Senior Software Engineer, DPU Networking Software Stack
About The Position
Cisco is building a next-generation DPU-enabled networking platform for secure, high-performance infrastructure and large-scale AI clusters. Our team is responsible for designing the foundational networking, security, and programmable services that span host systems, DPUs, SmartNICs, and cloud-scale control planes. We work at the intersection of systems software, hardware acceleration, distributed security, and AI infrastructure, creating platforms that deliver line-rate performance, strong isolation, operational reliability, and simplified deployment across modern data center environments. We are looking for a senior software engineer to help explore, design, and deliver the platform that connects hosts, DPUs, security services, and Cisco networking functions into a reliable production system. This role focuses on the software architecture above and around the DPU data path: host networking services, control-plane integration, policy programming, firewall and service integration, lifecycle management, observability, and operational workflows. The ideal candidate can evaluate existing networking stacks, prototype new approaches, and turn the right ideas into production-quality software.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of related experience, Master’s with 4+ years, or PhD with 1+ year.
- Strong software engineering experience in Go, C/C++, Rust, Python, or similar infrastructure-oriented languages.
- Experience building production software for networking, infrastructure, distributed systems, security, or platform services.
- Practical knowledge of Linux networking, host networking, or cloud networking.
- Ability to independently own medium-sized features from technical design through delivery.
Nice To Haves
- Experience building or operating host networking platforms, virtual networking stacks, firewalls, service meshes, SDN systems, or network function platforms.
- Familiarity with DPU or SmartNIC architectures, including host/DPU split designs, Arm-side services, offload models, and platform integration.
- Experience with Cisco firewall, security services, or similar network security platforms.
- Experience with DPDK, OVS, eBPF/XDP, tc, routing, BGP, SR-IOV, VF/PF, Kubernetes networking, CNI, or kernel bypass.
- Experience evaluating build-vs-buy options, replacing legacy networking stacks, or integrating multiple network services into a unified platform.
- Strong judgment in balancing performance, portability, security, reliability, and operational simplicity
Responsibilities
- Explore, prototype, and build the software stack for DPU-accelerated host networking and network services.
- Design platform components that integrate DPU networking, host agents, Cisco firewall services, policy systems, telemetry, and service lifecycle management.
- Build software for network functions such as firewall, policy enforcement, NAT, VTEP, load balancing, segmentation, observability, and service chaining.
- Evaluate networking stack options and help define the architecture for a scalable replacement or evolution of existing host networking approaches.
- Develop production-quality systems software in Go, C/C++, Rust, Python, or similar languages.
- Work across Linux networking, containers, virtualization, routing, OVS, DPDK, tc, eBPF/XDP, iptables/nftables, namespaces, SR-IOV, and VF/PF models.
- Define APIs, configuration models, operational workflows, upgrade behavior, health checks, and failure handling.
- Debug issues across distributed control plane, host networking, DPU services, data path, and production environments.
- Own well-scoped features from design through implementation, tests, rollout, operational documentation, and production support.
- Partner with product, security, platform, firmware, and operations teams to deliver customer-ready networking capabilities.
- Mentor peers through technical design, code review, documentation, and cross-team guidance.
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
- 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
- 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
- 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees (non-exempt)
- flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
- 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
- Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
- annual bonuses (non-sales roles)
- performance-based incentive pay (sales roles)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
