Software Engineering Technical Leader

Cisco•Milpitas, MI

11h

About The Position

The Software Engineering Technical Leader works at the center of Cisco Data Center Engineering and the networks its strategic customers rely on. The role guides sophisticated Cisco Nexus data center deployments from architectural planning through production readiness, resolves critical customer challenges, and turns field insights into improvements to Cisco products and processes. It combines deep networking expertise with automation, AI-enabled workflows, engineering judgment, and cross-functional leadership to help customers build modern, scalable, and resilient data center environments. The position remains closely connected to technology while influencing product direction and raising technical quality across Cisco. The leader evaluates trade-offs involving performance, scalability, resiliency, security, supportability, customer experience, and time-to-market; communicates technical strategies and recommendations to engineering leaders, customers, and executives; and mentors senior engineers. The role also develops feedback mechanisms, tooling, and continuous improvement programs to reduce customer impact and accelerate adoption.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree plus 8 years of related experience, master's degree plus 6 years, PhD plus 3 years, or 10+ years of related experience.
10+ years of data center networking experience across design, deployment, troubleshooting, and operations.
Experience with Cisco Nexus or comparable large-scale data center switching platforms.
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience delivering industry-standard methodologies within customer data center infrastructure, including RoCEv2, PFC, BGP, EVPN, VXLAN, multicast, and PTP.
Experience with Cisco Data Center networking offerings, including Nexus stand-alone, Nexus Dashboard, software, and automation development.
Experience serving as a technical leader across Cisco, customer, and partner organizations.

Responsibilities

Own the technical strategy and execution of sophisticated Nexus data center deployments, guiding customers from architectural planning through production readiness.
Serve as a technical authority on data center technologies, including Nexus switching, Nexus Dashboard, EVPN/VXLAN, BGP, RoCEv2, PFC, multicast, PTP, automation, and large-scale operational environments.
Drive resolution of high-severity customer challenges spanning software, hardware, design, automation, and operations, and translate lessons learned into product improvements and standard processes.
Turn customer feedback, adoption barriers, and competitive insights into actionable engineering and product priorities for Cisco's Nexus portfolio.
Champion automation and AI-enabled operational workflows to improve efficiency, accelerate problem resolution, and increase deployment consistency at scale.
Evaluate and guide trade-off decisions across performance, scalability, resiliency, security, supportability, customer experience, and time-to-market.
Lead cross-functional initiatives involving Engineering, Product Management, Customer Experience, Sales, partners, and customers from technical discovery through implementation.
Communicate complex technical strategies, risks, and recommendations to engineering leaders, customers, and executive stakeholders.
Mentor senior engineers, improve the quality of architecture and design reviews, and cultivate technical excellence across the organization.
Develop scalable feedback mechanisms, proactive tooling, and continuous improvement programs that reduce customer impact and accelerate adoption.
Use analytical and problem-solving skills to solve original technical problems.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance, subject to plan eligibility rules.
401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution.
Paid parental leave.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
Basic life insurance.
Cisco restricted stock unit grants may be available, subject to eligibility and vesting conditions.
10 paid holidays per full calendar year and one floating holiday for non-exempt employees.
One paid day off for an employee's birthday, a paid year-end holiday shutdown, and four paid personal wellness days.
Non-exempt employees receive 16 days of paid vacation per full calendar year, accrued at 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees.
Exempt employees participate in a flexible vacation time-off program with no defined usage limit, subject to availability and business limitations.
80 hours of sick time off on hire and each January 1 thereafter, with up to 80 unused hours carried forward.
Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family-member issues.
Optional 10 paid volunteer days per full calendar year.
Employees in non-sales roles are eligible to earn annual bonuses, subject to Cisco policies.