Software Engineering Technical Lead, Go (Cilium)

The application window is expected to close on : December 18, 2025.

NOTE : Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

NOTE : This role is US Remote role, but preference given to candidates located in the Eastern US time zone (ET) .

Meet the Team

Isovalent, now part of Cisco, is the company founded by the creators of Cilium and eBPF. Cisco Isovalent builds open-source software and enterprise solutions solving networking, security, and observability needs for modern cloud native infrastructure. The flagship technology, Cilium, is the choice of numerous, industry-leading, global organizations.

We believe in fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every team member feels valued, respected, and empowered. We believe that every employee contributes to our success, and we are committed to fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply and join us in our mission to deliver exceptional products and services.

Your Impact

Cisco Isovalent is seeking a skilled and experienced Software Engineer troubleshoot, mature and improve the reliability and scalability of Isovalent Products. You will be responsible for building and enhancing a Kubernetes-native control plane to provide seamless management of its network traffic, enabling scalable, secure, and resilient traffic management in cloud and hybrid enterprise environments. You will work with a highly collaborative and skilled team to build solutions that advance the next generation of networking and security in Kubernetes environments.

What you'll do :

Developing high-quality Go and eBPF code for Cilium OSS and Enterprise, while following open source development principles and best practices.

Debug, troubleshoot, and resolve performance, reliability, and security issues in the control plane.

Design highly scalable solution to reliably run Cilium in very large environments.

Participate in code reviews, architectural discussions, and contribute to technical documentation.

Work and coordinate US and EMEA teams, ensuring alignment during East Coast business hours (EST / EDT).

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelors Computer Science degree, or related fields

4+ years of experience in Go, 2+ years of experience in C or eBPF

Experience with Kubernetes, Cloud Native workloads and / or distributed systems

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge about Linux systems design, security and / or networking, Linux kernel

Desire to write high quality and efficient code

Experience designing and implementing APIs

A public track record of open-source code commits is a plus

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 $183,800.00 to $263,600.00 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

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 :

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 :

$183,800.00 - $303,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state :

$163,600.00 - $269,800.00

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.