Customer Delivery Architect

The application window is expected to close on: 08/04/2026Job 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 WithThis 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 orchestrationProgrammable 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 workloadsAutomation & 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 workflowsWhat You'll Work WithWithin 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 ArchitectsExternally, 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 supervisionCore Technical ExpertiseSONiC and Open Networking • Deep hands-on experience with SONiC architecture and operations • Understanding of SAI, Redis DB model, containerized services, and control-plane architectureLinux 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 orchestrationProgrammable Silicon & Hardware Debugging • Experience working with merchant silicon or programmable ASIC platforms • Exposure to Cisco