Senior Software Engineer (P4)

Candidates need to be able to work onsite in Milpitas office 3 to 4 days a week

Meet the team

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Software Engineer to join our Service Provider High End Router (Cisco 8000) team within the R&D department, contributing to the evolution of next-generation networking products! In this role, you’ll develop and optimize firmware, SDKs, simulators, and compilers for Cisco Silicon One™ architecture, with a strong focus on using the power of P4 (Programming Protocol-Independent Packet Processors). This is a phenomenal opportunity to work with pioneering technology that’s shaping the future of networking!

You’ll be part of a diverse team dedicated to delivering innovative, high-quality solutions on Cisco 8000, featuring the latest Silicon One ASICs. You will play a key role in developing the SDK and/or control plane for networking protocols, collaborating with talented colleagues to drive industry-leading advancements. Join us and be a part of something outstanding!

Your impact

As a Software Engineer, you will design and develop a broad set of advanced networking features. With the foundational capabilities of our next‑generation platforms already established, this role offers a true ground‑floor opportunity to drive the next phase of product growth. You will help shape our convergence strategy in the Service Provider space and deliver high‑impact features powering Web, Cloud, Data Center, and Mobile networking solutions.

• Design, implement, and test C, C++, and P4 programs to define packet‑processing behaviors on high‑performance network devices.
• Build, optimize, and enhance the backend of the P4 compiler to fully leverage the capabilities of advanced networking hardware.
• Solve complex resource‑management challenges and optimize resource allocation across programmable network‑processing pipelines.
• Collaborate closely with ASIC engineers to ensure seamless integration of P4 programs with next‑generation IC designs, including providing compiler support throughout hardware development cycles.
• Participate in the design and implementation of new C, C++, and P4 language features to support the evolving needs of network application developers.
• Develop Python‑based test frameworks and author Python test cases to validate SDK functionality and ensure correctness, performance, and reliability of P4‑based data‑plane programming.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience or master's degree with 4+ years, or PhD with 1+ years of relevant experience in a STEM discipline.
• Experience in software design and development using C, C++, and Python, including contributions to production‑quality systems.
• Experience in troubleshooting, debugging, and resolving complex software issues across large, distributed codebases, with practical experience in using tools such as GDB, PDB, etc.
• Experience with Layer 2 (L2) and Layer 3 (L3) networking technologies, protocols, and data‑plane behaviors.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with network‑processor software programming is a strong plus.
• Hands‑on experience with P4 and low‑level microcode development.

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 $165,000.00 to $241,400.00 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.