Principal Product Manager - Network Operating System Strategy & Routing Innovation
About The Position
The Provider Connectivity Software and Architectures product management team drives the routing software, automation portfolio and network architectures strategy and roadmap for Cisco’s service provider, cloud, and large-scale infrastructure customers. Our mission is to lead the market towards autonomous networking with next-generation routing, automation and architectures, ensuring our infrastructure meets the extensive scale and performance demands of the AI era. By bridging ground breaking developments in silicon and optics with sophisticated routing technologies and AIOps, we design the resilient, agile network foundations vital to power critically important workloads. Guided by Cisco’s Guiding Principles, specifically our commitment to innovate together and prioritize customer success, we translate complex, long-term technical visions into tangible market leadership, ensuring our infrastructure remains the intelligent, robust engine for our customers' most ambitious digital transformations. Our team focuses on advancing Cisco’s routing and automation portfolio, including leadership across software technologies, network operating systems, automation and end-to-end strategic architectures. We collaborate closely with customers, partners, standards organizations, and open-source communities to address complex networking challenges and deliver secure, resilient, and operationally efficient solutions at scale.
Requirements
- 15+ years of professional experience in networking software, routing technologies, and network operating systems.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or similar STEM field.
- Expertise in one or more of the following core networking domains and protocols: IOS XR, SONiC, Linux-based network operating systems, Segment Routing (SR-MPLS/SRv6), EVPN/VXLAN MPLS BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, Network security, Model-driven programmability (YANG, NETCONF, gNMI) and Cloud-native software architectures.
- History of defining long-term technology strategies and successfully translating them into product roadmaps.
- Established reputation as an industry inspiring leader with a track record of participation in technical committees, patents, and/or major industry forums.
- Executive communication skills with the ability to influence customers, engineering, partners, analysts, and senior leadership.
Nice To Haves
- Direct experience contributing to or leading open-source communities and global networking standards.
- Deep experience with cloud-native software architectures and AI-driven infrastructure operations.
- Proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with the world’s largest service providers and cloud operators.
Responsibilities
- Define the long-term roadmap for our routing software technologies and operating systems (including IOS XR and SONiC), ensuring alignment across hardware platforms, Cisco Cloud Control, Crosswork automation, and observability.
- Serve as the primary voice for Cisco’s routing innovation by representing our interests in standards bodies (IETF, SONiC community), engaging with executive-level strategic customers, and driving industry discourse through publications and conferences.
- Partner directly with engineering, sales, and business unit leaders to prioritize investments and deliver differentiated, scalable software solutions that translate technical foresight into commercial success.
Benefits
- medical, dental and vision insurance
- a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
- paid parental leave
- short and long-term disability coverage
- basic life insurance
- grants of Cisco restricted stock units
- 10 paid holidays per full calendar year
- 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
- 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday
- paid year-end holiday shutdown
- 4 paid days off for personal wellness
- 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year (non-exempt)
- flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
- 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter
- up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward
- Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
- Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
- annual bonuses
- performance-based incentive pay
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
