Overview
Full Time
Skills
Software Engineering
Innovation
Firewall
Proxies
Inspection
Cloud Computing
Data Centers
Agile
Communication
Analytical Skill
Data Processing
Debugging
Systems Design
IT Management
Mentorship
SDK
Computer Science
Computer Networking
Streaming
TCP
ASIC
Linux
Programming Languages
C
C++
Computer Hardware
Performance Analysis
Optimization
Open Source
Machine Learning (ML)
Productivity
Research
Network Security
Web Security
Artificial Intelligence
Value Engineering
Collaboration
Network
Training
Recruiting
Insurance
Life Insurance
Cisco
Sales
Job Details
The application window for this position has been extended until August 18, 2025; position may close sooner if a sufficient number of applications is received.
Who We Are
As part of Cisco's Security Business Group, the Security Innovation team incubates ideas for the leading provider of network security services, which enables the world to connect with confidence on any device, anywhere, anytime. Our product portfolio includes the cloud delivered firewall, Web proxy, Zero Trust Proxy, NaaS integrations, and inspection services as highly available distributed systems using cloud engineering practices. We are now engineering a highly available distributed security fabric that brings it all together, Cisco Hypershield. We are highly passionate about the interconnected SASE world, and this is part of our continued commitment to offer customer-focused security products at the edge of technology.
Cisco Hypershield protects applications, devices and data across public and private data centers, clouds and physical locations - anywhere customers need it. Designed and built with AI in mind from the start, Hypershield enables organizations to achieve security outcomes beyond what has been possible with humans alone.
Your Impact
You are a creative and skilled technical professional who excels at solving complex problems. As a passionate innovator and self-starter, you turn strategic visions into reality by being agile and adapting swiftly to evolving priorities. You thrive in fast-paced environments, efficiently developing high-quality code while seamlessly collaborating with diverse team members and stakeholders to achieve shared goals. Using your strong communication, empathy, and analytical abilities, you collaborate effectively by listening, finding common ground, and working as a team to find the best product solutions.
The Technical Leader role works alongside some of the brightest mind in the industry to deliver security network solutions on appliance-based platforms with data processing units (DPUs) and network processing units (NPUs). Typical responsibilities include:
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:
When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees have to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.
Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco's flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco's Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
Who We Are
As part of Cisco's Security Business Group, the Security Innovation team incubates ideas for the leading provider of network security services, which enables the world to connect with confidence on any device, anywhere, anytime. Our product portfolio includes the cloud delivered firewall, Web proxy, Zero Trust Proxy, NaaS integrations, and inspection services as highly available distributed systems using cloud engineering practices. We are now engineering a highly available distributed security fabric that brings it all together, Cisco Hypershield. We are highly passionate about the interconnected SASE world, and this is part of our continued commitment to offer customer-focused security products at the edge of technology.
Cisco Hypershield protects applications, devices and data across public and private data centers, clouds and physical locations - anywhere customers need it. Designed and built with AI in mind from the start, Hypershield enables organizations to achieve security outcomes beyond what has been possible with humans alone.
Your Impact
You are a creative and skilled technical professional who excels at solving complex problems. As a passionate innovator and self-starter, you turn strategic visions into reality by being agile and adapting swiftly to evolving priorities. You thrive in fast-paced environments, efficiently developing high-quality code while seamlessly collaborating with diverse team members and stakeholders to achieve shared goals. Using your strong communication, empathy, and analytical abilities, you collaborate effectively by listening, finding common ground, and working as a team to find the best product solutions.
The Technical Leader role works alongside some of the brightest mind in the industry to deliver security network solutions on appliance-based platforms with data processing units (DPUs) and network processing units (NPUs). Typical responsibilities include:
- Development with third party SDKs, implementing build environment frameworks, designing test-harnesses for hardware bringup & debugging third party tools with external vendors
- Close interaction with customers to gather requirements, explain system design, share timelines, address difficulties, questions, issues, help in adoption.
- Owning the design and architecture of robust software systems, making design choices and dictating coding standards, tools, and platforms.
- Provide technical leadership by guiding and mentoring a team of Software Engineers, driving technical excellence in SDK development.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field
- 7+ years of experience with networking. e.g. processing packet streams, TCP reassembly, DPDK, or similar
- Platform/ASIC bring-up experience in Linux-based environments using programming languages that include C/C++/microcode/P4
- Advanced experience developing software for or leveraging hardware acceleration platforms like DPUs or NPUs.
- Experience with performance analysis, tuning, and optimization for high-throughput data plane applications.
- Contributions to open-source projects.
- Experience with AI/ML is a plus, especially for building innovative solutions to improve productivity, solve customer challenges, or drive research initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to design and develop self-built AI tools or projects will be considered a significant advantage.
- Represented the organization or team at industry conferences, standards bodies, or technical forums.
- Domain expertise in network security technologies (e.g., NGFW, Web Security, Zero Trust, SASE).
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:
When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees have to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.
Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco's flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco's Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.