Software Development Engineer

The application window is expected to close on: 10/3/2025

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

This is a hybrid role working from our Milpitas, CA location and candidates are expected onsite 3 days per week.

Meet the Team

Cisco’s Silicon One™ architecture is changing the economics of high-performance networking. The Cygnus BSP group is at the foundation of the software stack—right next to the silicon—turning bleeding-edge ASICs into production-ready platforms. If you enjoy register-level programming, timing-critical bring-up, and squeezing the last nanosecond out of a datapath, you’ll fit right in!

Your Impact

• Work on the NPU/Slice datapath vertical for multiple Cygnus-based platforms, from first power-on through full system launch.
• Design and implement production-grade reset, initialization, and power-sequencing routines for Silicon One and future NPU ASICs.
• Extend the hwqual (hardware-qualification) application to enable datapath forwarding features—IP forwarding, QoS, punt-path handling, and more.
• Develop robust diagnostics, counters, and telemetry hooks that replace fragile one-off scripts.
• Develop and automate test cases for platform software for NPU and other subsystems.
• Integrate your code into CI/CD pipelines and at-scale automation that keep bring-up cycles fast, repeatable, and auditable.
• Debug initialization and bring-up issues using on-chip traces, and custom tools.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s with 5+ years of related experience or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering with 3+ years of experience or PhD + 0 years of related experience.
• Experience with basic IPv4/Ipv6 networking protocols, ssh, telnet, Linux OS and networking basics
• C/C++ development skills; experience with Python for tooling, automation, and test.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience with high-performance networking ASICs (e.g., Cisco Silicon One, Broadcom DNX/Jericho, Nvidia Spectrum, or similar).
• Knowledge of datapath initialization, low-level register programming, and performance tuning.
• Working experience automating Platform specific features, NPU testing. SFP Optics testing, Ethernet, Layer2/Layer3 protocols

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. Simply put – we power the future.

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.