Software Engineering Technical Leader- QAE Lead
Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Meet the Team
The Networking Software Test team is at the forefront of Cisco’s transformation in open-source networking. We are responsible for validating the Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) operating system, ensuring carrier-grade performance, scalability, and reliability for our cloud-scale customers. Our team is a diverse, high-energy group of engineers who thrive on solving complex distributed systems problems, driving automation, and contributing to the global SONiC community. We embrace an agile mindset and are dedicated to building the next generation of disaggregated network infrastructure.
Your Impact
As a Technical Leader, you will serve as the primary technical authority for our SONiC validation strategy. You will lead the design and execution of comprehensive test frameworks, ensuring the highest quality standards for our software releases. Your responsibilities will include:
- Architecting and evolving automated test infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and scale-testing methodologies for SONiC.
- Driving the technical direction for feature validation, performance benchmarking, and system-level stress testing.
- Mentoring junior engineers, conducting rigorous code reviews, and fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
- Collaborating closely with cross-functional software engineering and product management teams to define test requirements and improve product design for testability.
- Representing Cisco within the SONiC open-source community, contributing to upstream test frameworks, and influencing the roadmap of the operating system.
- Bachelor’s + 8 years of related experience, or Master’s + 6 years of related experience, or PhD +3 years of related experience and degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years of experience in software testing in network engineering
- Deep expertise in networking protocols (BGP, OSPF, L2/L3 switching, VXLAN, EVPN).
- Experience in Python or C/C++ for test automation and scripting.
- Experience with Linux-based networking environments and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes, VMs etc).
- Experience working with the SONiC architecture or similar open-source network operating systems (NOS).
- Hands-on experience with traffic generators and network emulators (Ixia, Spirent).
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to debug complex issues across the stack—from hardware abstraction layers to application-level protocols.
- Experience leading technical teams or driving large-scale engineering initiatives.
- Knowledge of CI/CD tools and methodologies (Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar).
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 $186,900.00 to $267,700.00 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:
$186,900.00 - $307,800.00Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$166,300.00 - $274,100.00* 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.