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Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA

Cisco

Software and Technology Jobs

Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA

full-timePosted: Jan 5, 2026

Job Description

Job ID: 1445284

Meet the Team

At Data Center Business Unit at Cisco, we are dedicated to driving innovation in networking technologies. Our focus is on developing groundbreaking Ethernet Switching products that address the evolving needs of modern network infrastructures, including those in AI, cloud computing, and enterprise environments. In this role, you will have the opportunity to learn a wide range of core Ethernet Technologies with architectural exposure to craft and develop Ethernet Switching as applied to both Public and Private cloud infrastructure. You will work on the intricacies of the critically important infrastructure that enables the world-class, multi-layered Nexus switches. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in multi-functional collaboration and be exposed to all facets of the software development cycle from innovation and marketing requirements to product delivery. You will work with a diverse group of some of the brightest problem solvers and thinkers in the Data Center Switching Team that work on next generation of Data Center & Cloud switches.

Your Impact

You will participate in projects involved in the development of software for our next generation network operating systems for Cisco’s industry leading N9K family of datacenter switches. You will be working on low level device drivers, OS components and application software that interact with home-grown and 3rd party ASICs, FPGAs and SDK.

  • Define, design, and deliver new platforms for the Nextgen ASICs for the Cisco Data Center Switch Platforms
  • Write complete functional and design specs
  • Design & develop large portions of software independently
  • Learn a wide range of Data Center technologies


Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related STEM field combined with 4+ years related experience
  • C, C++ programming skills
  • Experience working with switch/router embedded system software development
  • Experience working with L2/L3 protocols


Preferred Qualifications

  • OS, System architecture, Linux device driver and user space knowledge
  • Experience with high availability related to switch/router products
  • Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related STEM field combined with 2+ years of experience

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.

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. 

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $152,500.00 to $219,200.00 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, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks.  Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

  • 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

  • Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

  • 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

  • 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

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

  • .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

  • 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

  • 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

  • Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$152,500.00 - $252,000.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$135,800.00 - $224,400.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Locations

  • San Jose, United States of America

Salary

152,500 - 219,200 USD / yearly

Skills Required

  • C, C++ programmingintermediate
  • switch/router embedded system software developmentintermediate
  • L2/L3 protocolsintermediate
  • low level device driversintermediate
  • OS componentsintermediate
  • application softwareintermediate
  • ASICs, FPGAs and SDKintermediate

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related STEM field combined with 4+ years related experience (experience)
  • C, C++ programming skills (experience)
  • Experience working with switch/router embedded system software development (experience)
  • Experience working with L2/L3 protocols (experience)

Preferred Qualifications

  • OS, System architecture, Linux device driver and user space knowledge (experience)
  • Experience with high availability related to switch/router products (experience)
  • Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related STEM field combined with 2+ years of experience (experience)

Responsibilities

  • You will participate in projects involved in the development of software for our next generation network operating systems for Cisco’s industry leading N9K family of datacenter switches.
  • You will be working on low level device drivers, OS components and application software that interact with home-grown and 3rd party ASICs, FPGAs and SDK.
  • Define, design, and deliver new platforms for the Nextgen ASICs for the Cisco Data Center Switch Platforms
  • Write complete functional and design specs
  • Design & develop large portions of software independently
  • Learn a wide range of Data Center technologies

Benefits

  • general: medical, dental and vision insurance
  • general: a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
  • general: paid parental leave
  • general: short and long-term disability coverage
  • general: basic life insurance
  • general: Cisco restricted stock units
  • general: 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
  • general: 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday
  • general: paid year-end holiday shutdown
  • general: 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
  • general: 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year for non-exempt employees
  • general: flexible vacation time off program for exempt employees
  • general: 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter
  • general: Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
  • general: annual bonuses for non-sales roles

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Cisco logo

Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA

Cisco

Software and Technology Jobs

Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA

full-timePosted: Jan 5, 2026

Job Description

Job ID: 1445284

Meet the Team

At Data Center Business Unit at Cisco, we are dedicated to driving innovation in networking technologies. Our focus is on developing groundbreaking Ethernet Switching products that address the evolving needs of modern network infrastructures, including those in AI, cloud computing, and enterprise environments. In this role, you will have the opportunity to learn a wide range of core Ethernet Technologies with architectural exposure to craft and develop Ethernet Switching as applied to both Public and Private cloud infrastructure. You will work on the intricacies of the critically important infrastructure that enables the world-class, multi-layered Nexus switches. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in multi-functional collaboration and be exposed to all facets of the software development cycle from innovation and marketing requirements to product delivery. You will work with a diverse group of some of the brightest problem solvers and thinkers in the Data Center Switching Team that work on next generation of Data Center & Cloud switches.

Your Impact

You will participate in projects involved in the development of software for our next generation network operating systems for Cisco’s industry leading N9K family of datacenter switches. You will be working on low level device drivers, OS components and application software that interact with home-grown and 3rd party ASICs, FPGAs and SDK.

  • Define, design, and deliver new platforms for the Nextgen ASICs for the Cisco Data Center Switch Platforms
  • Write complete functional and design specs
  • Design & develop large portions of software independently
  • Learn a wide range of Data Center technologies


Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related STEM field combined with 4+ years related experience
  • C, C++ programming skills
  • Experience working with switch/router embedded system software development
  • Experience working with L2/L3 protocols


Preferred Qualifications

  • OS, System architecture, Linux device driver and user space knowledge
  • Experience with high availability related to switch/router products
  • Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related STEM field combined with 2+ years of experience

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.

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. 

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $152,500.00 to $219,200.00 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, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks.  Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

  • 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

  • Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

  • 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

  • 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

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

  • .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

  • 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

  • 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

  • Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$152,500.00 - $252,000.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$135,800.00 - $224,400.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Locations

  • San Jose, United States of America

Salary

152,500 - 219,200 USD / yearly

Skills Required

  • C, C++ programmingintermediate
  • switch/router embedded system software developmentintermediate
  • L2/L3 protocolsintermediate
  • low level device driversintermediate
  • OS componentsintermediate
  • application softwareintermediate
  • ASICs, FPGAs and SDKintermediate

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related STEM field combined with 4+ years related experience (experience)
  • C, C++ programming skills (experience)
  • Experience working with switch/router embedded system software development (experience)
  • Experience working with L2/L3 protocols (experience)

Preferred Qualifications

  • OS, System architecture, Linux device driver and user space knowledge (experience)
  • Experience with high availability related to switch/router products (experience)
  • Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related STEM field combined with 2+ years of experience (experience)

Responsibilities

  • You will participate in projects involved in the development of software for our next generation network operating systems for Cisco’s industry leading N9K family of datacenter switches.
  • You will be working on low level device drivers, OS components and application software that interact with home-grown and 3rd party ASICs, FPGAs and SDK.
  • Define, design, and deliver new platforms for the Nextgen ASICs for the Cisco Data Center Switch Platforms
  • Write complete functional and design specs
  • Design & develop large portions of software independently
  • Learn a wide range of Data Center technologies

Benefits

  • general: medical, dental and vision insurance
  • general: a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
  • general: paid parental leave
  • general: short and long-term disability coverage
  • general: basic life insurance
  • general: Cisco restricted stock units
  • general: 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
  • general: 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday
  • general: paid year-end holiday shutdown
  • general: 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
  • general: 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year for non-exempt employees
  • general: flexible vacation time off program for exempt employees
  • general: 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter
  • general: Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
  • general: annual bonuses for non-sales roles

Target Your Resume for "Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA" , Cisco

Get personalized recommendations to optimize your resume specifically for Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA. Takes only 15 seconds!

AI-powered keyword optimization
Skills matching & gap analysis
Experience alignment suggestions

Check Your ATS Score for "Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA" , Cisco

Find out how well your resume matches this job's requirements. Get comprehensive analysis including ATS compatibility, keyword matching, skill gaps, and personalized recommendations.

ATS compatibility check
Keyword optimization analysis
Skill matching & gap identification
Format & readability score

Answer 10 quick questions to check your fit for Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, L2/L3, San Jose, CA @ Cisco.

Quiz Challenge
10 Questions
~2 Minutes
Instant Score

Related Books and Jobs

No related jobs found at the moment.