The application window is expected to close on: 11/01/2026 ***Candidates must be local to Milpitas as this hybrid role requires being in office there at least 3 days each week***
Meet the Team:
Join the Platform Infrastructure & Optics team, a powerhouse within Cisco’s Mass Infrastructure Group dedicated to redefining network performance for the AI era. We design and deliver the software intelligence behind Cisco’s next-generation high-performance routing platforms, including the Cisco 8000 series. Our work sits at the critical intersection of high-speed optics, custom Silicon One NPUs, and distributed system software. We are looking for engineers who are passionate about solving the challenges of exponential data growth and building the resilient, scalable, and efficient transport foundations that power the world’s most critically important networks.
You will join this next-generation networking and AI infrastructure team, contributing to the design and development of scalable software systems for high-speed networking platforms, coherent optical transceivers, PHY devices, and next-generation NPU-based systems. You will work at the intersection of optics and its standards, silicon photonics, ASIC/NPU datapath, Linux embedded software and distributed network operating systems.
Your Impact:
Own the lifecycle of management frameworks that ensure seamless, standardized interoperability between our hardware and the complex pluggable optics ecosystem.
Bridge the gap between hardware and software by driving the integration of control-plane and datapath logic, ensuring our NPU and ASIC designs deliver peak performance in next-generation high-speed environments.
Architect robust, Linux-based embedded solutions that enable deep integration of hardware optics and PHY layers
Champion system reliability by designing the diagnostic and telemetry infrastructure that keeps our networks observable and autonomous.
Lead the end-to-end design of medium-scope features, acting as a technical steward for our software roadmap and influencing the adoption of modern, agile engineering best practices.
Elevate the team through technical mentorship with knowledge sharing, meticulous code reviews, and the creation of comprehensive user documentation.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree and 6+ years, Master’s degree and 4+ years, or PhD and 1+ years of experience with a degree in CS, EE, or related field; this experience must include:
C/C++/Python, Data Structures and Algorithms
Embedded systems development and Linux OS programming experience
Platform Infrastructure or Optics software development
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with coherent optics (ZR/ZR+), PHY / SerDes, FEC, ASIC / NPU, and DSP-based systems
Familiarity with CMIS and / or SFF standards
Experience with IOS-XR, SONiC, FBOSS, or similar NOS platforms
Experience with AI networking infrastructure
Knowledge of optical line systems and coherent transport technologies
Pourquoi Cisco?
Chez Cisco, nous révolutionnons la façon dont les données et les infrastructures se connectent et protègent les entreprises à l’ère de l’intelligence artificielle et au-delà. Nous innovons sans crainte de manquer quelque chose depuis 40 ans pour créer des solutions qui optimisent la collaboration entre les humains et la technologie dans les mondes physiques et numériques. Ces solutions offrent aux clients une sécurité, une visibilité et des analyses inégalées sur l’ensemble de l’empreinte numérique.
Alimentés par la profondeur et l’étendue de notre technologie, nous expérimenterons et créons des solutions significatives. Ajoutez à cela notre réseau mondial de personnes fonceuses et d’experts, et vous verrez que les possibilités de grandir et de bâtir sont illimitées. Nous travaillons en équipe, en collaborant avec empathie pour réaliser de très grandes choses à l'échelle mondiale. Parce que nos solutions sont partout, notre impact est partout.
Nous sommes Cisco, et notre puissance commence avec…