Archived listing. The details below describe a past opening.
The application window is expected to close on: 09/29/2026
Cisco is seeking a Customer Delivery Architect (CDA) to support one of the world’s largest hyperscale web customers in the Seattle area. This role is focused on next-generation data center networking built on SONiC and Cisco Silicon One, powering large-scale AI/ML and high-performance computing infrastructure.
As part of Cisco’s Customer Experience (CX) organization, you will operate at the intersection of open networking software, programmable switching silicon, and hyperscale infrastructure operations. You will work directly with customer network platform teams and Cisco engineering to design, troubleshoot, and optimize SONiC-based data center fabrics running on Cisco hardware platforms.
This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy going deep across the stack - from Linux kernel networking and containerized SONiC services to ASIC forwarding pipelines and AI cluster network design.
What You'll Do
- Act as the technical authority for SONiC deployments running on Cisco Silicon One platforms in large-scale production environments.
- Provide architectural guidance and operational support for hyperscale data center fabrics supporting AI/ML workloads.
- Troubleshoot complex issues across the stack including SONiC containers, Linux networking, routing protocols, and ASIC forwarding behavior.
- Perform deep debugging and analysis using Silicon One SDK tools and ASIC telemetry to identify hardware and software interactions.
- Support both production and pre-production validation environments running SONiC and Cisco platforms including NCS5500, Catalyst 8000, Nexus 3000/9000, and NCS1K.
- Collaborate directly with Cisco silicon architects, SONiC development teams, and software engineering groups to resolve defects and improve platform capabilities.
- Optimize network fabrics designed for AI/ML clusters using RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) and other high-performance transport mechanisms.
- Guide the customer in adopting DevOps-driven operational models, including CI/CD pipelines for SONiC software validation and infrastructure automation.
- Help implement observability, telemetry, and automated validation frameworks to improve reliability at hyperscale.
- Act as a trusted technical advisor, building strong relationships with customer network engineering and infrastructure teams.
Technologies You Will Work With
This role involves hands-on work with technologies across the entire networking stack:
Open Network Operating Systems • SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud)
- Linux-based network operating systems and distributed network services
- Containerized network services and orchestration
Programmable Silicon • Cisco Silicon One architecture
- ASIC-level packet forwarding pipelines
- Hardware telemetry and deep packet path debugging
- Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI)
AI / ML Data Center Networking • High-performance AI cluster fabrics
- RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) networking
- Lossless Ethernet and congestion control
- Large-scale leaf-spine architectures optimized for GPU workloads
Automation & DevOps • CI/CD pipelines for network validation and software lifecycle management
- Infrastructure-as-code and automated testing frameworks
- Python-based automation and Linux tooling
- Git-based development and open-source collaboration workflows
What You'll Work With
Within Cisco, you will collaborate closely with:
- Cisco Silicon One engineering and architecture teams
- SONiC platform developers and open networking engineers
- Cisco software development and validation teams
- High Touch Operations and Service Delivery Managers
- Cisco Network Consulting Engineers and Architects
Externally, you will partner directly with the customer’s network platform engineering, infrastructure, and AI cluster networking teams.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- 10+ years of experience in networking, distributed systems, or hyperscale infrastructure
- Deep knowledge of data center networking architectures and large-scale routing environments
- Strong troubleshooting skills across software, hardware, and network protocols
- Experience working in large production environments with minimal supervision
Core Technical Expertise
SONiC and Open Networking • Deep hands-on experience with SONiC architecture and operations
- Understanding of SAI, Redis DB model, containerized services, and control-plane architecture
Linux Systems • Strong knowledge of Linux networking stack and kernel internals
- Experience debugging network behavior using Linux tools and system-level diagnostics
- Familiarity with Docker or Kubernetes-based service orchestration
Programmable Silicon & Hardware Debugging • Experience working with merchant silicon or programmable ASIC platforms
- Exposure to Cisco Silicon One architecture or similar programmable switching silicon
- Ability to analyze packet forwarding pipelines and hardware counters
AI / ML Networking • Experience supporting AI cluster networking or HPC fabrics
- Knowledge of RoCE networking, congestion management, and performance optimization
DevOps & Automation • Strong automation experience with Python and Linux tooling
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated infrastructure validation
- Familiarity with open-source development workflows and Git-based collaboration
Networking Protocol Expertise
Strong working knowledge of:
- BGP
- ISIS
- MPLS and Segment Routing
- VXLAN / EVPN
- IPv6
- Data center leaf-spine fabrics
Platforms may include NCS5500 (Fretta), Catalyst 8000 / Spitfire, Nexus 3000/9000, and NCS1K.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience operating hyperscale cloud or web-scale infrastructure
- Hands-on experience with Cisco Silicon One-based systems
- Contributions to SONiC or other open networking projects
- CCIE (Service Provider, Data Center, or Routing & Switching) or equivalent experience
- Experience integrating network telemetry, streaming analytics, and observability platforms
Impact of the Role
This role directly supports a strategic hyperscale customer deployment leveraging SONiC and Cisco Silicon One to power next-generation AI infrastructure. The position plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, scalability, and performance of networking systems that underpin some of the largest compute environments in the world.
You will work closely with both Cisco engineering and customer platform teams, helping shape the evolution of open networking and AI-driven data center architectures.
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 $169,300.00 to $237,200.00 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:
$194,600.00 - $328,600.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$179,000.00 - $294,000.00
- 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.