Sr Software Engineer - BackEnd

Application window closes on: 10/29/2026

About the role

As a Sr. Software Engineer in Cisco’s Customer Experience (CX) Engineering organization, you will shape the future of AI‑driven solutions across Cisco’s product and services portfolio. You will build robust, scalable systems that solve real‑world business challenges and deliver exceptional value for Cisco’s customers and partners.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Leadership & Back‑End Systems: Lead projects end‑to‑end by architecting highly available, concurrent distributed systems; define and enforce standards for high‑performance APIs (gRPC/REST), caching strategies, and sophisticated data modeling across relational and NoSQL environments.
• Advanced AI/ML Engineering: Design and implement comprehensive MLOps pipelines—including data preprocessing, feature engineering, and model deployment—and lead the integration of LLMs and generative AI solutions.
• Real‑Time Data & Infrastructure: Implement event‑driven architectures using Apache Kafka for real‑time data streaming; monitor production environments to proactively identify systemic risks and drive continuous improvement.
• Mentorship & Influence: Elevate the team’s coding standards by actively mentoring peers and junior engineers, conducting rigorous code reviews, and providing technical guidance.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with product management and other stakeholders to translate business needs into technical roadmaps and innovative engineering solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of related experience, or Master’s degree with 4+ years of related experience.
• Proficiency in Python development and an additional language such as Go or TypeScript.
• Experience with modern backend frameworks (e.g., FastAPI, Django) and microservices architecture.
• Hands‑on experience with Kubernetes and cloud‑native platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, or similar).
• Familiarity with AI‑assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor) to accelerate the SDLC while maintaining code quality.
• Designing and maintaining production‑grade APIs and data pipelines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Product development experience collaborating with product managers and front‑end teams to deliver scalable backend microservices and APIs in an Agile environment.
• Experience with MLOps tools, model monitoring, and deploying ML models at scale.
• Expertise in distributed systems, including Apache Kafka, real‑time compute frameworks, and high‑performance data modeling.
• Knowledge of hybrid/vector search architectures and large‑scale data pipeline management.
• Operational excellence with secrets management (HashiCorp Vault), performance tuning, and advanced debugging/root‑cause analysis.
• Experience setting technical standards, defining best practices, and driving technology adoption across teams.
• Strong soft‑skill abilities to navigate ambiguity, build technical consensus, and communicate complex architectural concepts.
• Networking expertise, particularly Cisco networking knowledge, is a strong plus.

Why Cisco?

Cisco is revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era. With 40 years of innovation, Cisco delivers solutions that provide unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the digital footprint. The company’s global network of experts and collaborative culture offers limitless opportunities for growth, impact, and building meaningful solutions at scale.

Pay

The starting salary range for this position is $139,300 – $203,600 (U.S. and Canada), with variations by location. Specific ranges include:

• New York City Metro Area: $167,700 – $282,000
• Non‑Metro New York State & Washington State: $149,100 – $250,900

Compensation may also include incentive pay, equity (restricted stock units), and bonuses where applicable.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Short‑ and long‑term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Restricted stock unit grants (vesting with continued employment)
• Paid time off: 10 holidays + 1 floating holiday, birthday day off, year‑end shutdown, 4 wellness days, plus vacation (flexible for exempt employees; 16 days accrued for non‑exempt)
• 80 hours of sick time on hire and each January 1, with carry‑forward
• Optional 10 paid volunteer days per year
• Eligibility for annual performance bonuses (non‑sales roles)