Full-Time

Software Engineer 3

ENG/CPO/WTG ETR

Updated on 8/21/2026

Deadline 8/24/26
Cisco

Cisco

10,001+ employees

Networking hardware, security software, collaboration services

Compensation Overview

$138.1k - $256k/yr

+ Equity grants + Annual bonus

Milpitas, CA, USA

In Person

PhD

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Machine Learning
C/C++
Linux/Unix

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Requirements
  • Recent graduate or final-year student pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related major.
  • Strong understanding of wireless technologies.
  • Proficiency in C and/or C++ on embedded platforms.
  • Experience with embedded systems, system-on-chip integration, or Linux kernel and driver development.
  • Ability to work across software and hardware boundaries, from drivers and firmware through cloud platforms.
Responsibilities
  • Design and implement enterprise Wi-Fi access point systems.
  • Contribute to the design and development of complex Cisco enterprise Wi-Fi access point features and protocols.
  • Design Wi-Fi 8 software systems.
  • Develop coexistence solutions for different radio technologies in dense enterprise deployments.
  • Implement Edge AI inference on access points for network monitoring and diagnostics.
  • Work with location technologies including ultra-wideband, Wi-Fi, and global navigation satellite systems.
  • Work with Internet of Things radio protocols including Bluetooth Low Energy and IEEE 802.15.4.
Desired Qualifications
  • Background in Edge AI or embedded machine learning, including on-device inference, model quantization, neural processing unit or digital signal processor acceleration, or real-time machine-learning systems.
  • Understanding of wireless protocol stacks including IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15.4, and Bluetooth Low Energy.
  • Familiarity with Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 8 features.
  • Experience using agentic coding tools such as Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot and AI-assisted development workflows in a production engineering environment.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to explain complex technical concepts to engineering and non-engineering audiences.

Cisco designs and sells networking hardware, software, and services that help organizations connect, protect, and manage data. Its products include networking gear, security solutions, cloud services, and collaboration tools like Webex to support hybrid work. Cisco differentiates itself with a broad, integrated stack—routing and switching, security, cloud, and collaboration—that works together at scale. Its goal is to help customers securely connect people, devices, and applications, enabling reliable communication and digital transformation across enterprises of all sizes.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

San Jose, California

Founded

1984

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 12, 2026 guidance topped estimates: $72.2 billion to $73.4 billion fiscal 2027 revenue.
  • Cisco booked $9.3 billion in fiscal 2026 AI infrastructure orders, up 4.5x year over year.
  • Reuters reported May 13, 2026 layoffs funding silicon, optics, security, and AI investment.

What critics are saying

  • Product gross margin fell 270 basis points in Q4 2026 from heavier hardware mix.
  • Nvidia Spectrum-X and Broadcom silicon threaten Cisco's AI networking share during 2026.
  • Hyperscalers can internalize networking, leaving Cisco's AI growth dependent on shrinking outside demand.

What makes Cisco unique

  • Cisco's Silicon One and Acacia won hyperscaler AI design slots from five US hyperscalers.
  • Webex's June 2026 stack bundles zero-trust security, deepfake detection, and compliance controls.
  • Cisco's installed base and support contracts create sticky enterprise refresh cycles through 2029.

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Benefits

Paid Vacation

Hybrid Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Professional Development Budget

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-1%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

0%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 19th, 2026
Cisco options price $80–$157 range for holders over next year amid AI infrastructure growth

Cisco Systems trades near $111.61 following a 72.1% gain over the past year. The options market projects a one-standard-deviation band of $80 to $156.87 for contracts expiring in about a year, representing a potential 28.3% downside or 40.6% upside. The company closed fiscal 2026 with record revenue of $63.3 billion, up 12%, and has guided fiscal 2027 to $72.2 billion to $73.4 billion. AI infrastructure for hyperscalers supplied about 6% of revenue in fiscal 2026, up from less than 2% the previous year, with $9.3 billion in orders booked. Management projects $7.5 billion in AI infrastructure revenue for fiscal 2027. However, non-GAAP product gross margin fell 270 basis points in Q4 2026, mainly due to heavier hardware mix and memory costs.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 13th, 2026
Cisco's subscription revenue share drops to 48% as hyperscaler AI orders drive hardware growth

Cisco Systems has shifted its investor narrative from subscription revenue to hardware growth driven by hyperscaler AI infrastructure orders. The company's subscription share of total revenue fell from 56% in late fiscal 2025 to 48% in Q4 fiscal 2026, not because subscriptions declined but because product revenue surged 24% year-over-year whilst services revenue remained flat at $3.8 billion. AI infrastructure now accounts for 6% of Cisco's $63.3 billion fiscal 2026 revenue, up from under 2% the previous year. The company secured $9.3 billion in AI infrastructure orders, split between Silicon One systems and optics. The hardware-heavy mix pressured non-GAAP gross margin, down 210 basis points to 66.3%, though operating margin expanded to 35.9% as hyperscaler business requires minimal incremental expense.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 13th, 2026
Cisco CEO dismisses AI bubble fears as Q4 revenue beats by 6% with hyperscaler orders up triple digits

Cisco delivered 15% revenue growth in its latest quarter, beating the 9% analyst consensus, driven by triple-digit order growth from all four major hyperscalers in fiscal Q4. The company reported $4.0 billion in AI-related orders during the quarter and $9.3 billion across fiscal 2026. CEO Chuck Robbins told CNBC that AI-era data centre traffic runs 14 times higher than traditional cloud infrastructure. Hyperscalers now allocate approximately 13% of their capital expenditure to Cisco's addressable market. The company guided to $7.5 billion in AI infrastructure revenue for fiscal 2027. Despite the strong results, shares fell from $124 to $115, though analysts maintain a $133 consensus target with 17 buy ratings. Robbins characterised the AI networking buildout as a multi-year secular trend rather than a cyclical spike.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 13th, 2026
US pre-markets rise as PPI holds steady, oil prices and bond yields fall

The US Department of Labor reported that the producer price index for final products remained unchanged in July, against expectations of a 0.1% increase. Core PPI rose 0.4%, exceeding the consensus estimate of 0.3%. Both headline and core PPI increased 4.7% annually. Crude oil prices fell around 2% after the International Energy Agency warned that global oil demand would decline more than previously forecast. The Strait of Hormuz remained blocked, with traffic falling to a three-month low. Following the inflation data and falling oil prices, yields on US government bonds declined, with the 10-year Treasury falling 2 basis points. Initial jobless claims rose to 209,000 for the week ended 8 August, above estimates of 203,000.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 13th, 2026
Cerebras and Cisco shares sink despite strong AI demand as investors demand faster growth acceleration

Cerebras Systems and Cisco Systems shares fell 13% and 8% respectively on Thursday despite reporting strong AI infrastructure demand and beating revenue expectations. Cerebras posted record revenue of $209.9 million, up 103% year over year, with remaining performance obligations reaching $25.4 billion. The company raised full-year guidance. Cisco booked $4 billion in hyperscaler AI infrastructure orders in the fourth quarter and reported revenue of $17.25 billion, up 18%, exceeding estimates. The company expects $7.5 billion in hyperscaler AI revenue for fiscal 2027. However, Cerebras's third-quarter guidance implied just 2.4% sequential growth, whilst core gross margin is expected to fall to 38% to 40%. Jake Behan from Direxion told Reuters that AI infrastructure companies are now judged on their "rate of acceleration", with strong results seen as confirmation rather than a new catalyst.