Software Engineer

Responsibilities

• Software Development & Integration
• Develop and improve software modules within SONiC to support optical subsystems, including pluggable optics and Co-Packaged Optics (CPO).
• Contribute to platform adaptation layers that interface SONiC with hardware components such as ASICs, optical engines, and BMCs.
• Implement and maintain drivers, APIs, and services for optics monitoring, configuration, and lifecycle management.
• Participate in debugging and resolving system-level issues across software and hardware boundaries.
• Optics & Platform Enablement
• Support integration of CPO technologies into SONiC-based platforms, including telemetry, diagnostics, and control-plane interactions.
• Work closely with hardware and optics teams to understand device capabilities and expose them through software interfaces.
• Assist in validating performance, reliability, and thermal/power characteristics of optics solutions.
• System Design & Quality
• Contribute to the design of scalable and maintainable software components for optics management.
• Help implement telemetry and monitoring solutions for optical modules and CPO subsystems.
• Participate in unit testing, system testing, and automation efforts to ensure high-quality work.
• Collaboration & Open Source
• Collaborate with multi-functional teams including hardware, QA, and system integration.
• Engage with the SONiC open-source community, contributing to optics-related features and improvements where applicable.
• Support CI/CD workflows and participate in improving development and test processes.

Requirements

• Bachelors + 7 years of related experience OR Masters + 4 years of related experience OR PhD + 1 year of related experience.
• 5 years of experience in software development
• Minimum 3 years of experience with Linux-based systems and system-level programming (C/C++/Python)
• 2+ years of experience with networking protocols (L2/L3, switching, routing)
• 3+ years of experience with debugging tools and development in distributed or embedded systems environments
• Exposure to network operating systems such as SONiC or similar platforms
• Understanding of optics technologies (e.g., QSFP, OSFP, or CPO concepts)
• Experience with hardware-software interfaces (drivers, SDKs, or platform abstraction layers)
• Familiarity with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Knowledge of telemetry, monitoring systems, or data plane/control plane interactions
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing
• Why Cisco?
• 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, qualification

Benefits

Additional Information

The application window is expected to close on: 06/26/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received . This is a Hybrid role with 3 day/ week in Milpitas, CA office. Meet the Team The Cisco Distributed System Engineering (DSE) group is at the forefront of building next-generation networking systems that power the largest and most demanding infrastructures in the world. As the industry evolves to support AI/ML workloads and ever-increasing bandwidth demands, innovations such as Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) are becoming critical to scaling performance, efficiency, and power optimization. The SONiC Optics team is passionate about enabling and productizing optics solutions-including CPO-within Cisco's network operating systems. We work at the intersection of hardware, optics, and software, integrating innovative optical technologies into SONiC-based platforms. You will join a team of engineers passionate about distributed systems, open-source networking, and next-generation optical architectures. This is a fast-paced environment where you will contribute to product development and help bring CPO-based solutions to production.

Your Match

How well this role fits your profile.

Company Intel

What employees say

Worked at Cisco? Share your experience