Level

Cisco

Embedded Software Engineer - 6+ years

Cisco is hiring an Embedded Software Engineer - 6+ years in Bengaluru, India. Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.

AI in this role

Develop embedded software, BSP, and diagnostics for networking products supporting hardware infrastructure.

pythoncgdbkgdb
embedded-systemsdevice-driverslinuxkerneldebugging

Meet the Team

The Common Hardware Group (CHG) at Cisco is seeking skilled software engineers to join our Diagnostic/BSP team, responsible for ensuring the reliability and performance of our world-class hardware. Our team develops software for Cisco’s network switches and routers, which feature advanced application awareness to build a flexible and agile network infrastructure. These capabilities support multi-layered responses to the diverse workload demands of AI and ML. This is a unique opportunity to grow your technical skill set and gain visibility and recognition across cross-functional teams within Cisco. We value motivated individuals who enjoy solving complex challenges and thrive in a collaborative, innovative environment.

Your Impact

• Design, and develop, BSP, and Diagnostics for Cisco Core and Edge routing products.

• Design, develop, and test kernel and user space device drivers for FPGA and networking peripherals.

• Develop and execute software test plans.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to debug prototypes and validate software.

Minimum Qualifications

* Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 4+ years experience, or Master’s degree with 2+ years experience.

* Proficient in C, C++, and Python programming.

* Strong hardware and device driver development background, including experience with Linux hardware bring-up.

* Demonstrated experience in hardware and device driver development, including Linux hardware bring-up, multi-threading, event handling, and state machine implementation. 

* Skilled in developing, debugging, and validating embedded systems and device drivers for protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe, and/or GPIO.

Preferred Qualifications  

* Proficient in kernel debugging tools such as GDB and KGDB. 

* Experience developing software from concept through delivery for large-scale, high-bandwidth systems. 

* Ability to troubleshoot software defects from kernel modules to applications. 

* Experience with collaborative system design, specification writing, and requirements review. 

* Commitment to quality, mentoring, and continuous learning in networking, optics, and embedded systems. 

* Experience with AI/ML. 

* Knowledge of Layer 2/3 network protocols. 

* Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills. 

* Experience with network processors and optical networking. 

* Familiarity with secure-boot, open-source tools, CMIS, and SFF standards (SFP, QSFP). 

* Strong communication skills and knowledge of software quality processes. 


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. 


Disclaimer

To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will:

  • be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site
  • begin with screening or an interview
  • originate from a Cisco email address, and
  • be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx

 

Cisco will never make a job offer without conducting an interview process or ask you for money in any way. If you have been requested to apply for a role or have received an offer from a site other than https://careers.cisco.com or cisco.wd5.myworkday.com, do not provide any personal identifying information, including your Aadhaar or other personal identifying number, birth certificate, banking information, driver's license, or passport.


If you are the target of a recruiting scam, consider filing a report with your local law enforcement authorities. Cisco bears no responsibility, and cannot be held liable, for any claims, damages, expenses, or other inconvenience resulting from or in any way connected to recruiting scams.


How we rate this

Embedded Software Engineer - 6+ years at Cisco rates 10 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

  1. ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
  2. ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
  3. ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
  4. ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Embedded SystemsDevice DriversLinuxKernelDebuggingPythonCGdb

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Pay

Typical software engineer job
$168k

This posting doesn't list pay. Use the typical software engineer figure when pay comes up. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

  1. Tell me about a project where embedded systems was part of your work. What did you do?
  2. Tell me about a project where device drivers was part of your work. What did you do?
  3. Tell me about a project where linux was part of your work. What did you do?
  4. Tell me about a project where kernel was part of your work. What did you do?
  5. Tell me about a project where debugging was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

  • List these exact terms on your resume: Embedded Systems, Device Drivers, Linux, Kernel, and Debugging. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
  • Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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