Software Development Engineer – Routing Platforms & L2

Job description

Meet the Team Our Routing SD-WAN Group is at the forefront of innovation, delivering intelligent, secure, and scalable WAN edge solutions that empower enterprises to connect and protect their networks from the edge to the cloud. Within this group, the Routing Platform Software team builds industry-leading headend SD-WAN and edge routing platforms. We are a high-energy group working on next-generation routing and services at a global scale, connecting thousands of devices and millions of users. Your Impact We are looking for a software engineer to develop and evolve the forwarding and platform software that powers SD-WAN and edge routing. In this role, you will collaborate with ASIC, hardware, and cross-functional engineering teams to define new architectures, implement high-performance packet forwarding, and deliver robust, production-ready features. You will leverage modern AI tools to enhance software development practices, helping to drive greater efficiency, quality, and innovation across the team. Responsibilities: Hardware-Software Integration: Collaborate closely with hardware engineering teams to bring up new platforms, develop low-level drivers, and integrate Network Interface Modules (NIMs). Firmware Development: Design, implement, and maintain ROMMON and bootloader software to ensure secure and reliable system initialization. Forwarding Plane Optimization: Develop and tune high-performance forwarding plane software to meet the rigorous demands of modern secure routing environments. L2 Feature Development: Implement and optimize Layer 2 networking protocols and features within the platform stack. Performance Debugging: Perform deep-dive analysis into performance bottlenecks at the kernel and hardware-abstraction layers, including the control plane. Modern Development Practices: Utilize modern development workflows, including AI-assisted coding tools (such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, or Codex) and integrated development environments like VSCode, to accelerate the development lifecycle. Minimum Qualifications 8-12 years of industry experience with end-to-end software development in networking, including platforms, system software, kernel/user-space drivers, bootloaders, and BIOS. Strong proficiency in C/C++ with a focus on systems programming and Linux environments. Proven experience in developing device drivers and working with RTOS/Linux kernels. Solid understanding of routing architectures and Layer 2/Layer 3 networking protocols (e.g., Ethernet, VLANs, STP). Experience with bootloaders (ROMMON), hardware bring-up, and board support packages (BSP). Preferred Qualifications Knowledge of high-speed interfaces (PHY, MAC, MACSEC) and DPDK. Debugging experience with hardware interfaces (i2c, PCIe) and hardware/software debuggers (e.g., GDB, Arium, BDI). Knowledge of x86 or ARM assembly code, instruction sets, and ABIs. Experience with AI/ML techniques and tools for development (e.g., code assistants, static analysis tools, test automation platforms). Strong collaborative skills and the ability to debug complex issues spanning hardware, firmware, and software layers. 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. Disclaimer To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will: be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site begin with screening or an interview originate from a Cisco email address, and be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx Cisco will never make a job offer without conducting an interview process or ask you for money in any way. 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