Embedded Software Engineer - C, Linux, Networking (5+ yrs)

Meet the Team The Common Hardware Group (CHG) at Cisco is seeking skilled software engineers to join our Diagnostic/BSP team, responsible for ensuring the reliability and performance of our world-class hardware. Our team develops software for Cisco’s network switches and routers, which feature advanced application awareness to build a flexible and agile network infrastructure. These capabilities support multi-layered responses to the diverse workload demands of AI and ML. This is a unique opportunity to grow your technical skill set and gain visibility and recognition across cross-functional teams within Cisco. We value motivated individuals who enjoy solving complex challenges and thrive in a collaborative, innovative environment.

Your Impact

• Design, and develop, BSP, and Diagnostics for Cisco Core and Edge routing products.
• Design, develop, and test kernel and user space device drivers for FPGA and networking peripherals.
• Develop and execute software test plans.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to debug prototypes and validate software.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 6+ years experience, or Master’s degree with 5+ years experience.
• Proficient in C, C++, and Python programming.
• Strong hardware and device driver development background, including experience with Linux hardware bring-up.
• Demonstrated experience in hardware and device driver development, including Linux hardware bring-up, multi-threading, event handling, and state machine implementation.
• Skilled in developing, debugging, and validating embedded systems and device drivers for protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe, and/or GPIO.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficient in kernel debugging tools such as GDB and KGDB.
• Experience developing software from concept through delivery for large-scale, high-speed interface and bandwidth.
• Ability to troubleshoot software defects from kernel modules to applications.
• Experience with collaborative system design, specification writing, and requirements review.
• Commitment to quality, mentoring, and continuous learning in networking, optics, and embedded systems.
• Experience with AI/ML and Agentic AI framework.
• Knowledge of Layer 2/3 network protocols.
• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills.
• Experience with network processors and optical networking.
• Familiarity with secure-boot, open-source tools, CMIS, and SFF standards (SFP, QSFP).
• Strong communication skills and knowledge of software quality processes.

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.