Software Engineer(C++, web protocols, 5-12 years)

Meet the Team

Cisco Secure Access is a cloud-delivered security platform designed to provide businesses with comprehensive protection against evolving cybersecurity threats while ensuring secure and efficient access to the internet and cloud applications. Cisco Secure Access is a key part of Cisco's broader security portfolio and is built to offer scalable, flexible, and fast solutions for securing remote users, branch offices, and mobile devices in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment. Cisco Secure Access provides a robust, cloud-based security framework, leveraging sophisticated technologies such as DNS-layer security, secure web gateway (SWG), cloud-delivered firewall, and cloud-native threat intelligence to protect organizations from malicious activity while optimizing internet access for end users.

Your Impact

• You will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership and a passion for building secure, scalable solutions.
• Build highly scalable Cloud Microservice solutions that secure a high volume of web traffic
• Bring a mindset of developing simple solutions to complex problems.
• Design, and deliver new software features for Web gateway.
• Write functional and design specs. Conduct and participate in peer code and design reviews.
• Collaborate with the adjacent software teams in defining the programming interfaces into the various other software modules.
• Relish a build it, operate it, secure it culture.
• Own major features and components from conception to delivery, ensuring that technical solutions meet business objectives, security requirements, and user needs.
• Demonstrate your understanding of networking principles and protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S) to ensure that our cloud security solutions protect against network-related vulnerabilities and provide secure access across cloud environments.
• Participate in the on-call rotation to ensure the security, stability, and availability of production system and be ready to diagnose, tackle, and resolve production issues with urgency and efficiency, especially related to security or networking incidents.
• Work with product managers, UX/UI designers, and other engineers to define feature requirements, deliver high-quality solutions and ensure alignment with product objectives. Be an advocate for security and scalability in all aspects of the product.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering with an emphasis on cloud security, or networking
• Experience in Web Gateway products, web proxy, Web Security domain
• Experience designing, implementing, and supporting large-scale transaction systems
• Proven C++ and Python skills
• In-depth knowledge of object-oriented concepts, programming, and systems design
• Understanding of various design patterns and Microservice Architecture
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experienced in designing, building and debugging large scale distributed systems.
• Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms and software design with strong analytical and debugging skills
• Strong collaboration skills with product management, and other engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with DevOps practices, containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD tools for automated deployment pipeline
• Experience with on-call duties and managing production incidents in a timely and effective manner.
• Experience with cloud-native security tools (e.g., cloud firewalls, DDoS protection, IAM, VPC security, etc.).
• Experience with automation tools like Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation for infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD pipelines.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities may shift quickly. Able to adapt to new technologies and evolving business needs.
• Solid understanding of security best practices in cloud-native applications, encryption, and access controls.

Why Cisco

#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.

Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best.

We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!

Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!

U.S. employees have access to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.

Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco’s flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco’s Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. 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 up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.