that empowers our clients to succeed in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in technical troubleshooting and providing customer support for enterprise-level network environments.
• Active CCNP Level Certification. General knowledge of networking industry, Cisco Products and protocols.
• Demonstrated proficiency in troubleshooting networking issues, apply analytical skills and technical knowledge to solve product and network problems of moderate to high complexity.
• Proven ability to perform root cause analysis, manage technical escalations effectively, and create clear technical documentation.
• Advanced expertise in configuring, deploying, and troubleshooting Cisco Enterprise routers and switches.

Preferred Qualifications

• Cisco Routing: Basic understanding of IPv4 routing, static and dynamic routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP), routing tables, and inter-VLAN routing.
• Cisco Switching: Understanding of Layer 2 switching, VLANs, trunking, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), EtherChannel, and Layer 3 switching.
• Track record of successful cross-functional collaboration with engineering and product development teams.
• Experience operating within a global, high-volume Technical Assistance Center (TAC) environment.
• Proficient in one or more Programming languages (C, C++, Java, Python). Knowledge of Cloud/Virtualization technologies.
• Any networking level certification in cloud (AWS Certified advanced networking, GCP Professional Cloud Network Engineer, Azure Network Engineer)

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 $95,800.00 to $126,200.00 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.

Benefits and Perks for U.S. employees

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.

Paid Time Away

• 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.

Sales Incentive Pay Details

• .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.

State-specific Salary Ranges

New York City Metro Area

$119,600.00 - $174,200.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State

$103,400.00 - $166,000.00

• 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.