Director - Software Engineering (Silicon One) - Common Hardware Group

The application window is expected to close on 07/30/2025. Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled of if a sufficient number of applications are received.

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. The Cisco Silicon One team develops breakthrough silicon products. Our team develops the full software stack enabling the Silicon One network processors.

We work with the Open Standards community and our incredible customers to deliver best in class routing and switching platforms. Work also with architecture and design teams to define the next generation of ASIC products being developed.

You will work multi-functionally with ASIC teams, customer engineering teams to understand and prioritize features, capabilities. These platforms play a key role in the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. We work with subject-matter experts around the world who share a common mission to deliver extraordinary products and to have fun doing it.

Your Impact

In this role, you will work closely with customers to gather requirements, explain system designs, address challenges, and assist with adoption, ensuring their needs are met both now and in the future. You will lead a technical team to implement features aligned with customer expectations while also collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Silicon One architects, software engineers, and senior partners, to align software development initiatives with business objectives.

As a leader you will design and architect robust software systems, establish coding standards, and drive the adoption of best practices in coding, testing, documentation, and maintainability. By mentoring and guiding a team of Software Engineers, you will ensure technical excellence in SDK, SAI, and API development.

Additionally, you will design, develop, and maintain scalable and reliable APIs that expose Silicon One capabilities, implement robust monitoring and logging solutions to track software performance, and ensure all software and APIs meet stringent security and compliance standards in collaboration with security teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in science, computer or electrical engineering; or related field or 14+ years of experience in IT or Software Engineering field.
• Experience serving in the capacity of Director or as an Engineering Leader managing teams.
• Working experience in the computer networking field and writing production grade software in C++, Python in a relevant product area (eg: ASIC, etc.)
• 7+ years of experience leading the design and development of software systems.

Preferred requirements:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to address complex issues.
• Proven experience in building software stack for ASIC or similar network processors.
• Ability to constantly identify, follow and learn innovative technologies, work in a fast-paced, team-focused environment.
• Experience mentoring peers at all levels, been a manager of managers.
• Experience with SONiC, SAI or another Network OS.
• Knowledge of security and compliance standards.
• Experience with cloud, data center, or edge networking products.

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. Simply put – we power the future.

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.