Routing and Switching Control Plane Technical Lead

The application window is expected to close on: 03/02/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

Meet the Team

The Cisco Distributed System Engineering (DSE) group is at the forefront of developing products that power the largest networks in the world. The networking industry is going through a massive transformation to build the next generation infrastructure to meet the needs of AI/ML workloads and continuously increasing internet users and applications. We are uniquely positioned to capture that market transition. This team builds products by harnessing the potential of open-source technologies while pushing the boundaries on Systems and Silicon Architecture.

Your Impact

As a Routing and Switching Control Plane Technical Lead , you will lead an agile team engaged in the design, development and testing of the Control Plane required for the Cisco 8000/9000 platforms.

You will drive the technical roadmap for routing protocol enhancements, ensuring our infrastructure is optimized for massive AI/ML data center fabrics. You’ll be working with engineers who are passionate about tackling complex technology, building large-scale distributed systems and working with open-source communities and technologies. This is a fast-paced work environment where you'll work end-to-end product development and provide production support. Your leadership will ensure the delivery of high-quality, scalable software.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS/EE/CE or technical equivalent
• 7+ years of software development experience using C, C++, or Python
• 4+ years’ development experience in routing protocol stacks (e.g., BGP, OSPF, IS-IS) or network operating systems (e.g., FRR, Quagga, or vendor-specific NOS).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with SONiC architecture, including Redis databases and Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI).
• Expertise with Segment Routing, L2VPN/EVPN technologies, BIER and Controller based Solutions, and RoCEv2 for AI/ML networking. Strong understanding of MPLS Technologies, including LDP, RSVP-TE, VPNs, MVPN, L3VPN, L2VPN. Proficient in routing protocols and technologies including multicast routing (PIM, IGMPv2, IGMPv3, etc), BGP, OSPF, IS-IS
• Packet forwarding operating systems internals, algorithms, and computer architecture.
• GIT, Jira, Jenkins and CI/CD pipeline tools, Virtualization and container technologies including KVM/Qemu, Docker and/or Kubernetes
• Strong troubleshooting and performance tuning skills
• IETF experience and influence in the industry

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 $183,800.00 to $263,600.00 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 $183,800.00 - $303,100.00

Non-Metro New York State & Washington State $163,600.00 - $269,800.00

• 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.