Software Engineering Technical Leader

The application window is expected to close on: 04/13/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received. This position is based onsite in San Jose, CA. While the team may occasionally offer hybrid workdays, the selected candidate should expect to work primarily onsite. Please note that hybrid workdays are determined by the team and may change at any time. Meet the Team Cisco Silicon One is the center of Cisco’s ASIC design and is driving the development of next-generation network devices for the 5G and AI era. Our outstanding team works in a startup atmosphere within a stable and leading corporate environment, and our design center hosts all silicon Hardware and Software development fields under one roof. Our devices are crafted for universal adaptability, delivering high speed without sacrificing programmability, buffering, power efficiency, scale, or feature flexibility. We develop breakthrough silicon products. We enable the use of these innovative products in the fast-paced world of Open Standards, Open Networking, and massively Scalable Cloud Data Centers. If you want to work with amazing people and innovative customers developing the next generation of world-class products, join us! Your Impact In this role, you will lead the design and development of software features for Cisco’s Silicon One NPU. You will be responsible for creating software that will be used to build highly scalable, low power, low latency, dense systems for the ever-demanding AI/ML workloads, internet users and applications. You will use modern C++, Network processing language of Silicon One and Python to develop software on the NPU. As a senior technical leader, you will be part of requirement discussions with the customer and will work on scoping the feature post-closing the requirements. You will take complete ownership of delivering the software in a timely manner and with outstanding quality. You will lead a team of engineers and guide/unblock the team with any design/implementation related issues. You will be the gatekeeper of the code base in the domains you own. You will gain intimate knowledge of the Silicon One hardware architecture, software programming models and work with the architecture and hardware teams to define the next generation of ASIC products being developed. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelors + 12 years of related experience, or Masters + 8 years of related experience, or PhD + 5 years of related experience in an Engineering role. Experience using C++ and Python for programming and design. Experience in algorithms and data structures. Experience with Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking protocols and technologies, traffic management and congestion management. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with writing and testing software for high performing and scalable networking products. Experience in analytical reasoning and debugging, with practical experience in using tools such as GDB, PDB, etc. Experience with cloud, data center, or edge networking products Experience in debugging customer related issues. 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 ... (truncated, view full listing at source)