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Customer Delivery Architect (Remote)

Cisco

Remote · RTP, NC, US$169k – $237k

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About this role

The application window is expected to close on: 09/14/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

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

Salary insight

The midpoint of this range ($203k) is right around the median disclosed salary for San Francisco roles listed on ForgeApply ($200k across 8,413 jobs).

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