Meet the Team 

The Cisco Optical Network Controller (CONC) team leads the industry in optical SDN controller solutions, powering mission-critical tier-1 service provider networks globally. We develop cloud-native, distributed microservices capable of high-throughput network control and state synchronization. Operating without a separate test organization, our Senior Engineers drive both architectural excellence in Java microservices and automated validation frameworks in Python.

Your Impact

• Technical Design & Architecture: Lead the design and implementation of complex, resilient Java microservices for topology discovery, service provisioning, circuit path computation, and lifecycle management.

• Dev-Test Architecture & Strategy: Architect scalable, reusable Python test automation frameworks; mentor engineers on writing robust end-to-end tests for distributed edge cases (e.g., node failover, high availability, scale).

• Performance & Scale Optimization: Profile, troubleshoot, and optimize microservice performance, concurrency, and memory footprint in containerized Kubernetes clusters.

• Code Quality & Mentorship: Drive rigorous code reviews, test-driven development (TDD), automated regression guardrails, and technical onboarding for junior engineers.

• Release & Customer Quality: Partner with Product Leads and Architects to ensure carrier-grade reliability and rapid turnaround on critical customer escalations.

Minimum Qualification

• Education & Experience: Bachelor's or Master's in CS/ECE/EE with 6 to 9+ years of progressive experience designing and developing distributed enterprise or networking software.

• Advanced Java Mastery: Deep expertise in Java (Spring Boot / Micronaut), concurrency/multithreading, distributed data caching, transactional consistency, and REST/gRPC API design.

• Python Test Engineering Expertise: Extensive experience designing modular, automated Python test frameworks (PyTest, Robot Framework, mock servers) to simulate large-scale network topologies and microservice interlocks.

• Cloud-Native & Distributed Systems: Strong experience with Kubernetes, Docker, Kafka, distributed state management, and Linux systems internals.

Preferred Qualification

• Deep domain experience in Optical Networking (ROADM, Transponders, OTN, DWDM), L0-L3 network topologies, or PCE/Path Computation algorithms.

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. 

Disclaimer

To ensure that we hire the best talent in the right way, we follow a strict hiring process and recently, Cisco has been made aware of fraudulent recruiters claiming to be from the company. Please be advised that any communication from Cisco about careers will:

• be in direct response to an application you have submitted through the company career site
• begin with screening or an interview
• originate from a Cisco email address, and
• be conducted across email, phone, or WebEx

Cisco will never make a job offer without conducting an interview process or ask you for money in any way. If you have been requested to apply for a role or have received an offer from a site other than https://careers.cisco.com or cisco.wd5.myworkday.com, do not provide any personal identifying information, including your Aadhaar or other personal identifying number, birth certificate, banking information, driver's license, or passport.

If you are the target of a recruiting scam, consider filing a report with your local law enforcement authorities. Cisco bears no responsibility, and cannot be held liable, for any claims, damages, expenses, or other inconvenience resulting from or in any way connected to recruiting scams.