Senior Software Engineer – AI/ML Infrastructure

The application window is expected to close on: 02/27/2026Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

This is a hybrid role, located in San Jose, CA and requires being in the office 3 days a week.

Meet the Team

In the Data Center Business Unit at Cisco, we are dedicated to driving innovation in networking technologies. Our focus is on developing groundbreaking Ethernet Switching products that address the evolving needs of modern network infrastructures, including those in AI, cloud computing, and enterprise environments. The team is comprised of passionate engineers and collaborators who thrive in a fast-paced, innovative environment. You’ll be part of a diverse group that values cross-functional collaboration and exposure to all facets of the software development cycle—from ideation and marketing requirements to product delivery. What’s exciting about this team is the opportunity to learn and shape core Ethernet Technologies, contributing to the evolution of world-class Nexus switches and transformative cloud infrastructure solutions.

Your Impact

• Design and architect AI/ML platform infrastructure to support critical SDLC use cases, including planning, coding, testing, CI/CD, release, operation, and support.
• Build scalable services for model integration, inference, embeddings, retrieval (RAG), telemetry, and feedback loops, enabling robust AI adoption across engineering teams.
• Develop developer-facing platforms, SDKs, APIs, and workflows to streamline AI integration and accelerate innovation at scale.
• Integrate AI systems with code repositories, CI/CD pipelines, observability tools, and security/compliance frameworks to enhance reliability and performance.
• Drive best practices, design reviews, and technical direction, ensuring data governance, security, and operational excellence in production environments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 6+ years of experience in distributed systems, platform engineering, or infrastructure development.
• Experience in Python, APIs, and cloud-native systems.
• Experience with ML platforms, LLMs, vector databases, or data pipelines.
• Experience building scalable, secure, production-grade services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI-assisted development, LLMOps/DevSecOps, or SDLC automation.
• Familiarity with RAG systems, model orchestration, telemetry, and feedback-driven learning loops.
• Prior work on internal developer platforms or large-scale AI systems.

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 $165,000.00 to $241,400.00 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 fu