Technical Leader - Dataplane Engineering

The application window is expected to close on: December 1, 2025.

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

Note: This role is a **Remote, US** with preference given to candidates located in the **San Jose, CA.**

**Meet the Team**

Join the core Hypershield Data Plane team within Cisco’s Security Business Group—an industry-first effort redefining how modern distributed security is built. We are engineering the data path for a highly available, AI-designed security fabric that protects applications across public clouds, private data centers, and physical environments.

This team is building segmented firewalling directly in the data plane—a first-of-its-kind innovation not available elsewhere in the industry. Engineers on this team get end-to-end ownership of packet processing systems, deep exposure to DPUs (AMD), NPUs, and P4, and the opportunity to shape foundational architecture in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.

If you want to work on the core of the data path, build something new, and learn deeply from day one—this is the place.

**Your Impact**

In this role, you will design, build, and optimize the data plane for Cisco Hypershield using C++, P4, and hardware offload technologies such as DPUs and NPUs. You’ll work hands-on with AMD DPU specifications, packet processing pipelines, and performance-critical components from day one.

Success in this role means operating in a fast-paced model—quickly absorbing the architecture, contributing to data-plane development immediately, and delivering reliable, high-performance code with minimal hand-holding.

You will:

+ Design and implement data-plane features using P4, microcode, and C++ across DPU/NPU architectures.

+ Bring up hardware platforms, integrate SDKs, and debug low-level packet-processing behavior.

+ Work from AMD technical specifications to define and build performant pipelines.

+ Collaborate closely with internal teams (control plane, management plane, platform) to deliver end-to-end datapath functionality.

+ Drive system-level architecture discussions and influence design choices for high-throughput and low-latency packet processing.

**Minimum Qualifications**

+ Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

+ 7+ years of experience in packet processing (e.g., DPDK, TCP reassembly, high-throughput pipelines).

+ Programming experience in C/C++ and experience with P4 or microcode/U-code development.

+ Experience bringing up platforms or ASICs in Linux-based environments.

+ Hands-on experience building or leveraging hardware acceleration with DPUs or NPUs.

**Preferred Qualifications**

+ Experience working with AMD DPUs, Broadcom, Marvell, or Intel data-path hardware.

+ Deep understanding of P4 compiler behavior, pipeline stages, and programmable switch architecture.

+ Experience with performance analysis, tuning, and optimization of high-throughput systems.

+ Prior background in designing test harnesses, working with third-party SDKs, or hardware debug.

+ Experience owning features end-to-end in a distributed or high-availability networking product.

**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.

Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.