Routing and Switching Control Plane Engineer

The application window is expected to close on: 03/16/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received. Meet the Team The Cisco Distributed System Engineering (DSE) group is at the forefront of developing products that power the largest networks in the world. The networking industry is going through a massive transformation to build the next generation infrastructure to meet the needs of AI/ML workloads and continuously increasing internet users and applications. We are uniquely positioned to capture that market transition. This team builds products by harnessing the potential of open-source technologies while pushing the boundaries on Systems and Silicon Architecture. Your Impact As a Routing and Switching Control Plane Engineer, you will be a key contributor to the design, development and testing of the Control Plane switching & routing protocols required for the Cisco 8000/9000 platforms. You will be working among engineers who are passionate about tackling complex technology, building large scale distributed systems and working with open-source communities and technologies. This is a fast-paced work environment where you'll work end-to-end product development and provide production support. You are curious and a problem solver. You love to learn and grow and work in an environment that is constantly evolving. You are a self-starter that thrives on learning information quickly and uses resources to research and resolve issues. You are comfortable working with multi-disciplinary, multicultural, and geographically dispersed teams. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS/EE/CE or technical equivalent. 5+ years of software development experience using C, C++, or Python 3+ years’ development experience in routing protocol stacks (e.g., BGP, OSPF, IS-IS) or network operating systems (e.g., FRR, Quagga, or vendor-specific NOS). Preferred Qualifications Experience with SONiC architecture, including Redis databases and Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI). Expertise with Segment Routing, L2VPN/EVPN technologies, BIER and Controller based Solutions, and RoCEv2 for AI/ML networking. Strong understanding of MPLS Technologies, including LDP, RSVP-TE, VPNs, MVPN, L3VPN, L2VPN. Proficient in routing protocols and technologies including multicast routing (PIM, IGMPv2, IGMPv3, etc), BGP, OSPF, IS-IS Packet forwarding operating systems internals, algorithms, and computer architecture. Experience with GIT, Jira, Jenkins and CI/CD pipeline tools, virtualization and container technologies including KVM/Qemu, Docker and/or Kubernetes Strong troubleshooting and performance tuning skills IETF experience and influence in the industry 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-relate ... (truncated, view full listing at source)